A half-century of high strangeness
Skinwalker Ranch is a 512-acre (207-hectare) property in Utah's Uintah Basin that has been a center for reported paranormal and UFO-related activities for decades. The area borders the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation, and local folklore connects the strange events to a Navajo legend of the "skinwalker," a malevolent, shapeshifting witch. Reports of UFOs in the Uintah Basin gained publicity in the 1970s, but the ranch itself became infamous after Terry and Gwen Sherman purchased it in 1994.
The Sherman family reported a concentration of bizarre, threatening events during their two years on the property. These included sightings of unidentified flying objects, floating orbs of light, and large, exotic animals that seemed impervious to bullets. A disturbing aspects was the repeated discovery of cattle that were surgically mutilated and drained of blood, often without any tracks or evidence left at the scene. These experiences drove the family to sell the ranch in 1996.
The era of scientific investigation
In 1996, the ranch was purchased for $200,000 by Robert Bigelow, a real estate developer and founder of the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS). NIDS was established to scientifically investigate paranormal phenomena. From 1996 to 2004, a team of scientists resided at the ranch, using monitoring equipment, including infrared cameras, Geiger counters, and magnetometers, to document and analyze anomalous events. The NIDS team documented close to 100 incidents, but found no physical evidence.
Bigelow's subsequent organization, Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS), later took over the investigation under a contract with the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP). In 2016, the ranch was sold to its current owner, Brandon Fugal, a real estate magnate who was initially doubted the claims. Fugal has continued and expanded the scientific inquiry with a dedicated team, employing advanced technology like ground-penetrating radar and thermal imaging. Ongoing experiments include launching instrumented rockets and using high-powered lasers to probe for atmospheric disturbances. Researchers consistently report significant electromagnetic interference and GPS anomalies, particularly within a specific area of the ranch known as "The Triangle".