Have You Heard These 3 Scary Idaho Urban Legends?

I'm a sucker for a good scary story. I watch all of the paranormal shows on cable. I'll even be at the opening of Spiral at the Cinemark Majestic on Thursday night. The scariest stories are the ones that are real, or at least you could picture in your head because you live so close. In Idaho, we have some terrifying urban legends. Here are some of my favorites.

The Water Babies of Massacre Rocks
This one comes from Pocatello, where you can hear the crying of babies late at night if you sit by the river alone in the dark. Many believe that it's the sound of babies that mothers were forced to kill during a famine rather than watch them starve to death. Some think that these babies grew gills and learned to survive. To this day, they lure people to their death to get revenge on their mothers. This legend was ranked as the 12th scariest urban legend in the country by TitleMax. It's easy to see why when children are often the most frightening characters in horror movies. If you don't believe me, check out Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, or even The Good Son.

Sharlie The Payette Lake Monster
In McCall, locals will tell you the tale of Sharlie, a lake monster that resembles the Loch Ness Monster. Sharlie has been known as Slimy Slim and the Twilight Dragon of Payette Lake. Over the years, this serpent-like creature with a dragon head has made many appearances. Most think that it's a log before it rises up to reveal its head. Many believe that it might be up to 50 feet long. Sharlie's last documented sighting came in 2002.

The Phantom Jogger of Canyon Hill
At Caldwell's Canyon Hill Cemetery, the ghosts don't like when you stare at their graves late at night. According to the legend, if you park between the two trees, across the street from the entrance at midnight. Make sure to turn your lights off so that you can see the legless jogger when she knocks on your window. After you're completely freaked out, she leaves as quickly as she came. I parked in this spot to investigate, but I did it at noon. No ghosts, but still creepy.