Upstate New York is no stranger to spooky stories. From Bigfoot sightings in the Adirondacks to ghostly figures in Saratoga's old hotels, our region's endless woods, lakes, and mountains seem to attract the unexplained.

But one urban legend that's been whispered about for decades in the Catskills might be the eeriest of them all.

Ever heard of the Kinderhook Creature? I hadn't either, until I fell down a rabbit hole of old news clippings, local interviews, and grainy audio recordings -- and now, you don't have to.

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Legend has it that back in the 1980s, a massive, Bigfoot-like beast terrorized families across Columbia County and beyond. Locals described it as a hulking, red-eyed creature that roamed the woods near Kinderhook, leaving behind strange footprints, bone-chilling noises, and terrified residents who swore it was no bear.

Author Bruce Hallenbeck, who grew up in the area, revisited the stories in his book "The Kinderhook Creature and Beyond." He writes:

"Kinderhook residents should be familiar with spooky tales of headless horsemen, ghosts, and fairies. But in the 1980s, the town became home to a new type of fright -- the Kinderhook Creature, a Bigfoot-type hominid that terrorized families and was reported all over the county and beyond."

Hallenbeck's research connects local sightings with a pattern of strange events stretching across the Catskills -- eerie sounds, missing livestock, and eyes glowing red in the night.

Nearly 40 years later, the legend refuses to die. An independent film crew, known for exploring local folklore since 2015, called Small Town Monsters, revisited Kinderhook to uncover new clues.

In one clip, Mark Mulholland from NewsChannel 13 visits the area, meeting residents who claim they still have audio proof in the form of an old cassette recording of the creature's screams.

Some say it sounded like a pig in distress. Others compared it to a pterodactyl. Either way, those who heard it say it's something they'll never forget.

And according to Hallenbeck's cousin, who claims to have seen the beast up close, one detail stands out above the rest: its glowing red eyes.

Wild animal? Hoax? Or something far stranger lurking in the woods of Columbia County?

Whatever it was, the Kinderhook Creature remains one of Upstate New York's most bone-chilling legends and a reminder that sometimes, the scariest stories are the ones that never get fully explained.