Virginia is known for its old battlefields, shadowed forests, and haunted small towns — but few tales from the Commonwealth send chills down the spine quite like the story of the Henrico County. Stories of a wolf-like being have circled Henrico County for over a century. Witnesses describe a tall creature standing between six and seven feet, covered in grayish or silver-white fur, its body disturbingly human-shaped yet unmistakably animal.
It’s said to prowl the forests near the Confederate Hills Recreation Center and along the James River, often seen darting across roads or watching from the tree line under the light of a full moon.
Virginia Werewolf Cryptid: One of the earliest modern encounters came from October of 2011, when police received a call about a large, upright animal stalking a residential area. Nothing was ever found — but those who heard the screams that night said it sounded nothing like any normal dog.
One witness, a woman walking her pit bull through a wooded area, recalled her normally fearless dog suddenly freezing in terror, then lunging to escape, eyes fixed on something she couldn’t see. The next day, she returned to the same spot and found massive canine prints sunk deep into the mud — far too large for any known breed.
Locals say that when the moon is full, a strange, mournful howl can be heard echoing across the water — deep, guttural, and hauntingly human.
The Boat Landing Standoff
The most chilling encounter happened late one night near the Henrico County boat landing.
A young couple had driven out to the water to enjoy the quiet, sitting together under a pale sky when the stillness shattered with a terrifying, inhuman howl. The young man later described it as “so deep, so guttural, it made my stomach twist — like it came from something that shouldn’t exist.”
They swung their flashlights toward the trees, and what they saw next has haunted them ever since.
From the shadows stepped two enormous white figures, their fur catching the faint light. At first, they looked like giant dogs — but the longer the couple stared, the less sense it made. The creatures stood unnaturally still, silent, watching them with a chilling intelligence.
For ten long minutes, no one moved. The air was thick with fear.
The couple later said they felt frozen in place, like the creatures were daring them to move — and that doing so would be a mistake.
Then, suddenly, the headlights of another car swept across the lot. In that instant, the creatures bristled — and in a blur of movement, they vanished into the woods with supernatural speed.
To this day, neither of the witnesses can explain what they saw. But they both agree on one thing — whatever those things were, they were not human, and not of this world.
The Great Dismal Swamp Dogman
While the Henrico Werewolf is the most recent and famous, it’s not the only one of its kind said to stalk Virginia’s dark places.
Down in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, near the North Carolina border, another wolf-like creature has been reported for over a century. Witnesses describe it as eight feet tall, covered in filthy white hair, with glowing yellow eyes and a human-like face twisted by a canine muzzle.
The earliest recorded sighting dates back to 1902, when a man named L. Frank Ames awoke to strange noises outside his home. Stepping into the night, he came face-to-face with the beast — a towering wolf-man staring back at him from the edge of the swamp.
Ames fired his pistol several times, but the creature didn’t flinch. When he tried to send his dogs after it, every one of them refused to move, whimpering in fear. The creature eventually turned and disappeared into the mist.
Soon after, a man named Henry Jordan reported seeing the same thing — a massive, wolf-like creature watching him silently from the shadows.
Word spread quickly, and a group of hunters went into the swamp to kill the monster. Some claimed they succeeded — but the peace didn’t last.
Within days, a farmer named Edward Smith began finding livestock slaughtered on his property, and several of his dogs devoured completely. One night, he caught the beast clawing beneath his barn, trying to reach one of his terrified animals. Smith confronted it, and when it lunged at him, he struck it repeatedly with his pistol until it fled.
His neighbor, Whit Walker, later reported similar attacks. Even in recent years, people in the area claim to have seen yellow eyes staring through windows, or heard growls so deep they shake the walls.
The Legend Lives On
From the swamps of the south to the forests near Richmond, these encounters paint a haunting picture — a breed of creature that walks the line between man and monster.
Some believe they’re Dogmen, ancient beings that predate humans. Others think they’re the cursed remnants of something darker — lost souls doomed to roam Virginia’s woods forever.
Whatever the truth may be, the stories persist.
And if you ever find yourself near the riverbank in Henrico County, or wandering the Dismal Swamp at night, listen closely.
If you hear a deep, guttural howl cutting through the still air — you might just be hearing Virginia’s Werewolf calling out once again.
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