Who Are the Dark Watchers? California's Sinister Giants

The Santa Lucia Mountain Range forms some of the most difficult terrain in California. Stretching for almost 150 miles (240 km) they form an almost impenetrable barrier between the interior of the continental United States and the coast.

Early explorers were unable to cross them and had to divert south or north to reach the Pacific. And even today, they are a magnificent belt of rugged and jagged granite peaks which drop suddenly to the sea, with the 5,000 foot (1,500 m) Cone Peak being situated only 3 miles (5 km) from the water.

And many believe someone—or something— is hidden in this mountain range, watching, always watching. Those who traverse their trails often claim to sense a mysterious presence, and a few of these people have actually seen that presence, manifesting in a form that seems human, but not completely.

The Dark Watchers: Always Watching, and Waiting

Whatever it is people have reported seeing in those mountains, they all agree on the name they have given them as being an apt description: they have been dubbed the Dark Watchers. They appear as tall and mysterious, dark figures with silhouettes silently watching over walkers from the mountaintops.

More often than not, visitors spotted the Dark Watchers during late afternoon and twilight. When the sun starts descending, you can look up to the sharp ridges on the Santa Lucia mountain range. If you have a fair amount of luck, then maybe you will notice some sleek and long silhouettes silently standing in amidst the mountains, casting a mean and intimidating shadow with their eerie presence.