Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

The “Swamp Thing of Ottine” refers to a local legend from Ottine, Texas, a small community located near Palmetto State Park, which is known for its swampy terrain and lush, tropical-like vegetation. According to the legend, the Swamp Thing of Ottine is a cryptid or mysterious creature said to inhabit the swampy areas around the park.

Descriptions of the creature vary, but it’s often portrayed as:

• A tall, humanoid figure (around 6 to 8 feet tall)
• Covered in hair or moss
• Emitting a foul odor
• Resembling a mix between Bigfoot and the comic book character Swamp Thing

Sightings date back several decades and have become part of local folklore. Some people believe it’s a type of Bigfoot adapted to the swamp environment, while others suggest it’s just a myth or misidentified wildlife.

Ottine is a small town about 60 miles east of San Antonio and 15 miles north of Gonzales. One of the main entryways to Ottine is the acclaimed Palmetto State Park. The area itself is an anomaly, much like the alleged “Swamp Thing” as the cryptid beast is named by locals.

While on the edge of the South Texas Plain and just a smidge outside of the Hill Country, you would expect the flattening land to be ripe for pasturing livestock, yet smack dab in the middle of great pasture land and oak forests is a swamp. Parts of Ottine and Palmetto State Park more often resemble a primordial rainforest boasting flora and fauna that more likely would be found in the Florida Everglades or the Louisiana gator country.

One report from woodape.org happened in 2014. The witness writes “My husband and I decided to go to Palmetto State Park on our way home from New Braunfels to enjoy a nice hike. We began our hike at the beginning of the San Marcos River Trail. We were the only ones on the trail that day. At the beginning our hike, my husband noticed what looked like an extremely large foot print to the left of the trail. We didn’t think much of it and kept on our journey.

We came to a spot where you can walk down to the river and swim or fish. We both walked down the bank to the river to check out the spot. After taking a small break, we started back up the bank. I was in front of him when I heard him holler that somebody had just thrown a large rock at him. I thought he was trying to scare me, so I didn’t pay much attention. When we got to the top of the bank to the trail, he told me that something had thrown a large baseball sized rock at him, which hit right behind him in the sand and rolled down the hill. He was visibly upset. We continued on our hike.

While on the San Marcos River Trail, we continued to hear noises in the woods and breaking sticks, but contributed it to local wildlife. Then we heard a strange “howl”. It was similar to that of a cow, but different. Now, I know there are cows in the area, which we heard and saw many times during the hike, but I know what a cow sounds like and my husband grew up around and currently works in the slaughter business, so he has heard every sound a cow can make. What we heard was NOT a cow. We heard this “howl” once while on the San Marcos River Trail and then again when we cut off onto the Mesquite Flats Trail. While on the Mesquite Flats Trail, we continued to be observant of our surroundings, but enjoy our relaxing hike.

Somewhere on the trail not far past one bridge but before another, we both heard a loud crack and falling of a large limb out of a tree right by the end of the first bridge on the trail we had just crossed. We then heard running through the woods. It was not like a person running, but was also not like a deer. It was a loud “thump” sound when whatever it was hit the ground. My eyes immediately scanned the tree line and focused in on a tall black “something”. I could clearly see the thing pass past and between trees.

It was tall and black, but very fast. It was faster than a person. It was not a deer because I could see its silhouette. It was not long. It was not a hog because it was tall and not long like an animal. I was watching it pass through the trees when it just disappeared, like it had stopped or something. I was in shock by what I had just seen.

My husband and I walked back to where the limb had hit the ground to see if we could see anything. Unfortunately we did not have any binoculars, but off in the distance where the thing disappeared from my sight it appeared to be some type of black thing either crouched or standing completely still beside a tree. We decided it was best that we make our way to the trail and head to the end, but we kept watch on the black thing we saw by the tree. The trees got thick and we could not see through for a moment, but when we got to another opening, we attempted to find the black thing by the tree we had just seen and it was no longer there. We continued our walk with ALOT to talk about. Once we crossed onto the Ottine Swamp Trail, we heard the “howl” again, but close and clearer than before. We completed our hike with no other incidents or noises. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen in my life.”

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