The Land Where the Weird Never Ends
In southeastern Massachusetts lies a 200-square-mile patch of land that defies explanation. From Abington in the north to Freetown in the southeast and Rehoboth in the southwest, the Bridgewater Triangle encompasses towns like Taunton, Raynham, Berkley, Dighton, Brockton, Easton, and Bridgewater itself. Coined by cryptozoologist Loren Coleman in 1970 after compiling decades of bizarre reports, it is a vortex of the strange and unexplained including: UFOs, Bigfoot, Pukwudgies (small, human-like magical beings from Native American folklore), thunderbirds, giant snakes, cattle mutilations, poltergeists, and ghosts.
"Hockomock is cursed ground. The spirits of the fallen still walk. The lights are their eyes. The shadows are their anger."
– Wampanoag elder (oral tradition, documented by Loren Coleman)
At its heart is the Hockomock Swamp, approximately 4,000 acres of murky wetland known in Wampanoag as "the place where spirits walk." Native legends speak of curses from King Philip's War (1675–1676), where Wampanoag warriors' blood soaked the soil, creating a thin veil between worlds.
The Curse of Hockomock Swamp
The swamp is the Triangle's epicenter. Quick sand, sinkholes, thorns, and fog make it treacherous. But the real danger is supernatural: glowing orbs (will-o'-the-wisps), vanishing hikers, spectral warriors, and a palpable sense of being watched.
In 1971, Norton Police Sgt. Henry Ellis investigated a "huge black object" in the swamp, a huge UFO that shot straight up into the air when approached.
"I saw a glowing ball of light hovering over the swamp. It was silent, then it split into three smaller lights that flew off in different directions."
– Local resident (1970s, reported to Loren Coleman)
In 1978, a Raynham cheerleader's body was found tied to a tree in the swamp, sparking ritual sacrifice rumors. In 1998, cattle and goats were mutilated in ritualistic fashion, organs removed with surgical precision, and not a drop of blood to be found on the ground.
UFOs and Lights
UFOs have plagued the area since 1760 — the world's first documented sighting over Bridgewater. In 1979, two WHDH radio reporters saw a homeplate-shaped craft with red lights over West Bridgewater. In 1908, locals reported a cigar-shaped object.
"It was bigger than a football field. Three bright lights at the corners. It hovered over the trees, then shot straight up. My dog went crazy."
– Taunton resident (1994)
In 1994, a Taunton man saw a triangular craft with three lights hover over his house. In 2001, a Brockton family filmed a glowing orb that split into multiple lights.
Cryptids: Bigfoot, Pukwudgies, and More
The Triangle is cryptid central. Bigfoot sightings date to 1970: a 7-foot hairy beast running on all fours in West Bridgewater. In 1978, a hunter shot at a large animal that cried half-human, half-animal, leaving blood and hair.
Pukwudgies — small, grey-skinned tricksters from Wampanoag lore — haunt Freetown State Forest. In 2016, a woman saw one "glowing with red eyes" near Profile Rock. They curse, lead people astray, and shoot poison arrows.
"It was small, like a child, but grey and evil. It looked at me with red eyes and I felt sick. I ran and never went back."
– Freetown resident (2016)
Thunderbirds (with reported wingspans of up to 12 feet) and giant snakes (reportedly over 20 feet long) have been reported since the 1800s. In 1892, an enourmous 25-foot serpent was seen in the swamp.
Hauntings and Human Darkness
Ghosts abound. Hornbine School (1840s one-room schoolhouse) is haunted by children's laughter and apparitions. Bridgewater State University buildings host spectral students.
"I heard children laughing in the old schoolhouse at night. When I looked inside, there was nothing. Then the laughter stopped, and I felt cold hands on my shoulders."
– Hornbine School visitor (1990s)
The area's bloody history seems to pour fuel into whatever is happening here. King Philip's War massacres, cult murders (1978 Freetown), asylums, and prisons. In 1998, cattle and goats were mutilated in ritualistic fashion in the swamp.
Investigators and Legacy
Loren Coleman coined the term in 1970 after compiling reports. Chris Balzano calls it a "Pandora's Box": "Zombies? Bigfoot? Pukwudgies? Ghosts? UFOs? Black helicopters? It's there."
"The Bridgewater Triangle is a place where the veil is thin. The strange things don't visit — they live here."
– Chris Balzano
Chris Pittman documents ongoing activity. Jeff Belanger explores it in his book "Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England" that you can get on Amazon.
Location / Anomalies:
- Primary area: 200 sq miles from Abington to Freetown to Rehoboth, Massachusetts (Coords: approx 41.9833° N, 71.0167° W)
- Hotspots: Hockomock Swamp, Freetown State Forest, Hornbine School
- Anomalies: UFOs (cigar/homeplate shapes), Bigfoot (7-ft hairy beast), pukwudgies (small grey tricksters with red eyes), thunderbirds (12-ft wingspan), giant snakes (25-ft), ghosts (spectral warriors, children), cattle mutilations, poltergeists, orbs/will-o'-the-wisps, King Philip's War curses, black helicopters.
Sources / Balance:
Loren Coleman 1970 coining and research
Chris Balzano books and interviews
Chris Pittman UFO/cryptid investigations
Jeff Belanger *Wicked Strange*
Wampanoag oral traditions (Hockomock as "place where spirits walk")
Newspaper archives (1971 UFO, 1978 murder, 1998 mutilations)
Local police reports (Bigfoot, pukwudgie sightings)
Final Verdict
THE TRIANGLE THAT SWALLOWS THE STRANGE. 200 square miles of Massachusetts madness where UFOs crash into Bigfoot tracks, pukwudgies curse hikers, thunderbirds blot the sky, and ghosts of King Philip's warriors dance in Hockomock Swamp. From 1760's first UFO to 1998's mutilated cattle, the Bridgewater Triangle is a Pandora's Box of phenomena. Loren Coleman mapped it in 1970, but Native legends knew it as cursed land for centuries.
Science offers no answers, only more questions. When orbs flicker over Freetown Forest or a 7-foot shadow lumbers through Raynham, something unexplained stirs there. With so many events the veil between realities really does appear to be genuinely thin in this location. The question isn't if the Triangle is real, it's what else hides in its shadows, waiting to cross over? Plus, if the Native American folk tell me a place is dangerous... I'd believe them.