The Mythical Creature That Baffled A Small Ohio Town Will Give You Nightmares

Local legends can be intriguing, slightly disturbing and downright scary during the Halloween season. But are they always true? Here in Ohio, there are several local legends that continue to live on in spite of speculation. The Cincinnati-area town of Loveland is home to one of the state's most bizarre local legends. It involves undocumented police sightings, a charming town and a mythical creature.

Check it out:

The small city of Loveland, Ohio is known as "The Sweetheart of Ohio." This Cincinnati area town makes a lovely day trip destination.

It's home to the Loveland Castle, Little Miami River and a gorgeous bike path. In spite of its charm, there's a local legend that gives the town an eerie side, though.

Legend has it, there lurks a man who looks a lot like a lizard—or a lizard who looks a lot like a man, depending on how you look at it, of course.

Commonly known as the Loveland Lizard Man or Loveland Frog Man, sightings of this mythical creature continue to show up in occasional local stories.

The legend first began in the early 1970s, when local residents and policemen reported sightings of a strange lizard or frog-like man at night.

The first sighting occurred in 1972. While a police officer was driving along Riverside Road, he stopped to approach what he initially thought was a dog. According to local legend, the creature suddenly stood upright, jumped over the guardrail and headed for the Little Miami River.

Throughout the years, occasional sightings along the river have been reported by local residents.

Despite a second officer encountering the creature just weeks later, no official reports were filed by the two police officers, but word of their encounters were leaked to local media.

Interestingly enough, reports of other lizard/frog-like men have occurred in other parts of America, including Milton, Kentucky and Wayne, New Jersey.

Whether or not the local legend of Loveland's Lizard Man holds true, it's something to look out for when you're passing through the Little Miami River area at night.

What do you think of this legend? Is there any truth to it? If you've ever encountered any evidence of the Loveland Lizard Man, share your experiences with us!

For more local legends in Ohio, check out our previous article: 8 Urban Legends In Ohio That Are Strange, Disturbing And Terrifying.