Exploring the unusual, strange and unexplained on New York's largest Finger Lake.
Anomalous encounters, forgotten history, strange phenomena and unique places, events, and people around Seneca Lake, NY, including the Seneca Lake Monster, UFOs, hauntings, sacred sites, legends, cryptids, myths and much more.
jim@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
linktr.ee/senecalakemysteries (https://linktr.ee/senecalakemysteries)
Support the show - Venmo @senecalake
The time has come for the podcast to end, but I'm not done bringing you stories of the unusual, strange and unexplained on New York's largest Finger Lake.
In this episode, I'll talk about why I've decided to end the podcast and what the future holds for Seneca Lake Mysteries.
Plus, I have a very special musical recommendation.
THANK YOU! And stay tuned!
Reap 'em in the Valley – Willie Watson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaekjcl2LCo)
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
17 Sept 2025
E15 Listener UFO Report, Lodi's Buried Treasure and Rediscovering Sacred Sites at the Alpine Portal w/Rick from Alpine (PT 2)
In this episode, I'll share the story of a UFO encounter from 1980 that was submitted by a listener. The sighting lines up with the incredible, multi-witness sighting that occurred in Ovid that same year (a story covered in Episode 13).
Then, we'll hear a tale from the late 19th century about the search for buried treasure in Lodi, NY, and whether that treasure was ever found.
Finally, Rick from Alpine is back for part two of our investigation into ancient stone piles on Connecticut Hill, aka the Alpine Portal, a site known for decades as a hotspot of paranormal and anomalous phenomena. Rick and I discuss our latest visit to Connecticut Hill, and just like last time, we ended up finding much more than we could have imagined.
Photos and videos of three stone piles on Connecticut Hill - 9/7/25 (https://senecalakemysteries.com/connecticut-hill-stone-piles-9-7-25/)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
7 Sept 2025
E14 Peek-a-boo Diving Corporation, Seneca White Trout and the Legend of Locomotive 13
In this episode, we'll look at the story of some enterprising young men who back in 1939 built an underwater helmet breathing contraption and brought it to Rock Stream to explore below the waves of Seneca Lake.
Next, we'll go back to 1947 for the tale of an albino trout that was pulled from Seneca Lake by some local fishermen, two years before the iconic Seneca White Deer were first reported on the grounds of the Seneca Army Depot, and how this anomalous fish was put on display for hundreds of curiosity seekers.
Finally, it's the legend of Locomotive 13, also known as “Sam Patch,” a 50-ton behemoth with a wild and strange history that began in 1873 with an astounding aerial display in Watkins Glen and ended years later in a Dresden cemetery, Some people believed the train either had a mind of its own or was trying to find religion...or maybe both.
Dan Lewis of Peek-a-boo Diving Corporation (https://senecalakemysteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/peekaboohelmet.jpg)
Locomotive 13, aka Sam Patch (https://senecalakemysteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Locomotive-13-aka-Sam-Patch.jpg)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
26 Aug 2025
E13 Mystery Craters Revisited, Ancient Stone Faces, Fiery Blob Over Ovid...and Vampires?
In this episode, we revisit the mysterious round craters that were recently discovered at the bottom of Seneca Lake believed to be caused by methane gas leaks in the bottom of the lake. Then, we'll examine other cases of craters found at the bottom of the ocean, including one that has some striking and distinct similarities with those found at Seneca Lake...although scientists have concluded that site has nothing to do with methane leaks.
Next, we'll dive into the possibility that an ancient civilization once roamed the Finger Lakes area. We'll start with one of the most enigmatic prehistoric stoneworks in North America, the Bluff Point Stoneworks on Keuka Lake, and how that site just may be connected to another mysterious spot near Seneca Lake.
Finally, I'll take you through a bizarre UFO sighting from Ovid, NY back in 1980, which was seen by numerous people and even some strange physical effects on at least one witness.
And yes, believe it or not, I'll also share an old vampire legend from the west side of Seneca Lake!
How Robots Solved a 280,000-Year Seafloor Mystery Hidden Beneath Big Sur (https://scitechdaily.com/how-robots-solved-a-280000-year-seafloor-mystery-hidden-beneath-big-sur/)
The Lost Civilization Of Bluff Point, New York (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdY1vpNkSqI)
Legends of the Lost, Season One: The Bluff Point Ruins - Welcome to the Bluff (https://ninaalvarezwrites.substack.com/p/legends-of-the-lost-season-1-ep-1)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
17 Aug 2025
E12 July UFO Reports, Seneca Pseudocide and Lake Serpent Lore
In this episode, we'll into two UFO reports from the last week of July around the southern tip of Seneca Lake. Video footage was shot of an orb over Burdett on the 25th, and on the 29th, the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department dispatched deputy to investigate anomalous light(s) moving from Watkins Glen and towards Reading.
Next up are a couple of stories of people who faked their own deaths on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake back in the mid-20th century. I'll get into how they did it, why they did it, and how their scams were eventually discovered. We'll examine the aftermath, and the unanswered questions, of these staged deaths.
Finally, we'll look at a pair of classic tales from the Seneca Lake Monster legend. One story is fairly well-known in lake serpent lore, when two young men fired .38 caliber shots at a large, serpentine creature in the lake. The other story shines a light on the connection between the Seneca Lake Monster and one of the most influential and accomplished figures in the American medical field from the mid-nineteenth century.
Colorful rotating orb changing shape (Enigma Labs Report) (https://enigmalabs.io/sighting/318504)
https://enigmalabs.io/ (https://enigmalabs.io/)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
7 Aug 2025
E11 Bolton's Bizarre Baptisms, Burnt Hill UFO Chase and Creekside Bigfoot
In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Dresden, NY native Bolton Coit Brown. An accomplished artist, painter, lithographer and mountaineer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Bolton spent his childhood exploring the woods and streams near Seneca Lake. Did his strange youthful rituals in the waters of Seneca Lake inspire or influence him to live a life of consequence and leave a legacy that includes a mountain named after him?
Next, we'll go back to a summer evening in 2011 when Eileen was traveling near Burnt Hill and the Finger Lakes National Forest and encountered a brightly glowing orb floating motionless about 100 feet up in the night sky. When the orb began to move, she followed it...and then things got weird. Soon, four other witnesses would watch the arrival of multiple aerial lights in the sky. Utilizing several internet sources, along with an interview I conducted with the primary witness several years ago with me, I've compiled a narrative of the entire high strangeness event in the witnesses' own words.
Finally, we look at a rare Bigfoot report from the Seneca Lake area in 1962. A fisherman realizes he's being observed by large, hulking creature covered in black fur and standing around 8 feet tall on the banks of Catherine Creek not far from Montour Falls. The witness recalls some intriguing details of the sighting, which was first reported on Episode 155 of the Bigfoot: Terror in the Woods podcast.
The Unbendable Bolton Brown (Stanford Magazine) (https://archive.ph/Lw5un)
UFO Chronicles 161 (https://ufochroniclespodcast.com/ep-161-clay-county-ufo-watkins-glen-sighting/)
Bigfoot TIW 155 (https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/bigfoot-terror-in-the-woods-si-846300/episodes/bigfoot-tiw-155-cool-cars-in-w-142301260)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
27 Jul 2025
E10 Rediscovering Sacred Sites at the Alpine Portal w/Rick from Alpine
In early July 2025, I visited Connecticut Hill, also called the Alpine Portal, with my guide, Rick. Rick has spent the last 15-20 years hunting on Connecticut Hill, which is widely known for mysterious phenomena like UFOs, hauntings, cryptid sightings, anomalous weather and more. Our goal was to find a possible native stone pile Rick had previously photographed.
Though we didn't find that stone pile, we stumbled upon something far more intriguing.
Join me and Rick as we discuss our visit to Connecticut Hill and our surprising discovery (or, more accurately, rediscovery) we made there. And after the conversation, stick around as I go even further in-depth with the details on what we found in a remote, steep ravine off-trail at the Alpine Portal.
Images and video (https://youtu.be/tUq1JptGCgM)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
17 Jul 2025
E09 Alien Black Cats, UFO Splashdown Revisited and Alpine Portal Time Warp
On July 9th, 2025, a resident of Rochester, New York captured footage of a large cat, believed by state DEC officials to be a cougar, on their doorbell camera, with the video going viral and putting the city in the media spotlight. The Seneca Lake area also has reports of large cats in the past decade or so, with multiple witnesses spying what appeared to be a black leopard in two locations including the Town of Benton. Was it an escaped pet? Or was it linked to the Alien Big Cats (ABC) phenomenon, which are often seen near military bases and areas with high rates of UFO and paranormal reports?
Next, we revisit one of the most widely-reported Seneca Lake UFO sightings ever: the 1952 Watkins Glen silver sphere splashdown. The incident occurred during one of the biggest UFO waves in American history, when the arrival of “flying saucers” over the U.S. Capitol in Washington forced the Pentagon to publicly admit for the first time their interest in UFOs. The Watkins Glen story is well-documented in books and publications, but some additional details reported in a local newspaper have been almost completely overlooked for the last seventy-plus years. These forgotten details provide another layer of credibility to the '52 flying silver sphere sightings near, over and in Seneca Lake.
We wrap up with a listener's story of an unsettling experience several years ago on Connecticut Hill, also known as the Alpine Portal, a hotspot of UFOs, ghosts, Bigfoot, and other reports of the paranormal and unexplained. The story begins with a troubling visit to Connecticut Hill Cemetery, location of the reputed “witch's grave,” before things get weirder, culminating in missing time . Was it just a case of someone getting spooked in a creepy graveyard and letting their imagination take over? Or did something far more strange happen that day at the Alpine Portal, where warps in reality aren't unexpected?
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Support the show via Venmo @senecalake (https://account.venmo.com/u/senecalake)
7 Jul 2025
E08 Paranormal Vortexes and Earth Magic w/The Vortex Detective Dan Shaw
The Vortex Detective Dan Shaw explores earth magic, geomancy, and Seneca Lake's connection to the global energy grid, revealing insights into harnessing these energies for healing and spiritual growth in this interview.
27 Jun 2025
E07 North Street Orbs, Cursed Steamboats and the Portadora Breaks Bad
This episode explores orb sightings on North Street, recounts eerie tales of cursed steamboats, and investigates the Portadora's descent into criminal activity.
Seriah Azkath explores ancient earthworks, ley lines connecting sacred sites globally, UFOs, and the unusual history of upstate New York with the hosts of Seneca Lake Mysteries in this interview.
Seriah Azkath recounts his experiences at Willard Cemetery, detailing the history of Willard Asylum and sharing eerie stories of unexplained phenomena, in an interview.
27 May 2025
E04 Deep Diving Drums, Strange Seneca Sippin' and White Deer (Wee)
This episode explores the mysterious Seneca Drums phenomenon, local spirits inspired by strange tales, and the unique Seneca White Deer, examining their history and cultural significance.
17 May 2025
E03 Nukes, Hitler, Underwater Tunnels and Lake Drums
In this episode, we'll look at the recently announced research project to solve the mystery of the Seneca Lake Drums, the newly-released data showing dozens of “holes” on the bottom of Seneca Lake.
Next, we'll get into the iconic Seneca Army Depot, the land where it's located, the people who lived there, the depot's founding, its influence on global history, its ties to the Manhattan Project and the massive nuclear arsenal once stored in the secretive Q area.
Then we'll leave the depot and cross route 96a to run through some of the Sampson Naval Training Center, including an appearance from Adolf Hitler's nephew.
And finally, inspired by the newly announced study of the Seneca Lake Drums, we'll go through some of the old stories of underwater tunnels at the bottom of Seneca Lake, which were rumored to be connected to the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and even a small lake in Elmira, NY.
NYS DEC Seneca Lake Bathymetry Data (https://data.gis.ny.gov/documents/sharegisny::nys-dec-seneca-lake-bathymetry-data/about)
Edited Seneca Lake Bathymetric Map (https://senecalakemysteries.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/senecalake-2025-bathy-edit.jpg)
Deer Haven Park (Seneca Army Depot) (https://www.deerhavenpark.org)
Sampson Memorial Naval and Air Force Museum (https://www.facebook.com/sampsonmemorialnavalandairforcemuseum/)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
7 May 2025
E02 Lake Serpents, Lake Lights and Giants?
First, we've got the all-time champion of Seneca Lake Monster stories, the 1900 encounter with the steamboat Otetiani that I call The Steamer-Serpent Showdown. Then, we've got what I consider the top contender for the second-best Seneca Lake Monster story ever: The Blacksmith and the Giant Eel.
Next, we're off to the year 1968, when a surge of UFO sightings took place across the Finger Lakes and around Seneca. We'll take a closer look at how some of the witnesses dealt with the aftermath of their extraordinary experiences in Autumn of 68: The Mud Lake Road Incident.
And finally, we'll sift through some incredible forgotten history from the northern end of Seneca Lake. We'll look at discoveries of giant skeletons, mysterious burials, and tales of visiting giants in Giants of Geneva.
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
27 Apr 2025
E01 Hidden Treasure, Mystery Manuscript, Giant Whirlpools, Missing Faces and more
In this episode, I introduce the new podcast and cover some intriguing and wild stories including a search for hidden gold, giant whirlpools, bizarre creatures by the railroad tracks, April Fool's Day terror on the water, a missing piece from a forgotten manuscript and much more.
Mystery manuscript (https://senecalakemysteries.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/manuscript.pdf)
New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month
podcast@senecalakemysteries.com (mailto:podcast@senecalakemysteries.com)
607-307-1167
SenecaLakeMysteries.com (http://SenecaLakeMysteries.com)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
521
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
21 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
49
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
51
Contact Seneca Lake Mysteries
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Seneca Lake Mysteries?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
