9 Monstrously Good Podcasts About Beasts, Beings, and Bigfoot

Kraken, giant sea monster attacks caravel, medieval print

Creatures have captured the human imagination since the dawn of time. Even the oldest known recorded story, the Epic of Gilgamesh, is largely about a hero striking down a mythical beast, and we haven’t stopped since: Sasquatch, yetis, Krakens, giant sharks, chupacabras, spider-women, even a shapeshifting pink dolphin still dominate myths and folklore. With so many great monsters to choose from, it’s no wonder there are dozens of paranormal podcasts to dive into and get spooked. Here are just some of the best go-to podcasts to get your frightening fix, covering not just monsters and mythical beasts but also ghostly encounters, UFO sightings, haunted asylums, proof of poltergeists, and more. 

This incredibly popular and long-running podcast not only dives into Bigfoot, but also discusses cryptids you’ve never heard of, secret government programs, disappearances in national parks, massive conspiracies, cryptocurrencies, and so much more. If it’s secretive, mysterious, or unusual, hosts Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown, and Matt Frederick are ready to blow its cover – and our minds – on Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know.

Wild Thing is hosted by veteran radio producer Laura Krantz, who spent a year in the lab and in the woods, talking to serious Sasquatch hunters like primatologists and naturalists as well as non-believers about whether or not Bigfoot is real. As she dives into money-making Bigfoot ventures, interviews trackers and molecular biologists, attends Sasquatch symposiums, and examines the evidence, you – and she – may be surprised by what she discovers.

MonsterTalk, a podcast from Skeptic magazine, uses a science-based approach to examine monster myths. Not only do we hear their skepticism about Bigfoot, they also discuss Skinwalker Ranch, sea monsters, the South American Mapinguari, Ouija boards, dragons, and which U.S. president went monster-hunting. If you like to keep your feet on the ground, this is the monster podcast for you.

Tessa, a conspiracy nut, and Sammy, a cryptid enthusiast, join forces in Conspiracies and Cryptids to cover everything from conspiracies like Project Pegasus, robotic bird drones, and the Mandela Effect to cryptids like the Batsquatch, Atmospheric Beasts, mermaids, and the Kraken, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for the truth – and a good time.

A bit of a departure from the others, Monsters Among Us is a call-in podcast, with stories from regular people on their experiences and encounters with Bigfoot, extraterrestrials, ghostly apparitions, and other paranormal phenomena. With topics varying from voodoo magic to Mothman to doppelgangers to alien abductions (sometimes all in a single episode), this podcast is a good way to hear some eyewitness accounts – or at the very least, some very creative storytelling.

Often, paranormal investigations get hung up on American monsters, but Folklore on the Rocks takes us all over the world, telling us about cryptids like the Bunyip from Australia, Brazil’s encantado, the Inuit Ijiraq, and the South African Grootslang, as well as sharing these cultures’ incredible folk tales, myths, and legends, from ancient Norse myths to Indian fables to contemporary creepypastas – all over a cocktail of the week.

Though you can probably tell by the name, Ghosts -n- Heaux is a funny and freewheeling podcast where paranormal investigators Danielle and Zee talk unsolved murders, haunted mansions, the Grunch of New Orleans, the Jersey Devil, and more. With episodes titled "The Yeetening," "Jim Caviezel Take The Wheel!" and "Two Hours Worth Of Vodka," this podcast is informative, foulmouthed fun for fans of the freaky.

Sisters Sarah and Samantha host the Bigfoot for Breakfast podcast; with episodes discussing spine-chilling stories about the Bell Witch and exorcisms, examining the history of paranormal government programs, hitting up haunted locations like the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, and pondering tales of Wisconsin's Bray Road monster sightings, these spooky siblings' stories are sure to give you a scare.

Whether you’re a believer in any of these monster stories or not, anyone can enjoy the proudly fictional Kevin’s Cryptids, an immersive audio drama following the adventures of journalist Taylor Hunt and self-proclaimed cryptozoologist Kevin Weathers as they search for proof of creatures like Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Loch Ness, and “your typical class-A howlers” (“Let me dumb it down for you – It’s like a bear with horns, mixed with a cat, that looks like a wolf”). With a great cast, solid writing, and stellar sound design – and two full seasons to enjoy – you’ll love monster-hunting with these characters.

If you want to be sure you're listening to the podcasts everyone else is checking out, iHeartRadio has you covered. Every Monday, iHeartRadio releases a chart showing the most popular podcasts of the week. Stay up to date on what's trending by checking out the chart here. There's even a chart just for radio podcasts here, featuring all your favorite iHeartRadio personalities like Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, Steve Harvey and dozens of others.

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