The Durango UFO Incident of 1960: Mysterious Lights and Strange Footprints on Christmas Eve
In the quiet town of Durango, Colorado, a curious event unfolded on Christmas Eve 1960 that would become part of UFO folklore. More than a dozen residents witnessed a strange illuminated object appear on a mountaintop near the Wade Folsom Ranch around midnight. The object displayed multiple small lights with what appeared to be tiny windows, casting an eerie glow that shifted from white to green before mysteriously vanishing.
The following day brought even more peculiar occurrences. Two dogs that had gone missing returned—one dropping dead immediately upon entering its home. When several women investigated the mountaintop, they discovered an array of unexplainable tracks in the snow: oversized humanoid footprints, three-pronged hoof marks, strange four-pronged impressions, and what they described as "kangaroo" and small human-like tracks. Their investigation revealed broken tree limbs approximately six feet from the ground, with the damage extending to the treetops.
Key Takeaways
Multiple witnesses observed an unidentified illuminated object on a mountaintop near Durango on Christmas Eve 1960, which displayed changing colors before disappearing.
The day after the sighting, one dog returned home only to die suddenly, while investigators found numerous unexplainable tracks in the snow.
The site contained various types of unusual footprints and evidence of damage to trees, suggesting something significant had occurred on the mountaintop.
Historical Background
Durango Herald's Coverage
The Durango Herald published an intriguing report on December 28, 1960, detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on Christmas Eve. More than twelve residents from an area near Durango, Colorado witnessed a strange aerial phenomenon. The Folsom family observed a round object with small lights and what appeared to be tiny windows from their home around midnight. The object created a distinctive glow that changed from white to green before vanishing unexpectedly.
Ruth Stevenson, another witness, described seeing "hundreds of tiny blinking lights" that rotated and pulsated "like some giant breathing thing" before disappearing. The Folsom family estimated the object had a "plastic dome" approximately 20 by 25 feet square. They disagreed about whether it touched the ground or hovered above it.
Wade Folsom investigated the site the following day with his dog and grandsons. They discovered broken tree limbs but little other evidence. Later that Christmas Day, the Stevenson family experienced a disturbing incident when their missing dog returned home, behaved frantically, and suddenly died. Coincidentally, a neighbor's dog that had also been missing was seen coming down from the same mountain.
John Keel's Account
John Keel included this incident in his 1984 book "Strange Mutants," though with fewer details than reported locally. According to Keel's research, Mrs. Stevenson and three other women hiked to the mountain location after her dog's death. They initially found only footprints from Folsom's earlier visit and some broken branches.
Their dog, Coke, led them further up the mountain where they discovered numerous unusual tracks in the snow. These included:
Large humanoid footprints
Three-pronged "Cloverly" hoof designs
Four-pronged "square" tracks (approximately six inches across)
"Giant frog" leap patterns with three attached pointed circles
"Kangaroo" tracks with round footprints and tail marks spaced about five feet apart
Small pointed footprints (about five inches long) with a distinctive heel
The women followed these various tracks to an abandoned cabin, where the prints circled the structure before returning toward a clump of cedar trees. Mrs. Stevenson emphasized that despite her familiarity with wildlife, she could not identify any of these unusual impressions.
Broken tree limbs and bark scrapes were visible about six feet from the ground, with damage particularly noticeable at the tops of trees near the landing site.
The 1960 Durango UFO Incident
Initial Sightings
On December 24, 1960, approximately a dozen residents near Durango, Colorado witnessed an unusual aerial phenomenon. Around midnight, a strange light appeared on a mountaintop north of the Wade Folsom Ranch. The object was circular with numerous small lights and what appeared to be tiny windows that blinked. Pine trees on the mountaintop were clearly visible against the object's illumination. The glow surrounding the object changed from white to green before the craft mysteriously vanished.
Multiple witnesses described seeing hundreds of tiny blinking lights that seemed to rotate and pulse, alternately brightening and dimming "like some giant breathing thing." The Durango Herald published an account of these sightings in their December 28, 1960 edition. The incident gained enough attention to later be referenced in John Keel's 1984 book "Strange Mutants," though his account omitted several significant details.
Wade Folsom's Observations
The Folsom family, watching from their home windows, had a clear view of the anomalous object. Wade Folsom initially wondered if it might be the Star of Bethlehem, but quickly realized this was something entirely different. Family members agreed that the top portion resembled a "giant plastic dome" approximately 20 by 25 feet square, though they disagreed about whether it hovered above the ground or actually landed.
Having a good idea of the object's location, Wade took his dog and two grandsons to investigate the site on Christmas Day. Their examination revealed:
Several broken tree limbs
No definitive evidence of a landing
Enough unusual disturbances to leave Folsom puzzled
The investigation was conducted in daylight, allowing them to thoroughly examine the area, though they departed without conclusive findings about what had created the strange light display.
Ruth Stevenson's Encounter
The Stevenson family, who had also witnessed the previous night's aerial display, experienced disturbing events on Christmas Day. Around 3 PM, their previously missing dog returned home in a state of panic, frantically running around before suddenly dropping dead. Coincidentally, a neighbor's missing dog was also seen coming down from the same mountain where the object had been spotted.
Motivated by these unsettling events, Mrs. Stevenson and three women hiked to the location. After first examining the area Wade Folsom had investigated, they followed another dog named Coke who led them deeper into the forest. What they discovered was remarkable:
Track Type Description Large humanoid Human-shaped footprints of enormous size Three-pronged Clover-like design resembling unusual hoofprints Four-pronged Square arrangement (6 inches across) resembling modified deer tracks "Frog-like" Three attached pointed circles approximately 3 feet apart "Kangaroo" Three round footprints with small holes, a tail print between tracks spaced 5 feet apart Small humanoid Pointed toe, round foot, small high heel, approximately 5 inches long
The women also observed broken tree limbs and bark scraped from trees about six feet above ground level. Many tracks led from a clump of cedar trees in straight lines in different directions. Though familiar with local wildlife, Mrs. Stevenson stated she could not identify any of these unusual tracks. The group followed some prints to an abandoned cabin where they circled before returning toward the cedar grove.
The Aftermath
Following the UFO sighting near Durango in 1960, several peculiar events unfolded. The initial midnight appearance of strange lights on a mountaintop north of the Folsom Ranch triggered a series of investigations and bizarre incidents that left witnesses puzzled.
The Mountain Exploration
After witnessing the unusual glowing object on Christmas Eve, Wade Folsom and his two grandsons climbed to the suspected landing site the following morning. Their investigation revealed some broken tree limbs but little other evidence. The damage to the trees seemed odd but inconclusive.
The location was approximately half a mile from the road, making it relatively accessible for those determined to investigate. The broken branches appeared to have come from the tops of trees, roughly six feet above ground level, creating an unusual pattern of damage that couldn't be easily explained by natural causes.
Strange Animal Incidents
On Christmas Day, peculiar animal behavior caught the attention of local residents. The Stevenson family witnessed their previously missing dog return home in a state of extreme distress. The pet ran frantically into the house, behaved erratically, and then suddenly collapsed and died.
Remarkably, this wasn't an isolated incident. A neighbor's dog, also previously missing, was seen descending from the same mountain where the mysterious object had been spotted the night before. These coincidental events suggested something on the mountain had severely affected the animals.
The Women's Expedition
Motivated by her dog's strange death, Mrs. Stevenson and three female companions decided to investigate the mountain themselves. They first examined the area where Wade Folsom and his grandsons had been, noting their footprints and the broken limbs they had mentioned.
As they prepared to leave, Mrs. Stevenson's dog Coke began barking at something in the forest. Following the dog's lead, they continued further up the mountain until he stopped at a spruce tree. Though they saw nothing in the tree itself, they discovered something remarkable nearby - numerous unusual tracks in the snow.
The tracks they found included:
Giant human-shaped footprints
Tri-pronged hoof marks arranged in a clover design
Four-pronged tracks resembling deer prints but in a square pattern
"Frog-like" impressions with three pointed circles about three feet apart
"Kangaroo" tracks with a tail impression between footprints
Small humanoid footprints with pointed toes and round heels
These varied and unidentifiable tracks led in different directions from a clump of cedar trees, always in straight lines. The women followed some tracks to an abandoned cabin, where the prints circled the structure before returning toward the cedar grove.
Despite Mrs. Stevenson's familiarity with local wildlife tracks, she could not identify any of these unusual impressions, leaving the women with more questions than answers about what had occurred on the mountain following the Christmas Eve sighting.
Mysteries on the Mountaintop
Unexplained Tracks Discovered
On December 24, 1960, residents near Durango, Colorado witnessed an unusual illuminated object on a nearby mountaintop. The Folsom family and several neighbors observed what appeared to be a round craft with small lights and tiny windows that blinked. According to witnesses, the object emitted a glow that shifted from white to green before vanishing suddenly. Ruth Stevenson described it as having "hundreds of tiny blinking lights" that seemed to rotate and dim rhythmically "like some giant breathing thing." The Folsom family estimated the object was approximately 20 by 25 feet with what looked like a "giant plastic dome" on top.
Wade Folsom, curious about what had visited the mountaintop, hiked up with his grandsons and dog the following day. They found little evidence except some broken tree limbs. Later that same Christmas Day, the Stevenson family experienced a disturbing event when their missing pet dog suddenly returned home, acted frantically, and then collapsed dead. Coincidentally, a neighbor's dog that had also been missing was seen coming down from the same mountain that day.
Peculiar Footprint Patterns
Mrs. Stevenson and three other women decided to investigate the mountaintop location. Following their dog Coke, who barked insistently at something near a spruce tree, they discovered numerous unusual tracks in the snow. The tracks appeared in various distinctive patterns unlike anything they recognized from local wildlife.
Some tracks resembled human footprints but were exceptionally large. Others displayed a unique three-pronged "clover" design resembling hoofprints clustered together. The women also noted tracks that:
Resembled deer prints but with four prongs arranged in a square (approximately six inches across)
Appeared like "some giant frog could leap from place to place" with three attached pointed circles
Followed a "kangaroo" pattern with three round footprints, small holes, a round circle, and tail imprints between tracks
Looked like footprints from a "very small person" with pointed toes and round heels (about five inches long)
Showed a similar small footprint pattern but with less pointed toes and lower heels
The tracks were approximately three to five feet apart and consistently formed straight lines from their apparent origin point.
The Abandoned Structure and Cedar Grove
The women followed the various track patterns to an abandoned cabin where the footprints circled the structure before returning toward a distinctive clump of cedar trees. Mrs. Stevenson, who considered herself knowledgeable about local wildlife tracks, could not identify any of these unusual impressions in the snow.
Additional evidence included bark scraped from trees approximately six feet above the ground and broken limbs that appeared to have been snapped from the tops of trees. The cedar clump seemed to function as a central point from which many of the tracks radiated outward in different directions.
The investigation by local police was documented in the December 28, 1960 edition of the Durango Herald. Researcher John Keel later included a brief summary of the incident in his 1984 book "Strange Mutants," though he omitted some of the details regarding the variety and peculiarity of the tracks discovered by the women.
Theories and Alternative Explanations
Possible Creature Identifications
The 1960 Durango UFO incident presents a fascinating array of unexplained phenomena, particularly regarding the unusual tracks discovered on the mountainside. Multiple distinct track patterns suggested the presence of several different entities. The most striking were described as "giant tracks" with a humanoid shape, indicating something of considerable size had moved through the area. These might align with descriptions of woodland cryptids reported in other mountainous regions of North America.
The three-pronged "hoofed" impressions arranged in a clover pattern represent another curiosity. These tracks bore no resemblance to known wildlife in the Colorado mountains. Similarly perplexing were the tracks resembling deer prints but with four prongs arranged in a square pattern approximately six inches across.
Two types of smaller humanoid footprints were documented:
Type 1: Pointed toe, nearly round foot, small high heel, approximately 5 inches long
Type 2: Less pointed toe, lower heel, similar length
The "frog-like" and "kangaroo-like" prints suggest entities capable of leaping significant distances—the latter showing impressions approximately five feet apart in straight lines, some with apparent tail marks between footprints.
Comparison to Other Encounters
This incident shares notable similarities with other reported close encounters. The combination of a glowing aerial object followed by unusual animal behavior and strange tracks mirrors patterns documented in cases throughout the American West during this period. The death of the Stevenson family dog immediately after returning from the mountain area aligns with reports of animal reactions to unknown phenomena.
The description of the object itself—a dome-like structure with blinking lights appearing to "breathe" and change colors—matches numerous UFO reports from the late 1950s and early 1960s. The multiple types of tracks suggest a scenario involving different entities, which parallels certain cases where varied beings are reported in association with a single craft.
The physical evidence, particularly the broken tree limbs at heights of approximately six feet and above, corresponds with landing site investigations where vegetation damage occurs in patterns inconsistent with normal weather events or animal activity. The broken branches at the treetops specifically suggest interaction with something positioned above the forest canopy.
The tracks circling the abandoned cabin before returning to the cedar grove indicates purposeful exploration behavior rather than random animal movement, a characteristic noted in several other cases where unknown entities appear to examine human structures.
Investigation's Legacy
The 1960 Durango UFO incident continues to intrigue researchers and enthusiasts due to its unusual aftermath. John Keel, a prominent UFO researcher, found the case compelling enough to include in his 1984 book "Strange Mutants," though he omitted several key details.
The day after the Christmas Eve sighting, Wade Folsom and his grandsons investigated the mountainside where the mysterious object had appeared. They discovered broken tree limbs but little other evidence. This initial search yielded few conclusive findings.
The event took a dark turn when the Stevenson family's missing dog returned home only to collapse and die shortly after entering their house. Remarkably, a neighbor's dog that had also been missing was seen descending from the same mountain on Christmas Day.
Ruth Stevenson and three other women conducted their own investigation later that day. Following Stevenson's dog Coke up the mountain, they discovered an array of perplexing tracks in the snow. These tracks defied conventional explanation and appeared to come from multiple unknown sources.
The women documented several distinct track types:
Human-shaped giant footprints
Three-pronged "clover" designs resembling hooves
Four-pronged square patterns approximately six inches across
"Frog-like" tracks showing three attached pointed circles
"Kangaroo" tracks with tail imprints, spaced about five feet apart
Small humanoid footprints with pointed toes and high heels, about five inches long
The tracks led in various directions from a clump of cedar trees, always moving in straight lines. Broken limbs and bark scrapes were visible about six feet above ground level, with some damage occurring at the tops of trees.
Despite Stevenson's familiarity with local wildlife tracks, she could not identify any of these unusual impressions. The physical evidence collected during these civilian investigations has made the Durango incident particularly noteworthy among UFO cases of the era.
