The Pope Lick Monster

Kentucky Monsters

Covington’s cryptids are famously indescribable (the Octoman), cosmically inscrutable (the Roebling Catfish), or charmingly whimsical (Mainstrasse’s Goat Girl). Any might shatter your sanity, but none are particularly bloodthirsty.

The same can not be said for the most famous beast lurking near Louisville. The Pope Lick Monster (also called the Kentucky Goat Man) is bad news.

It lurks around the high railroad bridge across the Pope Lick River near State Route 155. From there it lures people onto the bridge, and distracts them from onrushing trains until it is too late.

To be clear, we explored beneath and beside the bridge. While we were there a freight train barreled across, as if to highlight the terror the monster’s victims must have felt when they realized how gruesomely they had been tricked.

If you visit, and we can’t say this loudly enough, stay off the bridge.

We have books, including the one pictured by J.W. Ocker, and patches by Monsterologist depicting the beast. (Murderpaws has no time for Goat People of any sort.)

On our way back we got a wonderful pair of themed drinks (a Djinn and a Stevie Nicks) at Witches Brew Coffee, and enjoyed an unexpected translocation to fantasy Italy at Grass Gramma.

We’re not blaming the Goat Man, but something wrecked a semi (mercifully without injuries) that shut the highway down for five hours during our return.