Did The Pentagon Really Study Skinwalker Ranch? TV Show's Secret History Explained (2024)

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch reveals that thePentagon once studied the titular Utahlocation, so how much of the story is true? According to a 2017 report,the U.S. government didindeed conduct experiments at the propertyin order to betterunderstand its long history of paranormalactivityin the area. The Pentagon's official findings remain classified, however,The Secret of Skinwalker Ranchprovides insight into theunexplainable forces that loom around and within the 512-acre piece of land.

Located near the UteIndian Reservation, Skinwalker Ranch gets its name from a Navajo legend about amalevolent witch or spirit that can shapeshiftinto animals, namely wolves. For decades, residents have reported strange occurrences, such as cattle being mutilated andunidentifiable figures being spotted across the property. In 1996, business mogul Robert Bigelow purchased Skinwalker Ranch, hoping to learn more about its mysteries and "hitchhikers" that reportedly follow people when they leave the location.By 2016, businessmanBrandon Fugal acquired Skinwalker Ranch and began conducting further tests. InThe Secret of Skinwalker Ranch,Fugaland his employees collaborate withaerospace engineer Travis Taylor for a recurring series of high-tech experiments.

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Per a December 2017 report (via The New York Times), the Pentagon has indeed studied Skinwalker Ranch. Titled "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program," the article reveals that the U.S. Department of Defense spent $22 million of its annual $600 billion budget onthe Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), an unclassified and unpublicized investigation forcethat was run inside the Pentagon byintelligence operativeLuis Elizondo. The investigation was kickstarted bySenate majority leader Harry Reid, who enlisted the aforementioned Bigelow as the primary contractor. In 2007, Reid reportedly learned about paranormal activity at Skinwalker Ranch from Bigelow, which led to the creation ofthe Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, and ultimatelyinspired the premise forThe Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Per the 2017NYT report:

"Under Mr. Bigelow’s direction, the company modified buildings in Las Vegas for the storage of metal alloys and other materials that Mr. Elizondo and program contractors said had been recovered from unidentified aerial phenomena. Researchers also studied people who said they had experienced physical effects from encounters with the objects and examined them for any physiological changes. In addition, researchers spoke to military service members who had reported sightings of strange aircraft."

Sincethe 2017 NYTreport about the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, filmmaker Jeremy Corbell has emerged as one of the leadingvoices on the government's cover-up of unsolved mysteries and UFO sightingsin the area. He often receives leaked videos from high-levelcontacts and frequently collaborates with journalist George Knapp, who co-authored the 2005 bookHunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah. In a March 2020 video on Corbell's YouTube channel, Knapp discusseshow the 2017 NYT report inspired renewed interest in Skinwalker Ranch, and states that Defense Intelligence Agency (DI)A operatives had experiences at the Utah location that were "dramatic enough" to justify further studies.

According to the Pentagon,AATIP officially ended in 2012, however, Knappclaims a parent program for paranormal activity currently exists. During a May 2021 interview (via Today), Corbellstates that the Pentagon continues to confirm his leaked videos in order to "stay ahead."As forElizondo, who originally led the government operation, he asked for more funding in 2012 for the Skinwalker Ranch investigation.The Pentagon denied the request, and Elizondo resigned in order to protest "excessive secrecy and internal opposition." In the 2017 NYT report, the aforementioned Bigelow, who owned Skinwalker Ranch for two decades, expresses similar concerns about the U.S. government's approach when dealing with reports of paranormal activity, such as what's presented inThe Secret of Skinwalker Ranch:

“Internationally, we are the most backward country in the world on this issue...Our scientists are scared of being ostracized, and our media is scared of the stigma. China and Russia are much more open and work on this with huge organizations within their countries. Smaller countries like Belgium, France, England and South American countries like Chile are more open, too. They are proactive and willing to discuss this topic, rather than being held back by a juvenile taboo.”

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