Class B First-hand BFRO #2996

Two campers find a 17 inch footprint near their camp

1 September 1973 next morning Fresno County, California 2 witnesses

Account

The witness and a companion were backpacking to fish when they missed a trail marker and camped overnight on a bluff below a canyon rim. The witness reported feeling watched overnight. The next morning the companion found a single large five-toed footprint in wet sand near a spring about 80 feet from camp, which both examined. Noting rain the prior morning had left drop patterns everywhere except the print, and smelling a musty odor, they left the area.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Physical traces

Other senses

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Feet src
about 17 inches long with 5 clear toes, pressed about 2 1/2 inches deep

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
1 September 1973
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, labelled fields: Year, Month, Date
Time of day
next morning
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Place
Fresno County, California
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Location Details
Map point
36.0500, -119.8246 (± 20 km)
Geocoded BFRO report #2996 · gnis:255518 · read with 45% confidence
USGS GNIS stream 'Kings River', Kings, matched from place name 'Kings River'
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
2
Derived BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
backpacking to fish and breaking camp
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
bigfoot
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class B
Stated BFRO report #2996 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Tracks

one very clear footprint in wet sand below a spring

Measurements: about 17 inches in length, pressed down about 2 1/2 inches

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

The witness states that the forestry agency declined to discuss the incident and was unaware of other activity in the area.

BFRO report, “Also Noticed” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

  1. Published 1998-08-16 Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash 43b0ee873edb
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization