Claimed encounters in El Dorado County, California

31 entries reported in El Dorado County, California, each linked to the report or podcast segment it came from. Narrow them down with the filters, or see them on the map.

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31 encounters
26 October 2022 Coloma/Lotus, El Dorado County, California Class B #75096

Possible sighting and tree shaking on S. Fork American River 30 miles NE of Sacramento

The witness rode horses to a river access and picnic area and stopped to rest and take photos. She glimpsed a reddish-brown figure showing only buttocks and leg as it darted upright into brush to hide. Immediately afterward nearby branches were shaken violently back and forth though no animal could be seen. She left because she was alone and unarmed, remaining skeptical because she never saw the head.

Partial sightingMovement only
July 2014 Pollock Pines?, El Dorado County, California Class B #47165

Two campers take photos of what they see in the trees in the El Dorado National Forest

The witness and a companion were finishing a dispersed camping trip and had hiked back to the car on a clear sunny day when the witness looked back at the treeline. About 500 feet away, two jet-black figures were visible near the tops of two adjacent pine trees, first taken for bears. The witness took phone photos and watched for about a minute as the figures stayed mostly still while wiggling and appearing to hug the trunks, then left after the companion grew concerned, later concluding they looked like lean human-like silhouettes rather than bears or humans.

Silhouette
11 July 2009 Silver Fork, El Dorado County, California Class A #26258

Nightime sighting by a couple along a main highway between South Lake Tahoe and Placerville

A couple driving toward Sacramento on Highway 50 at night saw a tall hairy figure standing in a pullout on the north side of the road. The figure was illuminated by high beams from about 20 to 30 feet away and appeared to be watching traffic. The viewing lasted only a few seconds at highway speed, and both occupants described a very large, thick, dark brown to black figure.

Full-body sighting
23 August 2007 Phillips, El Dorado County, California Class B #21165

Possible brief daylight sighting by a U.S. Forest Service botonist outside Phillips

The witness was hiking slowly off-trail in the morning when he saw a tall dark figure peering around a large stump from about 100 feet away. The two stared at each other for about two seconds, then the figure vanished before the witness reached the stump. The witness then found a large footprint nearby and photographed it beside a radio.

Partial sightingTracks
22 July 2006 Tahoma/Sugar Pine Point, El Dorado County, California Class B #15344

Possible vocalizations heard near Lake Tahoe

The witness was camping with family when awakened in the early morning by a loud, distant whoop-howl lasting several minutes. The witness woke a companion to listen, and relatives in a nearby trailer also heard it. The sound was unfamiliar to all listeners, and at times seemed to come from two directions. The source of the sound could not be identified.

WhoopHowl
8 August 2005 Wright's Lake, El Dorado County, California Class A #15821

Backpacker's moonlit encounter near the trail from Wright's Lake to Enchanted Pools

While camping alone at night near a stream, the witness heard a deep growl and saw a crouched dark mass at the treeline, fired warning shots, then heard rocks repeatedly splashing in the stream for hours and heard deep oof sounds on a later approach. Near dawn a very tall hair-covered female-like figure stood by the tent and walked rapidly toward the witness despite additional warning shots, then ran away over granite and out of sight. The witness remained in place until daylight and then hiked out.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingSilhouetteGrowlVocalization +2
August 2005 Between Uncle Toms Cabin And Georgetown, El Dorado County, California Class B #12518

Fisherman has an evening encounter with two upright figures near Stumpy Meadows Lake

The witness stopped on the dam at Stumpy Meadows after fishing and driving back. While looking into trees about 40 yards away, the witness watched a pair of large red glowing eyes for about two minutes, then saw an upright outline step sideways behind a tree. A second, shorter set of red glowing eyes and a smaller stocky figure were then seen nearby.

EyeshineSilhouette
5 May 2005 Tahoe City, El Dorado County, California Class B #11837

Man sees and photographs large print on shore of Lake Tahoe

Two people walking a gravel beach at Lake Tahoe found a very large, deep print in the beach gravel, with other less clear prints nearby. The best print had stones on the bottom highly compressed as if by great weight and was part of a straight trackway from near the dock toward the water. The witness emphasized its depth and large size compared to a human foot and said they could not make a similar track.

Tracks
Winter 2004 Georgetown, El Dorado County, California Class A #11656

Couple Has Early Evening Encounter Near Stumpy Meadow Reservoir

The witness and a companion spent the day fishing and prospecting near a dam and spillway while feeling watched. As light faded they walked back toward their car, sensing something pacing them unseen and stopping when they stopped. After reaching the dam road in darkness, the witness saw one large dark form and two smaller forms move around the spillway and up a hill, then heard them make repeated guttural, sentence-like sounds in response to a shout before disappearing over the ridge.

Partial sightingSilhouetteRoad crossingVocalizationChatter +2
17 August 2003 Pollack Pines, El Dorado County, California Class B #6868

Campers hear late night screams near Pollack Pines

The witness was camping with family near a lake and was awake with a child around 1-2 am when a very loud drawn-out scream was heard from woods to the south. A similar sound answered from across a cove to the west and repeated many times, growing louder before stopping. Relatives in nearby tent sites also heard the sounds, while the witness's spouse and children slept through them.

Scream
20 July 2003 Meyers, El Dorado County, California Class A #6639

Couple have night sighting near Lake Tahoe

The reporter was driving west on Highway 50 near Meyers at night with his wife and two children. The reporter and his wife saw a large animal cross the road ahead in the headlights and disappear into the trees. The wife, who had clearer vision, described it as monkey-like, heavy-set, with light brown hair, walking slowly and casually on two legs without looking at the car.

Road crossingFull-body sighting
10 June 2003 Placerville, El Dorado County, California Class B #8650

Brothers hear unusual, late-night vocalizations near Sly Park

The witness reports hearing various vocalizations at night during summer at a family home bordering National Forest in Sly Park, last heard the previous summer, experienced with a brother. The witness, brother, and mother also reported very large human-shaped bare footprints with a long stride in a dirt roadway, with no casts or photos taken. They also reported finding twisted and broken tree limbs nearby and submitted photos of the damage, described as occurring where machine cause was unlikely.

VocalizationTracksTree breakTwist
Fall 2003 Pollock Pines, El Dorado County, California Class A #8595

Man has early morning sighting near Sly Park

The witness was driving northbound on Sly Park Road before dawn when the high beams revealed a large animal standing on two legs beside the road. The animal dropped to all fours, crossed to the opposite side into roadside brush, then watched the vehicle from the brush where its face was seen close to the passenger window. The witness later estimated its height at about eight feet based on the roadside drop-off and concluded it was not a bear.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingPartial sighting
September 2002 Georgetown, El Dorado County, California Class B #11948

Quad riders find fresh footprints, encounter overwhelming stench near Stumpy Meadows

The witness was riding an ATV with her husband on a forest road and stopped alone to wait for him. She reported a very strong foul odor, a feeling of being watched, and hearing a branch break. When she started to leave she noticed very large footprints over their fresh outgoing tracks. Her husband saw the prints but attributed their size to dust and reported only a faint dead smell.

TracksOdorUnidentified sound
1 August 2001 Sugar Pine, El Dorado County, California Class B #3794

Campers hear more nighttime vocalizations at Sugar Pine Campground, on the west side of Lake Tahoe

The witness and a relative were camping overnight when they heard a loud whooping sound nearby followed by loud crunching like branches breaking. A girl was heard screaming after the whooping. In the morning they found large footprints near their tent measuring about 12 to 16 inches long, which they felt were too large for a bear.

WhoopMovement onlyTracks
23 September 2000 Tahoma, El Dorado County, California Class A #353

Night sighting by two motorists near Lake Tahoe

On the night of September 23, 2000, the witness and the witness's spouse were driving south on Highway 89 near Tahoma after dinner. Their headlights illuminated a hair-covered biped crossing the road toward the lake and running into the trees. Both occupants watched it run upright on two legs and agreed it did not look like a bear, describing it as more like a Sasquatch.

Road crossingFull-body sighting
31 July 2000 Sugar Pine, El Dorado County, California Class B #3822

Campers hear nighttime vocalizations at Sugar Pine Campground on the west side of Lake Tahoe

The witness was camping with family at Sugar Pine Campground when whooping and long wailing sounds were heard coming from the forest behind the camp. Frightened, the witness ran into the family trailer. Years later the witness heard similar recorded sounds online and concluded the sounds had been those of a sasquatch.

WhoopScream
July 2000 I Cant Remember, El Dorado County, California Class A #913

Hikers see creature in Desolation Wilderness

The witness and a companion were hiking in the afternoon when they heard movement in the brush. The witness then saw a large hairy creature with yellow eyes walking away and noticed a garbage-like smell. The witness attempted to photograph it but could not get a clear shot because it kept moving in and out of trees.

Partial sightingFootstepsOdor
July 2000 Placerville, El Dorado County, California Class B #6130

Hikers hear strange screams in the Desolation Wilderness

The witness and a relative camped at Rockbound Lake in Desolation Wilderness. Late at night they heard three very loud high-pitched screams from across the lake. Just before dawn the next morning they heard a series of very loud roars from multiple directions around the lake, including one very close behind camp, then searched the area but saw nothing.

ScreamGrowl
June 2000 El Dorado County, California Class A #147

Sound reports from resident in South Lake Tahoe

The witness reports hearing loud mournful screams and wails almost nightly for three months at a home south of South Lake Tahoe, often described as paired calls that converge then stop. Recordings were made mostly from a bedroom window between late evening and morning. The witness with a companion also backpacked, made all-night forest forays, and camped with bait to locate the source, finding tracks and bed-like structures with torn branches, while noting dogs refused some areas and little wildlife was seen.

ScreamTracksStructure or nest