Claimed encounters in Trinity County, California
26 entries reported in Trinity 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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Fisherman hears heavy wood knocks 1 mile below Trinity Dam
The witness was fishing alone at Lewiston Lake on a foggy, drizzly morning. Between 8:05 and 8:08am the witness heard one loud distant wood-on-wood knock from above, followed about a minute later by two more solid knocks in close succession. No source was seen.
Sasquatch sighting near Burnt Ranch, California (2014)
The witness was driving home behind another truck when a large hairy creature jumped from a steep hill onto the road. Both trucks braked hard to avoid hitting it. The creature looked at the vehicles, stood up, leapt high into the air with arms extended, twisted, grabbed the hillside and disappeared into brush.
Wilderness campers have an unknown visitor in the Trinity Alps of Northern California
The witness was lying awake in a tent at a remote lake camp around 1:30 a.m. while three companions slept. He heard footsteps circling camp, smelled a strong animal odor, and saw a large shadowy figure lift his backpack above the tent and appear to try to open it. After he yelled, the figure dropped the pack onto the tent and left camp on foot as the others woke and heard its retreat.
Mountain runner spots large, deep footprints on Stuart Fork Trail in Trinity Alps
The witness was hiking and running on the Stuart Fork Trail where it enters Morris Meadows when he noticed about a dozen large footprints beside the trail. The prints were estimated at about 15 inches long and over four feet apart and appeared much deeper than nearby boot prints, with debris pressed into them. The witness photographed the prints but noted the trail gets heavy use, suggested a prank or overlapping boot prints as likely, and stated he does not believe in Bigfoot.
Firefighter describes multiple-witness sighting during the Loma Fire
While on a wildland fire assignment in Northern California, the witness was pulled from a tent at dusk to look across a river. The witness watched a tall, dark-haired, muscular bipedal animal on the riverbank that looked toward the gathering group for several minutes. When flashlights were shone toward it, it ran into the riverside woods, pushing trees aside, and was briefly seen again as a silhouette in an uphill clearing before disappearing.
Young couple have unusual late night experience near Weaverville
A couple sleeping in a rented fifth-wheel trailer at a campground were awakened around 2 a.m. by sounds outside. The wife reported padded footsteps circling the trailer, followed by pressure on the exterior step that shook the trailer while their normally vocal dog stayed silent. The occupants remained inside in fear and later closed windows and fell asleep; companions camped nearby said they heard nothing.
Several tracks found by hunter near Lewiston Lake
While deer hunting, the witness found many large tracks and followed them to a hidden hillside spring in a dry area. The water was murky as if recently disturbed, and the witness also found dung with an unusual sweet smell that was collected for testing. No creature was seen, but the witness believed he had just missed it.
August 18th 2000 camping trip in Six Rivers National Forest, family hears screams
The witness and her husband were camping in a dispersed site when they heard a prolonged strange vocalization that moved along a rocky creek bed from one side of camp to the other over several hours. Their dogs acted frightened, trying to get into the tent rather than barking. The witness compared the sound to a recorded scream from a nearby county and could not identify it as a known animal.
Possible visitation at a remote campsite in the Trinity NF
A solo backpacker camped overnight at the Mud Springs hunter camp. Around 10:30 p.m. he was awakened by a loud branch snap followed by heavy vibrating footsteps passing very close to his tent. His nested cook pots were then heard clanging and later found unnested and spread out. After finding a long hair on his backpack Velcro he broke camp and drove to Red Bluff.
Loud Echoing Howls Heard by Hikers in the Trinity Alps
The witness was camping in the mountains of northern California when a loud, frightening howl echoed through the area from the east around 1 a.m. The witness reported extensive prior backpacking experience in the region and said nothing similar had been heard before. Bigfoot was mentioned only as a first thought about what might have caused the sound.
Campers describe an encounter after dark
The witnesses returned late at night to find their tent knocked over with contents spilled. While loading the vehicle to leave, one witness saw a tall brown human-like figure stand up about 15 feet away and walk toward the river. The pair left the area that night and returned the next day to photograph apparent footprints on a hillside.
Campers menaced after dark by what they assume was a family group
A group camping above a swollen river heard mumbling voices and stick-breaking approaching, followed by loud chanting, shouting and stomping that shook a log seat and was taken as a demand to leave. The sounds stopped after deep hooted calls and later receded to distant screams up the valley and across the mountain. Later, while in a tent, the witness saw the firelight blocked by a squatting silhouette that touched the zipper with five digits, with felt breath and strong odor, before withdrawing. In the morning the witness noted hairs and deep depressions on the trail.
Nighttime sighting by camper near Hyampom, along South Fork of Trinity River
The witness was sleeping on a river beach with companions and woke past midnight. Across the river in bright moonlight the witness saw a large bipedal creature shaking a big pine tree, then running in an arc into the woods. The next morning the witness and a companion found large four-toed tracks in the sand where the creature had run.
Evening road crossing sighting near Lewiston (Hwy 299)
A couple driving at night braked as a large dark hair-covered biped crossed the road in front of their car. The wife described it as 6 to 7 feet tall, very thick, with exaggerated arms, moving unhurriedly toward Lewiston Lake. Her husband, who was driving, backed up to look around afterward but has since refused to discuss the incident.
Hunters hear late night screams in the Trinity Alps Wilderness
Two hunters camping overnight on a ridge to be positioned for opening day heard a single extremely loud scream that shifted from high-pitched to deeper growl-like tones from the direction of a nearby tree line. About half an hour later their tethered mule became highly agitated and was found favoring a front leg that later swelled markedly despite no visible wound. Searches that night and the next morning revealed no source, tracks, or sign of trauma.
Very large, black, human-looking sihouette seen
After dark, two riders on horseback were traveling on a back trail from the fairgrounds toward a friend's house. One horse alerted to something ahead, and the riders observed a very large, silent, human-like silhouette that moved diagonally into the brush. One rider greeted it, initially thinking it was a person, and they continued to the house without discussing it until morning. The next day they returned and found flattened dry grass where it had stood.
Series of footprints 17" in length
The witness and two companions were on horseback to put up horses at night near a town dump and fairgrounds. They observed a black standing figure but could not see a face despite fairly good visibility from stars and lights. The next day they returned and found dry grass flattened where the figure had stood. The witness noted bears frequent the area but judged this was not a bear.
Hiker see prints and hears sounds in the Trinity Alps
The witness was camped beside a creek during a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike when he heard low voice-like sounds coming from opposite ridges. Feeling uneasy as he also heard limbs and sticks breaking on the ridgeline, he broke camp and hiked out by moonlight. The next morning at a side creek he found vegetation slid down and up where something had crossed, with one large clear footprint in a sandbar, which he photographed with his foot alongside for scale.
A young man and friends had two consecutive night encounters with an unknown creature
In February 1977 five youths camped in two VW buses at a remote, densely forested campground in the Trinity Alps. On two consecutive nights around 10:30 p.m., something rushed down the steep hill behind camp and violently rocked the bus the witness slept in. The first morning packs were found strewn and torn open; the second night a large boulder was found wedged behind the bus tire and the other bus had shifted about five feet toward the river. The group reported seeing nothing because windows were iced over, noting only hillside skid marks, rushing noises, and a brief strong odor before leaving early.
Papoose Lake in the Trinity Alps Primitive Area
Two campers sheltering in a tent during a severe nighttime storm heard a heavy bipedal animal circling their camp for about four hours. The animal repeatedly screamed loudly and snapped large branches as it walked, at times coming within about 20 feet, but darkness prevented any visual observation. In the morning they found no tracks or sign on the wet granite surface and hiked out.