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15 encounters
10 November 2018 Bishop, Inyo County, California Class B #62169

Couple experience large rock thrown and possible bluff charge in Inyo National Forest

The witness and a companion hiked to a high-elevation lake to fish and stopped to rest on the trail. A large angular rock landed near them after they heard it moving through the air, followed by a loud grunt, a foul odor, and heavy footsteps approaching downhill. Fearing a bear, they fled down the switchback trail while the footsteps cut straight downhill behind them for about five minutes before stopping. They abandoned personal items, returned to the trailhead, and left the area.

Rock throwingGrowlFootstepsOdor
June 2018 California #b00b8dcf-40ed-426b-9b0c-73e0d9207aa7

Wood knock in California (2018)

The witness and friends camped at a small creekside site off a mountain road in late June 2018. After evening knocking sounds and a strong musky odor at night, a large human-like creature with yellow eyes appeared at the witness's tent, grabbed it, lifted and dropped the witness inside, then left in a few steps after a shot was fired. The group saw large footprints, later heard whoops from multiple directions, and had a basketball-sized rock thrown at their truck while leaving.

Wood knockGrowlOdorEyeshinePartial sighting +5
29 August 2009 Trinity Center, Trinity County, California Class B #27327

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.

FootstepsOdorSilhouetteProperty disturbance
September 2003 Tuolumne, Tuolumne County, California Class B #25648

Possible nighttime encounter, food taken from hunters camping near Tuolumne

The witness joined a small group for an overnight camp to practice outdoor skills. In the evening the witness walked east of camp, noticed a strong foul smell and heard vegetation breaking nearby before running back to the group. Overnight the campers were awakened by sounds around the camp followed by a loud crash, and by morning the food hung high above ground was gone, the supporting limb was damaged, and a foul smell lingered. The group then packed and left the area.

OdorFootstepsUnidentified soundTree breakProperty disturbance
November 2000 Moutain Center, Riverside County, California Class B #24137

Young couple encounter something large on Lake Hemet

The witness and a companion drove to Hemet Lake late at night intending a walk and sat by the car. They heard something large breaking branches and moving down a canyon behind them, then smelled a strong rotten wet-dog odor and felt watched, so they left. When they returned about an hour later, a large steel trash bin had been knocked over and had a large circular dent.

Movement onlyOdorProperty disturbance
15 March 1996 Lewiston, Trinity County, California Class A #2820

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.

Partial sightingProperty disturbanceOdorTracks
June 1995 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class A #2819

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.

SilhouetteVocalizationScreamWhoopTree break +3
October 1993 San Bernardino County, California Class A #2247

A camp site incident at Barton Flats with multiple witnesses. The campers were approached while they were sleeping

The witness was trying to sleep in a van while two companions slept in a tent nearby. The van began rocking violently from side to side until the witness yelled, then the witness shone a flashlight outside and saw a hair-covered figure walking upright past the vehicle into the forest. A foul cesspool-like odor was noticed around the camp, and the companions said pebbles had been tossed onto their tent and something had brushed against it. The group built a fire, discussed what happened, and packed up to leave early.

FootstepsVehicle contactFull-body sightingOdorRock throwing +1
October 1987 McCloud, Shasta County, California Class A #2844

Loud Screams Heard by Hunters While Camping Near a Natural Spring

Two hunters were camped overnight during deer season when they noticed a bipedal figure crossing a moonlit clearing. Shortly after, they heard loud screaming and crashing in brush on the hillside, followed by a log coming down, a strong urine-like odor, and renewed screams. Later, from inside their tent, both saw a very large shadow pass between the campfire and the tent. The next morning they found no tracks but noticed a large log newly present near their vehicle by the spring.

Partial sightingSilhouetteScreamFootstepsObject throwing +1
Spring 1978 Auburn, Placer County, California Class B #3612

Two fishermen have truck shaken early one morning, outside of Auburn

The witness and a relative parked a heavy flatbed truck in a wooded area to sleep for a few hours before fishing at dawn. Around 5 a.m. something shook the truck violently side to side several times, waking both occupants. They smelled a strong rancid odor, saw nothing in the darkness, and stayed in the cab until daylight before leaving without checking for tracks.

Vehicle contactOdorPossible misidentification
February 1977 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class B #7231

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.

Movement onlyUnidentified soundVehicle contactRock throwingProperty disturbance +1
1975–1976 Oceanside, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/YScIFc6KhOX9bnVSe-Zq_N8HMM1bxaBDF02R-yZwEzE

Sasquatch sighting near Oceanside, California (1975)

While living on a military base and walking a trail past eroded hillsides to the beach, the witness repeatedly smelled a strong odor and had small rocks tossed at the back of the carried board. The witness once saw the hairy backside of a large figure running into the hollows, and a friend who teased its speech and threw a rock was chased. Soon after, military police closed the area and the hillside was leveled.

Partial sightingOdorRock throwingVocalizationAnimal behaviour
29, almost 30 years ago Mount Shasta, California #8532209a-c342-4030-8983-37e4cb3ac9ef

Movement only near Mount Shasta, California

The guest was canoeing with a church youth group near Mount Shasta when the group felt they were being followed along the bank and smelled a bad odor. A basketball-sized rock was thrown with great force from dense cover and landed near his canoe, prompting leaders to flee. Years later he learned a boy in another canoe had seen a head show its teeth then withdraw, which he now attributes to a Sasquatch.

Movement onlyOdorRock throwingPartial sighting
around four in the morning Old Northern California Mining Camp,, Siskiyou County, California Related account #12405

Door or window contact near Old Northern California Mining Camp,, California

Around four in the morning something banged on the trailer, and when the witness went outside all body hair stood up before fleeing inside to the strong garbage-like smell.

Door or window contactOdor
BFRO YEAR: 1973-74 Redding, Ca, Because French Gulch Was A Town Back In The Gold Rush Days Of Old California. People Still Live In The Area Of What Is Now Called French Gulch., Shasta County, California Class B #26381

Man recalls adversarial encounter with an unknown creature near French Gulch

During midnight rounds at an isolated school compound, the witness crossed a suspension bridge and heard something raiding trash cans by the cookhouse. He threw rocks toward a large dark figure under the eaves, which stood erect, stepped onto the bridge, dodged thrown rocks, vaulted the bridge cables and fled upstream on two legs. He noted glowing eyes and a foul stench, then returned to his trailer without anyone else responding.

SilhouetteEyeshineOdorProperty disturbanceVocalization +3