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108 encounters
22 September 1995 Humboldt County, California Class B #2148

Campers report hearing sounds in the woods which are often associated with bigfoot sightings

Two companions were camping in separate spots near a river. The companion walking back from a grove heard crashes, a scream, nearby rustling, and breathing but saw nothing moving. From about a half-mile away on a riverbed, the witness heard a very loud scream from the forest to the north believed to be in the same area.

ScreamUnidentified soundMovement only
August 1995 Outside Of Quincy California, But Very Remote Area, Plumas County, California Class B #65566

Stalking of Forest Service worker on Pacific Crest Trail outside Quincy

While working alone to clear trail, the witness heard something moving parallel to him downslope for a couple of hours. The footfalls sounded clearly bipedal and the unseen mover easily kept pace through steep, brushy terrain. The witness never saw the source, noticing only moving saplings, and the sounds stopped about half an hour from his truck.

FootstepsMovement only
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
March 1994 Arcata, Humboldt County, California Class B #11519

Plinkers find pushed-over trees blocking a road and smell foul smell near Horse Mountain

The witness and a companion returned the day after target shooting in hills east of Arcata to find several trees broken across the road. The limbs were described as physically broken rather than cut. They also noticed a bad odor at the site.

Tree breakOdor
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
1993–1994 Redwood National Park, Orick, Humboldt County, California Class A #2998

Daylight sighting by a horseback rider, near a pond in Redwood National Park

The witness was horseback riding with friends and stopped for lunch when crashing was heard in the brush. The witness rode toward the noise to look for elk and watched a small hair-covered creature trying to drink from a pool about 30 feet away. The horse became agitated so the witness left to tell friends, who returned and heard movement and saw ferns moving as something left toward the larger creek. The witness believed the crashing was made by a larger animal accompanying the young creature.

Partial sightingFootstepsMovement only
September 1992 Burney Ca, Shasta County, California Class B #8784

Residents Awakened by Early Morning Vocalizations

The witness was woken by their mother after she heard a strange noise outside their Burney apartment. The witness waited on the porch and heard a very loud, guttural sequence of chirps and a scream, and noticed a pungent odor worse than skunk. No source was seen during a search, but the next morning a next-door neighbor said someone had been outside her elevated back window overnight.

GrowlChatterWhoopScreamOdor
August 1990 Dorrington, Calaveras County, California Class B #6160

Group of hunters have unusual experience near Dorrington

Twelve hunters were sleeping in a meadow camp after a day of bow hunting. Around 2 a.m. something heavy ran through the camp emitting a high-pitched female-like scream. The runner shook a truck as it passed and knocked over a full ice chest but was not seen in the dark. No unusual prints were found the next morning.

ScreamVehicle contactProperty disturbanceMovement only
5 May 1989 Weed, Siskiyou County, California Class A #174

Camper awakes to a very large hairy figure

The witness reports waking in the back of a truck at a campground in the pre-dawn hours and seeing a large dark form leaving the canopy window. She looked out and watched a very large, dark, hairy bipedal figure move quickly uphill into dense pine forest. Afterward she woke her companion, both noticed a dank musky odor, and they promptly left the camp.

Full-body sightingOdor
Fall 1988 Santa Paula, Ventura County, California Class C #2888

High-pitched Whistling Heard at Ant Campground

In 1988 at Ant Campground in the Condor Refuge, a report described high-pitched whistling and movement in the chapparal area along Aqua Blanca Creek. No visual contact or further details about the source were provided.

WhistleMovement only
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
Summer 1987 Laytonville Ca., Mendocino County, California Class A #6521

Woman hears late night scream and has close encounter near Laytonville

The witness was sleeping in a sleeping bag on a river bank with companions when she woke to bipedal footsteps on a ledge above. A large figure stood behind willow canes about 10 feet away, yelling with speech-like inflection while stomping, shaking vegetation, and giving off a skunk-like odor. After a few minutes the figure left without the witness seeing or hearing its departure, and she stayed awake until morning.

Partial sightingScreamFootstepsOdor
June 1986 Old Shasta, Shasta County, California Class A #2845

Unusual "Wild" Smell from Animal Walking Around Camper's Truck Near Sheep Camp

The witness and a companion were sleeping in a truck bed while camping when they were awakened by something circling on foot. The circling continued for about 1.5-2 hours with branch-breaking sounds, grunting, and a strong wild odor, while they remained lying down without looking. Near dawn the sounds moved off to the southwest, and in daylight they found disturbed pine needles and broken tree limbs nearby.

FootstepsVocalizationOdorTree break
1 July 1985 Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California Class B #4886

Two men hear afternoon vocalization near Fort Bragg

The witness and a companion were at a house overlooking a river when they heard loud crashing from the forest across the river. They then heard vocalizations that began as grunting and a deep loud moo-like sound and rose into a very loud high-pitched scream. After vocalizing, the unseen source moved rapidly inland through the forest until its footsteps could no longer be heard. The witness concluded the sounds were made by a Bigfoot, noting the speed and distance covered did not match a cow.

VocalizationScreamGrowlFootstepsMovement only
1984 California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/ARLj0ESb7pT_OjeQZ2opwAzTqi1bKD3iT0XqF9Jr_cc

Property disturbance in California (1984)

Four people slept in an old hunting trailer after deer hunting. In the middle of the night something lifted the hitched back end a foot or two and dropped it, jolting everyone awake. The witness heard movement and objects being knocked over outside, while the father stopped an uncle from going outside and insisted they go back to bed, later dismissing it as a bear.

Property disturbanceMovement only
25 October 1983 Sonora, Tuolumne County, California Class A #1919

Friends have night sighting above Sonora

Two men returned at night to a fenced rural property above Sonora after viewing a motorcycle for sale. A tall, wide human-like figure stepped from brush a short distance away, looked at them, then crossed the clearing toward a shed in a few strides while making a huff sound. One man got into their truck while the other backed onto the hood with a knife, and they later spent a sleepless night guarding the cabin door.

Full-body sightingSilhouetteVocalizationOdor
April 1982 Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California Class A #25444

High school teacher recalls a nighttime sighting while camping in the Los Padres National Forest

Four people camped by a river heard a loud crashing sound while eating dinner. They saw a large hairy biped running down a nearby trail illuminated by their campfire. After they yelled it glanced toward them, continued over a ridge and out of sight within seconds. They kept watch in shifts overnight and found no tracks the next morning.

Full-body sightingFootstepsMovement only
August 1981 Humboldt County, California Class B #2142

Campers smell foul odor

Around midnight during a meteor shower outing, the witness was alone in a clearing, felt watched, then heard nearby rustling and ran back to camp. Shortly after, the group noticed an extremely strong sulfurous musky odor coming from a stand of trees. They pursued stomping and thrashing sounds uphill but never saw the source, and the pursuers fled after the sound and smell abruptly stopped.

OdorMovement onlyFootstepsAnimal behaviour
October 1979 Hilt, Siskiyou County, California Class A #5284

Hunter/Logger has a sighting in a closed logging area near Hilt

The witness returned to a secluded previously logged area to hunt with a dog. About 100 yards away, a dark brown hair-covered figure was seen crouching behind brush and staring at the witness and dog. The dog froze with raised fur and refused to advance. After a brief look through a rifle scope noting human-like eyes and black facial skin, the witness smelled strong body odor and quickly left the area.

Partial sightingOdor
July 1979 Lake Shasta, Shasta County, California Class B #2770

Couple Has Frightening Encounter Near Lake Shasta

A couple drove to a remote meadow near Squaw Creek and camped overnight. After the campfire burned low at night they heard loud breaking branches, rushing movement circling and approaching the camp, and a loud howl-like vocalization, while their dog growled and a strong foul odor was present. They kept the fire large, shone flashlights into the woods without seeing eyeshine, and left at daylight, later associating the incident with Bigfoot after a friend's comment.

HowlFootstepsMovement onlyOdor