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10 encounters
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
April 2003 South Of Redcrest, Humboldt County, California Class A #10265

Fisherman has a short first encounter on a damp afternoon, as a creature crosses the road in front of his vehicle

The witness was driving slowly looking for a fishing spot in mid-afternoon when an animal crossed the road almost in front of the truck. He saw only its back, one arm, and coned head for a few seconds before it disappeared into riverside foliage. After turning around he found a couple of large footprints with a long stride. He described the animal as over seven feet tall, heavily built, with long muscular arms and no visible neck.

Partial sightingRoad crossingTracks
July 2000 Ft. Jones, Siskiyou County, California Class A #2928

Eighteen campers find hut; videotape distressed bigfoot walking down mountain ridge

A large camping group found a hut-like structure made of snapped boughs and filmed it in detail. While examining the structure, a group member pointed out a distant figure moving along a ridge. The witness videotaped the figure for several minutes as it moved back and forth, gestured, and disappeared behind rocks.

Full-body sightingSilhouetteStructure or nestAnimal behaviour
17 July 1996 El Dorado County, California Class A #2137

Placerville track found and cast

The witness reports discovering several large footprints near a small stream northeast of Placerville, with broken branches nearby. Only one print was clear enough to photograph, and the witness returned the next day to make a plaster cast. The cast was shown to Fish and Game staff who dismissed it, and it has since been kept in storage.

TracksTree break
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
29 October 1995 Fresno, Fresno County, California Class A #1068

Two fisherman have daytime sighting above Huntington Lake

The witness and a companion were fishing separate pools along a river when the companion called him over. They smelled a strong musky odor and then saw a tall, hairy biped standing about 25 yards upslope. The creature walked up and over the hill on two feet while the men felt unable to move, after which they walked back in silence to their third companion.

Full-body sightingOdor
August 1993 Bluff Creek, Del Norte County, California Class A #2954

A field researcher describes the events of his two week long solo backpacking trip in the Bluff Creek area

The witness was camped alone at the intersection of four logging roads in Northern California, tending a campfire late at night. He became aware of a pair of reflective eyes watching him from behind a bush about 70 feet away and watched them for over an hour as the fire died down until they disappeared. In the morning he found large foot-shaped flattened grass impressions leading to and from the spot behind the bush.

EyeshineTracksAnimal behaviour
June 1991 Mendota, Fresno County, California Class A #11897

Three young adults encounter large aggressive biped while fishing the San Joaquin River

Three people were fishing at night at a pool on a river near a bridge when they saw a frightened coyote run past and heard splashes. A large dark figure standing waist-deep in the river about 40 yards away then threw boulders toward them, with the closest landing a few yards away and splashing water on them. The group shouted, reeled in their lines, and fled through trees and a field to their car. They returned the next day and judged the water depth and boulders inconsistent with a person.

Partial sightingRock throwing
20 October 1967 Del Norte County, California Class A #1563

Two men on horseback film a bigfoot as it retreats out of the creek bed and into the woods. The footage is referred to as the Patterson-Gimlin footage, named after the two men who obtained it

Two witnesses on horseback following a creek-bottom trail reported seeing a bigfoot drinking from the creek. The creature stood up and walked away while one witness filmed its retreat with a handheld movie camera. Investigators later visited the site and measured tracks to estimate the figure's height.

Full-body sighting
August 1964 Ojai, Ventura County, California Class A #24648

Man retells his close, visual encounter at dawn on Pine Mountain as a young deer hunter

The witness, deer hunting at dawn from a ground position below a relative, watched a tall hair-covered biped step into a fire lane, pause and look toward the witness after hearing the witness speak, then cross and wait in brush before leaving downhill. The witness later found large barefoot-like tracks and noticed a strong foul odor at the crossing site. The witness did not shoot and initially told no one.

Full-body sightingFootstepsTracksOdor