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37 encounters
20 August 2014 Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California Class A #46330

Daylight sighting by fisherman at Silverwood Lake near Hesperia

The witness was fishing with family at a lake in the afternoon and walked to check a second rod. He heard leaves crunching about 30 feet to his left and saw a hairy ape-like creature with light brown hair running with long swinging arms while crouched forward. His daughter was behind him and shouted about a big animal, and they returned to the rest of the family.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
8 September 2007 North Of Cloverdale, Sonoma County, California Class A #25260

Nighttime sighting (in headlights) by law enforcement officer on patrol near Cloverdale

The witness, on patrol driving west on Highway 128 outside Cloverdale, first noticed movement and eye reflection in brush along a ravine. After backing up, the witness observed a tall, brown-furred bipedal figure walking away through overgrowth, pushing branches aside with its arm. The witness then stopped and listened for several minutes as slow crunching sounds receded toward a creek area.

Partial sightingEyeshineFootstepsAnimal behaviour
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
24 December 2003 Twain Harte, Tuolumne County, California Class A #10980

Man has late night sighting near Twain Harte

After midnight the witness, sleeping in a cabin bedroom, was awakened by vibration and the sense of someone walking on the porch. Looking toward the porch light through a window about twenty feet away, the witness watched a hair-covered figure with its back turned, which then turned, looked toward the window and leaned to peer inside before jumping off the six- to eight-foot-high porch. The witness kept watching in fear and did not tell others or search for traces in the morning.

Partial sightingFootsteps
25 October 2001 Huntington Lake, Fresno County, California Class A #9296

Hunter has daytime sighting near Huntington Lake

While hunting in dense pines the witness repeatedly heard loud expulsions of air and branches breaking moving around him. After returning to the area with his father, deer were spooked by the same sound. The witness then saw a large black-haired figure sitting under a pine about 30 yards away and stared at it before it stood and bounded away making the same noise.

Partial sightingVocalizationFootstepsTree break
May 2001 Johnson, Humboldt County, California Class A #2755

While conducting sound survey project, two team members see Bigfoot

A team of four was conducting a nighttime sound survey from a clear-cut overlooking a river valley while one member did a live radio interview from a parked vehicle near the treeline. The interviewer heard repeated charging sounds, footfalls and a grunt-growl from dense brush a few feet away while two teammates uphill watched with a night-vision device. The uphill observers reported a huge 8-foot-plus figure about 25 feet away leaning side to side to look through the trees and moving its arms. The episode lasted about 30 minutes, followed later by a distant scream, and a next-day search found disturbed soil but no footprints.

Partial sightingFootstepsGrowlMovement onlyAnimal behaviour
Winter 2001 Redding, Shasta County, California Class A #11986

Daylight sighting by guide and two tourists at Lake Shasta Caverns

The witness, a tour guide, was waiting at the mountain-top cavern entrance with two tourists for the return bus on a cloudy day. They heard repeated thumping and noticed treetops moving along a ravine about 200 yards away, then briefly watched a huge bipedal figure with swinging arms run downhill toward the lake and disappear while footfalls remained audible. The witness radioed for the bus and left with the group, later quitting the job to avoid being alone on the mountain.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
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
June 2000 Orick, Humboldt County, California Class A #1727

wildlife biological technician sees Bigfoot while working in the woods

Two wildlife technicians were bushwhacking downhill at twilight while carrying caged mice when they heard a heavy animal moving around them on two legs, at times behind them and then ahead of them. One of them then watched a large dark animal dash across the trail on two legs with a quick agile motion. Both men heard the movement, but only one saw the animal.

Full-body sightingFootstepsUnidentified sound
November 1999 Holtville, Imperial County, California Class A #8345

Truck driver has a short but memorable encounter

A semi-truck driver pulled over at a desert highway pullout at night and got out of the truck. He heard rocks falling, noticed a strong decaying odor that became gagging, and saw a large hairy biped cross the road in front of his headlights while making a loud grunt. Frightened, he got back in the truck and drove away.

Partial sightingRoad crossingVocalizationFootstepsOdor
3 August 1998 Etna, Siskiyou County, California Class A #22434

Backpacker sighting off the PCT in the Marble Mountains Wilderness

The witness was sleeping alone on a rock ledge above a drainage when she heard loud repetitive whooping and howling from far below. The source moved rapidly uphill, climbed a steep cliff to the ledge, and ran past her toward the peak above, pausing briefly to look toward her. It then vocalized from the top of the peak until near sunrise, and she left the area at first light.

SilhouetteHowlWhoopScreamFootsteps
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
4 July 1993 Siskiyou County, California Class A #2842

Creature Seen Heading Down Towards the Lake.

The witness and a companion were sleeping outdoors at a lakeside camp when they woke during the night after hearing crunching footsteps. They sat up and watched a tall, dark-furred figure walk from nearby vegetation toward the lake, swinging its arms and covering long strides before moving away. The figure briefly turned its head toward them but did not stop. The next morning the witness searched the apparent route but found no tracks or other traces.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
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
1 September 1991 Humboldt County, California Class A #2147

Sighting by two backpackers

Two companions camping overnight were awakened by movement on rocks above camp. They listened for about 15 minutes, then watched a bipedal form cross a stream and meadow into the treeline about 200 yards away. After daylight they found a large gouge in soft earth and flattened grass, then left the area.

Full-body sightingFootstepsTracks
July 1991 Bishop CA., Inyo County, California Class A #67480

Camper's encounter with a Bigfoot outside tent in North Lake Campground near Bishop

The witness was camping with two young relatives at a high-elevation lake campground in the summer. Around midnight he woke to heavy footsteps stopping outside the tent and, peeking through the mesh with a flashlight, saw the huge hairy muscular human-like legs of a very tall biped standing a few feet away. After a minute or two the individual walked away, and the witness moved the children to the car and left the campsite early, leaving some gear behind.

Partial sightingFootsteps
June 1991 French Gulch, Shasta County, California Class A #18298

Man collecting pine nuts retreats from intimidation approach, above French Gulch near Lake Shasta

The witness stopped a pickup at night in pine forest north of town to collect large pine cones. While outside the truck, the witness heard a loud screech followed by fast, heavy impacts like large bipedal steps approaching down a slope. The witness scrambled into the truck and while driving away saw a dark shaggy upright figure behind the truck in tail-light glow and moonlight. The witness fled down the mountain and left the area after daylight.

Partial sightingScreamFootsteps
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