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32 encounters
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
October 2007 Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class B #24743

Camper has a possible close encounter west of Mono Lake

The witness was camping alone at night reading in a chair when a loud branch snap was heard nearby. Gas cans and other items behind a shed were knocked over as something large moved a short distance through trees and stopped across a creek. The witness's dogs cowered at the trailer door and the witness retreated inside with a feeling of being watched.

Unidentified soundFootstepsProperty disturbanceMovement only
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
May 2003 Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California Class B #6304

Young lady believes that the creature is back

The witness visited a relative's house after a goose was found dead with a broken neck, punctures, and missing insides. She also reports finding a four-toed footprint, flattened weeds suggesting something had lain down and walked through, and damage to a chicken-coop roof. The night had been unusually quiet and livestock were nervous the next morning.

TracksProperty disturbanceAnimal behaviour
1 August 2002 Nevada City, Nevada County, California Class B #4885

Chicken pens being raided by unknown thief near Nevada City

A neighbor's chicken coop was raided at night and the birds were taken whole with no remains left. The witness, who also keeps birds, visited the coop to learn how to reinforce their own enclosure and found wire mesh bent and compressed in a way they felt required great strength. The witness collected hair samples from the scene for analysis, which were later reported to be mountain lion hair.

Property disturbanceHair
September 2001 Dardanelle, Tuolumne County, California Class B #16448

Possible vocalizations awaken campers in Clark Fork Campground

The witness and companion were camping in a tent at Clark Fork campground. After 2 a.m. they were awakened by very loud, long screaming sounds from the river direction that lasted about five minutes. About an hour later the witness heard a loud metal bang interpreted as a bear-proof dumpster lid being lifted and dropped in the closed, unoccupied loop.

ScreamProperty 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
10 October 1998 Platina, Trinity County, California Class B #596

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.

FootstepsUnidentified soundProperty disturbanceHair
April 1996 Lewiston, California #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2015/08/10/sc-ep134-encounters-while-camping

Sasquatch sighting near Lewiston, California (1996)

The witness and his wife returned after dinner to their closed campground to find their zipped tent unzipped, overturned, and contents strewn. While packing to leave for a motel, the wife saw a huge hairy figure that had been crouched by a tree stand, turn, and walk away silently. They drove to the valley that night and returned in daylight to find the branch it stood under was well above the witness's reach, convincing them it was not a bear but a Sasquatch that had ransacked the camp.

Partial sightingProperty 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
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
September 1979 Weed, Siskiyou County, California Class B #5220

Son and step Father have a strange encounter on the north/east side of Mt.Shasta

The witness and a relative were camping in a remote wooded area when the witness was awakened around 3 a.m. by noises around the truck, including an ice chest being knocked over and a violent impact that rocked the vehicle, followed by a loud piercing scream-like sound. The relative also woke, and in the morning they found the camp in disarray with a dozen eggs missing, the empty carton later found away from camp, and a dent in the truck. No creature was seen and no tracks were found, and the pair stayed up until morning before leaving.

ScreamVehicle contactProperty disturbance
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
1977 Arnold, California #469f1cca-9e52-44d4-9757-43bb47d1202c

Howl near Arnold, California (1977)

The witness and a companion were on a deer-hunting trip and had parked to sleep in the bed of a truck. Late at night they heard a loud howl followed by rapid gibberish and saw a dark shape in the road that stood and moved away with smooth motion. After returning to the truck and falling asleep, the witness was awakened by the truck rocking and heard something move alongside the vehicle before kicking scattered camp gear and walking away.

HowlChatterFull-body sightingFootstepsVehicle contact +1
July 1965 Myers Flat, Humboldt County, California Class A #6963

Teens have unusual experience near Myers Flat

Five boys were camping overnight in a repaired old logging cabin in the woods. During the night they were awakened by huffing, shuffling and prying sounds as something circled and probed the cabin walls. When the door was opened they saw only dark hairy legs in the darkness, a companion fired a rifle, and the creature screamed and fled with heavy thuds, leaving torn ground and indentations.

Partial sightingScreamUnidentified soundFootstepsProperty disturbance +1
November, December, like 30 years ago California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/TY2oDERxCQLmzCyeNUqKE1Rhg0TzcFut3kAEoMOxmJc

Whistle in California

While logging on private timberland above the river, the witness heard whistles and knocks in the early morning and found crew lunches missing. The Native crew members refused to leave the vehicle until daylight. Years later the witness interpreted the sounds and missing food as Bigfoot activity.

WhistleWood knockProperty disturbance
summer around 2002, over a couple months Orleans, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/dG066zcV9vjVWFBsxXkZR_kktRENsQnnY-PZJ_yYLOo

Vocalization near Orleans, California

New owners of an abandoned property began hearing screams nightly and having trash bags taken from the porch and sorted in a bush by color and type. The female resident reported dark hairy figures throwing twigs, candy bait disappearing from rat traps, and large grass impressions. The guest saw the trackway and droppings and set a camcorder that allegedly captured the theft before his notes and tapes were stolen in a break-in.

VocalizationScreamTracksFootstepsScat +3
probably a year after the encounter Lake County, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/z0Eeje6JvJvDDeP-HxDjlRGDKYzn-xYslP585x3gsfM

Property disturbance near Lake County

The witness's father hung two large slabs of wild hog meat on high hooks under the roof rafters to cure overnight and brought them inside each morning. One morning both slabs were gone without torn meat, bent hooks, drag marks, or mess, and the family's dogs would not approach the spot and had barked not at all overnight. The witness speculates the creature seen earlier may have taken the meat.

Property disturbance