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124 encounters
August 1977 Antler Camp, Shasta County, California Class A #7555

Two Young Fishermen Have Mid-day Encounter at Lake Shasta

The witness was walking back toward a lakeside cove after dropping his sister at a dock when he heard footsteps and saw a large hair-covered figure approach to within a few feet. He and his cousin jumped into the lake and watched from the water as the figure stood watching them before running rapidly up a steep brush-covered hill and disappearing. People arriving from a nearby hilltop cabin later said such creatures visited their cabin occasionally.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
July 1977 Sawyer's Bar, Trinity County, California Class B #7352

Hiker see prints and hears sounds in the Trinity Alps

The witness was camped beside a creek during a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike when he heard low voice-like sounds coming from opposite ridges. Feeling uneasy as he also heard limbs and sticks breaking on the ridgeline, he broke camp and hiked out by moonlight. The next morning at a side creek he found vegetation slid down and up where something had crossed, with one large clear footprint in a sandbar, which he photographed with his foot alongside for scale.

VocalizationFootstepsTracks
July 1977 Nearest Town Would Be Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class A #1510

Brothers have early evening sighting near Lee Vining

Two brothers were gathering firewood near a lake at dusk when they heard heavy footsteps and crashing in dense brush. The writer saw the bushes shaking but no animal, while the brother, 10 to 15 feet away, saw a large dark-brown head moving rapidly above the brush. They fled in their truck and crashed into a tree on the way back to camp.

Partial sightingFootstepsMovement only
July 1977 Bear Valley, Calaveras County, California Class B #4366

Hikers have late night experience near Spicer

The witness and a companion were camping in a tent near a river. Late at night they heard loud screams and then footsteps on a dry creek bed behind the tent. The witness saw a large silhouette move past a tree toward the river, heard splashing and screaming, then footsteps approach the tent and run away. They waited for daylight and left quickly.

SilhouetteScreamFootsteps
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
January 1977 Groveland, Tuolumne County, California Class B #7097

Campers hear late night vocalizations at Carlon Station

The witness and two companions were snow camping in a tent when they were awakened in the early morning by loud footsteps in snow, puffing and grunting, and repeated piercing screams from a ridge above camp. The sounds moved around the campsite for about an hour before fading as the source walked away over the ridge. The group kept watch until daylight, then packed up and left quickly without seeing the source or approaching the ridge to look for tracks.

FootstepsGrowlScreamVocalization
Summer 1977 Sawyer's Bar, Siskiyou County, California Class B #5637

Campers have frightening experience in the Marble Mountains Wilderness

In summer 1977 the witness and a companion were backpacking and camped at a trail junction near a creek in forested mountain country. In the middle of the night they were awakened by loud crashing of logs and rocks being hurled in the streambed below. Bipedal footsteps then approached up the slope to behind nearby trees, with heavy breathing heard high in the air and a humph sound after the witness shouted, before the creature walked away parallel to the creek.

FootstepsRock throwingObject throwingVocalization
1977 Mendocino County, California Class B #2199

Witness heard stomping and crashing of small trees.

The witness was lying in a tent at night in woods near Mendocino when loud stomping and crashing of small trees was heard about fifty yards away. The sounds lasted about 30 seconds and were interpreted as a biped moving quickly, apparently pursued by barking dogs. After the crashing stopped, a dog was heard yelping as if badly injured, then silence fell. The next morning the witness found broken vegetation but no clear sign of its cause and moved camp.

FootstepsMovement onlyTree break
June 1976 Azusa, Los Angeles County, California Class A #2249

One of three incidents in a restricted area

The witness and a companion were walking back to their car after fishing in darkness when they heard footsteps moving ahead of them. The steps paused when they paused and resumed when they moved, stopping again in a clearing. When they called out, the unseen source turned and ran rapidly through dense brush.

Footsteps
1975 Oroville, California #3fb91ed8-671b-4aa4-891d-f46c90d44a22

Vocalization near Oroville, California (1975)

The witness had been sleeping in the back of his pickup at a secluded clearing after a late work shift. He heard loud, strange voices approaching rapidly through dense brush, smelled a strong foul odor, and sensed something large vault over the truck. He then saw a large dark shape moving away into the treeline while vocalizing, then drove away.

VocalizationScreamChatterFootstepsOdor +2
October 1974 Quartz Hill, Los Angeles County, California Class A #1742

Two young men have a face to face encounter

The witness and his cousin heard noises outside the house for about 20 minutes and went into the backyard with a flashlight. They saw a tall hair-covered figure standing just beyond a six-foot fence staring at them. After a few seconds they ran back inside frightened. The next morning they found two deep impressions in the sandy soil beyond the fence.

Partial sightingEyeshineFootstepsTracks
July 1972 Junction City, Trinity County, California Class B #160

Papoose Lake in the Trinity Alps Primitive Area

Two campers sheltering in a tent during a severe nighttime storm heard a heavy bipedal animal circling their camp for about four hours. The animal repeatedly screamed loudly and snapped large branches as it walked, at times coming within about 20 feet, but darkness prevented any visual observation. In the morning they found no tracks or sign on the wet granite surface and hiked out.

ScreamFootsteps
November 1968 Oceanside, San Diego County, California Class A #2907

Four Camp Pendleton soldiers confront bigfoot during nighttime training exercise

During night infantry training, the witness and three other Marines were dug in atop a hill when they heard rocks rolling as something climbed toward them. A very large, wide figure with long arms and a pointed head stood up within a few feet of them, remained briefly as they watched in fear, then walked between their positions and disappeared over a hill behind them. The group confirmed afterward that all four had seen the same thing but agreed not to report it at the time.

SilhouetteFootsteps
21 October 1966 Mariposa County, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/iAmZxMXY0hBsrhZ90Jnj0nPkdQV3mvg5h8NNCScR3w4

Sasquatch sighting near Mariposa County (1966)

At age twelve on an overnight science-camp trip, the witness slept apart from other children near a picnic table. Waking late at night to use the bathroom and holding a flashlight, the witness saw a very tall silver-white hairy figure standing nearby that turned slightly to look. The witness did not scream, checked that other children were asleep, looked back to find it gone, felt heavy vibrations as it left, and zipped into the sleeping bag until morning.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
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
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
August 1963 Big Bear Lake Resort., San Bernardino County, California Class B #7759

Young man has strange encounter on a dark gravel road at Big Bear Lake Resort

The witness walked alone at night up a gravel mountain road toward a cabin after retrieving a wallet in town. Something unseen below the road in steep brush kept pace, breaking branches and dislodging rocks, stopping when the witness stopped and moving faster after rocks were tossed at it. Before reaching a bend where the road met the canyon, relatives arrived by car and the witness got in and left.

FootstepsMovement only
August 1963 Myers Flat, Humboldt County, California Class A #6961

Teen has daytime sighting near Myers Flat

The witness was hunting with two friends and hid alone in berry bushes to startle them. While waiting, the witness smelled a strong odor and saw a large hairy biped stand up nearby and walk away through thick brush, hearing snapping and leaf crunch as it left. The witness ran to the friends and later returned with them to find a squatted feeding spot and small broken trees.

Full-body sightingOdorFootstepsTree break
April 1961 I Believe Willow Creek, Calif., Humboldt County, California Class B #5232

Hunters have unusual late night experience near Willow Creek

Two companions camped under a large pine beside a mountain dirt road after their car slid near snow. After dark in the tent they heard grunts, loud breathing and bark crunching as something large circled the tent on two feet. After firing shots from the tent and finding nothing outside, they later heard a long loud high-pitched scream some distance away, then slept until morning and found no footprints in the bark.

VocalizationFootstepsScreamUnidentified sound
July 1958 Lake County, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/z0Eeje6JvJvDDeP-HxDjlRGDKYzn-xYslP585x3gsfM

Sasquatch sighting near Lake County (1958)

The witness, then a teenager, was riding with his brother and a friend in an old pickup checking irrigation on his father's walnut ranch when they spotted a tall hairy biped moving through the orchard. They chased it by farm roads as it ran uphill diagonally across a 40-acre block, stopped to watch it pass close by, then followed it across more blocks until it crossed a road and disappeared into dense brush on a neighboring property. Afterwards they inspected its long strides in wet ground and decided not to tell his father for fear of losing their irrigation job.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingFootstepsTracks