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718 encounters
October 1988 Bass Lake Ca., Madera County, California Class A #83

Early dawn sighting by hunters near Bass Lake

Two hunters waited in a parked truck below a ridge at dawn hoping for deer. They watched a dark figure dig in brush for about 30 minutes then walk toward them. At about 50 yards they concluded it was not a man but a large black-furred biped. When a truck door latch sounded it looked then ran behind a tree and was gone when approached.

Full-body sighting
October 1988 Hoopa, Humboldt County, California Class A #11576

Woman has close up night sighting in car lights on Highway 299

Two people in a car at night watched a large hair-covered figure enter the highway from the driver's side and cross in three unhurried strides while turning its upper body to glance at them. The passenger described a tall robust adult male with long legs, human-like hands and nose, and shaggy hair darker with a rusty hue on the torso and face and lighter dirty-blonde on the arms. The figure moved with a fluid human-like arm swing but with same-side arm and leg moving together.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
September 1988 Long Barn, Tuolumne County, California Class B #2333

Family hears late night screams near Long Barn

The witness and family were camped in a mountain valley for deer season when loud screams were heard at night over four nights, seeming to come closer each night until only a few hundred feet away. The sound was described as a mix of a woman screaming and a mountain lion roar. The father and uncle later reported finding a footprint on a road that was larger than the uncle's foot. The family left camp the next day.

ScreamTracks
July 1988 Escondido, San Diego County, California Class B #51530

Camper on Mount Palomar reports heavy biped running through campground late at night

About 1988 the witness and a companion were tent camping on Palomar Mountain. Late at night while settled in the tent, the witness heard fast, very heavy footsteps run through camp. The companion slept through the noise, and no footprints or other evidence were found the next morning.

Footsteps
May 1988 California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/ARLj0ESb7pT_OjeQZ2opwAzTqi1bKD3iT0XqF9Jr_cc

Sasquatch sighting in California (1988)

While fishing with a parent on a cold morning, the witness noticed a tall thin creature lying on its stomach behind a hollow log across the stream watching them. After the parent also saw it, a loud sharp crack behind them drew their attention, and the creature leapt over the log and crossed the stream in three steps before disappearing across the road into trees. The parent hurried them out and warned the witness never to tell anyone.

Full-body sightingWood knock
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
September 1987 Nevada City, Nevada County, California Class A #12649

Man recalls daytime sighting in a canyon outside Nevada City

Two companions were pushing their bicycles up a steep old mining road when they heard crashing from across a canyon. They watched a tall dark-haired biped run down the opposite slope toward them, snapping small trees in its path. Frightened, they fled uphill on their bikes until they neared the top and lost sight and sound of it.

Full-body sightingTree break
April 1987 Sierra County, California Class B #2858

A sheriff's Deputy Discusses Reports in the Area

The writer refers to a Bigfoot sighting reported in the area about four weeks before their own earlier sighting. The writer states they searched for and found the newspaper article they recalled about that Bigfoot report. The writer comments on details that might suggest a hoax while also noting an argument against a hoax motive.

Possible hoax
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
1 September 1986 Lakehead Ca., Shasta County, California Class B #2855

Man had deer stolen by creature near Lakehead

A homeowner had shot a deer and hung it in a tree behind the house. That night while going to let dogs out, he heard an unfamiliar scream and saw a large ape-like creature in the yard. The creature seized the deer and fled into the forest, tearing out a stretch of barbed-wire fence and leaving hair and tracks. A friend visiting the next day was shown where it stood and ran, including the tracks and hair.

Full-body sightingEyeshineScreamTracksHair
August 1986 Truckee, Nevada County, California Class B #16550

Solo camper's late night encounter outside Truckee

The witness had pulled off a remote forest road for the night and was sleeping beside the truck with dogs. In darkness heavy bipedal footsteps approached up the road and stopped a few yards away. The unseen source emitted an extremely loud prolonged scream then ran away down the road still screaming. The witness searched briefly by headlights for tracks, found none on the rocky road, and left when the dogs refused to leave the truck.

FootstepsScream
July 1986 Kennedy Meadows, Tulare County, California Class B #22815

Campers hear loud vocalizations near Kennedy Meadows

Two people camping by a campfire heard an extremely loud yell that faded into a deep growl, repeating for several minutes from the direction of a nearby meadow. They then heard a branch break and leaves moving just beyond the firelight while the companion's dog froze, shook, and stared into the darkness. They did not see the source, abandoned their tents to sleep in a vehicle, and remained frightened through the night.

GrowlVocalizationFootsteps
July 1986 Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California Class B #8598

Daylight Sighting by Hikers Near Bennett Mountain

The witness and two companions were hiking toward Bennett Peak and stopped to rest before a large climb. They heard loud snapping and cracking of limbs across a valley and saw a large hairy back moving very fast uphill through brush, clearing foliage out of its way. Afterward they visited the spot and found broken branches several feet above the ground.

Partial sightingTree break
15 June 1986 Carmel CA, Monterey County, California Class A #12292

Daylight sighting by hikers in Ventana Wilderness

The witness and his son were hiking a ridgeline trail with the son walking ahead. The son encountered a large hairy biped running toward him, screamed, and watched it run past him downhill into dense brush. The witness ran forward after hearing the scream, heard loud crashing in the brush, and caught only a brief glimpse of a dark shape disappearing.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingFootsteps
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
Summer 1986 El Dorado County, California Class A #2121

Lake Tahoe sighting by a motorist

The witness and his wife were driving east on Highway 50 late at night in late summer 1986. As they made a turn on an S-curve, their headlights lit up a large hairy human-like figure walking along the hillside at the roadside about 40 yards ahead. When the road curved away, the figure vanished into darkness, and the two occupants confirmed to each other they had both seen it.

Full-body sighting
December 1985 Del Norte County, California Class A #1551

Campers hear screams, and find large footprints

The witness and a companion were walking a dog on a loop trail in redwood forest when the dog lunged up a steep embankment toward crunching and branch-breaking sounds from above. They followed a short distance to a ridge and found freshly broken lower tree branches up to about ten feet high and large human-like foot impressions in the duff that lacked claw marks. The source of the noise was gone by the time they reached the top, and they returned cross-country to the main trail.

FootstepsTracksTree break
October 1985 Kernville, Tulare County, California Class B #11407

Two young men camping in the high country, hear vocals

Two companions were camping away from developed sites and sitting by a campfire in the evening when they heard loud shrill scream-growl vocalizations that seemed to come closer over time. The surrounding forest reportedly fell silent and they felt frightened and that something was close. They turned off music, readied firearms, heard another series of screams later that night, and slept with guns for protection.

ScreamGrowlFootsteps
October 1985 Humboldt County, California Class B #2176

Large footprints found by witnesses

The witness and a friend were walking their dog on a trail when the dog lunged up a steep embankment toward loud crunching and branch-breaking sounds from above. They followed a short way to the top of a ridge but the source of the noise was gone. On top they found freshly broken lower tree branches up to 10 feet high and foot-like impressions in the duff without claw marks, then returned cross-country to the trail.

TracksTree breakFootsteps