Description
The Bigfoot—often called Sasquatch—is one of the most famous cryptids in the world. It’s said to be a large, hairy, human-like creature that lives in remote forests, especially in the Pacific Northwest of United States and Canada. Common descriptions include broad shoulders, no visible neck, long arms, and even glowing yellow or red eyes.
Aliases
Bigfoot goes by other names depending on who spotted it and where it was spotted. Other names for Bigfoot include: Almas, Boggy Creek Monster, Fouke Monster, Hibagon, Momo, Ngoui Rung, Old Yellow Top, Skunk Ape, Sasquatch, Swamp Stalker of Boggy Creek, Wood Booger, Yeren, Yeti, and Yowie
Behavior
The reported behavior of Bigfoot mostly comes from eyewitness reports, folklore, and investigations by groups who portray Bigfoot with the following behaviors:
- Extremely Elusive – One of the most commonly reported traits is avoidance of humans. Bigfoot prefers to stay in remote forests and mountains. He moves quietly yet quickly and disappears before being clearly seen.
- Nocturnal – Many reports say Bigfoot is most active at night. Strange howls or screams can be heard in the distance. Because of this, some researchers think sightings happen in deep wilderness like the Pacific Northwest, especially in Washington and Oregon.
- “Wood Knocking” – A unique behavior reported by witnesses is wood knocking which involves loud knocks on trees. Some believe it could be a form of communication, similar to how gorillas beat their chests.
- Large Strides and Tracks – Tracks attributed to Bigfoot often show very long strides (up to 4–6 feet apart) with deep impressions in the soil.
First Sighting
Stories and folklore surrounding Bigfoot go back hundreds or even thousands of years. The modern history of Bigfoot in Oregon begins in 1904 with sightings of a hairy “wild man” by settlers in the Sixes River area in the Coast Range. In 1924, miners on Mount St. Helens claimed to have been attacked by giant apes. In 1958, woods workers east and west of the Cascade Mountains reported seeing creatures and discovering their footprints along logging roads. Witnesses observed these creatures crossing roads at night, stepping through the forest and mountain areas, or foraging for food in rock piles. Newspapers started calling the creature “Big Foot.”
This incident led to the famous 1967 footage known as the Patterson–Gimlin Film. On October 20, 1967, Bigfoot enthusiast Roger Patterson and his partner Robert Gimlin were filming a Bigfoot docudrama in Bluff Creek. The pair claimed they came upon a Bigfoot and filmed the encounter. The minute long video has become iconic in popular culture and Bigfoot related lore.
Other Documented Sightings
A youth group was camping in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, California when their leader noticed a strange-looking creature along a ridge nearby. He filmed it for nearly seven minutes.
While trekking through the Himalayas in 1951, British explorer Eric Earle Shipton took a photo of what appeared to be a Yeti footprint. In 2014, Christie’s Auction house in London sold the original photo for nearly $5,000.
In 2007, a hunter captured some of the most famous bigfoot images to date with a camera mounted to a tree in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest. Skeptics believe the animal was just a bear sick with mange.
A footprint measuring 17.75 inches was found near a residential home in 1980. The footprint coincided with reports of strange noises and a strong but unusual odor in the area.
In 1994, a former U.S. Forest patrolman he saw a family of bigfoots in Washington’s Blue Mountains. The video is shaky and grainy but has been deemed real by Bigfoot experts.
A Mississippi resident captured video of a potential Bigfoot while hunting on his property in 2013. Afraid to go back to the woods, he posted the footage to YouTube asking for help to identify the animal.
In 2012 a hiker was walking through the Utah Hills near Provo Canyon when he spotted a large animal in the woods. As he got near, the animal stood up hind legs and started throwing rocks at him.
Attractions Featuring Bigfoot
Events Featuring Bigfoot
