Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid of which there have been many reported sightings in the United States and Canada, although their existence has been disputed.
Description
Bigfoot, which has long been part of American folklore, is described as being similar in stature to a human but larger and covered in hair.
They are usually said to be somewhere between 6ft and 10ft tall, with their hair ranging in tone from black to dark red and brown.
In many descriptions, they are said to have a low and prominent forehead. In several apparent sightings in the past, including the most famous they are described as similar in appearance to a male gorilla or to several different types of cave dwellers from millions of years ago.
They are also said to have a pungent and somewhat unpleasant smell. Like humans, they are said to be omnivores. They seem to be active mainly at night.
There have been a significant number of reported sightings over the years, including of what people have believed to be bigfoot. There have also been lots of footprints — some measuring as long as 25in, around double the length of a US size 15 shoe.
As of July 2017, the state with the largest number of credible sightings (according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) was Washington, with 629, while the province with the most sightings in Canada was British Columbia, with 130.
But while many groups believe in the cryptid’s existence, critics say that these sightings have been either hoaxes or people misidentifying another animal, usually bears.
Stories of bigfoot-type beasts — often referred to as “wild man” or “hairy man” — have long been part of the folk history of indigenous cultures in the Pacific Northwest.
The name Sasquatch is a modern Anglicised version of sásq’ets — a word used by various First Nations people in British Columbia, Canada.
Most recent sightings have been in the Pacific Northwest, but there have been thousands of sightings over the years, including in many other parts of North America.
There are several organizations dedicated to looking for and researching bigfoot, with the most famous and largest being the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, which has a comprehensive database of bigfoot sightings and reports.
The search for bigfoot has also been the subject of several television series, including Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot and Destination America’s Mountain Monsters.
Bigfoot/Sasquatch is similar but different to other creatures reported across North America and the rest of the world including the Yeti, Skunk Ape, Orang Pendek, Barmanou, Mande Barung, Yowie, and Yeren.
Sightings and Tales
Most sightings of Bigfoot/Sasquatch have been reported in the Pacific Northwest, although there have also been sightings in other areas of the United States and Canada.
These are some of the most famous alleged Bigfoot sightings to date:
Jacko
A creature later named “Jacko” was reported by the Canadian newspaper The Daily Colonist to have been captured near Yale, British Columbia, in 1884.
Jacko was initially said to have been a gorilla, but others later claimed the incident as possible proof of the existence of Bigfoot.
1967 Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin film
This is probably the most famous Bigfoot sighting in history. Shot in 1967 in Northern California, it shows what was said to be a Bigfoot walking away from the camera toward a forested area.
The footage has an authentic feel as the men try to steady the camera and move closer to the subject.
They manage to then get some stable footage of the black figure as it turns its head to look at them. Critics claim the “Bigfoot” is a man in a gorilla suit.
Jim Mills sighting
Youth group leader Jim Mills captured nearly seven minutes of footage of what was believed by some to be a Bigfoot.
The video from June 2001 began with the camera capturing Mill’s youth group as they took part in a backpacking trip in the Marble Mountains before he caught sight of a figure silhouetted against the sky on a nearby ridge.
It is believed to be the longest-ever video recorded of a purported Bigfoot.
The Independence Day film
One of the clearest ever videos of an alleged Bigfoot sighting, this film is believed to have been taken on Independence Day 2010 in an unknown location. Shot by an unknown camera operator, this footage shows what is claimed to be an adult Bigfoot holding one of its offspring.
Provo Canyon 1
This alleged sighting in October 2012 saw a group of siblings film what they believed to be a Bigfoot in Utah’s Provo Canyon.
They initially thought it was a bear, with the footage showing it behind trees that have lost their leaves in the fall.
The footage ends when the figure stands up on two legs, with the scared siblings running away in fear.
Provo Canyon 2
Separate footage filmed by a hiker near Provo Canyon in the Utah Hills in December 2012 shows a large dark creature in the woods that started throwing stones at him as he got closer.
Rick Jacobs photos
This is one of the most famous set of photos of an alleged Bigfoot.
Captured in 2007 by hunter Rick Jacobs, it was taken in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest using a camera with an automatic trigger that was attached to a tree meant for capturing deer.
He also captured a picture of two bear cubs.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission said they believed the larger animal was a bear with mange, but the Bigfoot Research Organization said they thought it was a juvenile Sasquatch.
Pennsylvania footprint
A giant footprint measuring 17.75in long was photographed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1980.
There had also been reports of a strange smell and various noises in the area before the footprint was spotted near a private home.
Blue Mountains Bigfoot family
An alleged Bigfoot family was captured in footage shot by former US Forest patrolman Paul Freeman in Washington’s Blue Mountains in 1994.
Squamish bigfoot
Footage shot by hiker Myles Lamont in the mountains near Squamish, British Columbia, showed a dark figure in the distance rapidly moving up the mountain “in the middle of nowhere.” He says in the video: “Pretty sure this is a Sasquatch down there.”
Avocado Lake California
In October 2017, a local farmer reported a whole family of Bigfoot running about his ranch at night. The leader had a pig over its shoulder, but as they ran off, it tripped and the pig escaped. The story was picked up by the local Fox affiliate channel, which interviewed the farmer and a local Bigfoot expert.
South Carolina Lowcountry 2022
Bigfoot sightings are happening all the time, proving that the Bigfoot creature is still with us today. One of the most recent sightings occurred in the Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina in August 2022.
A trio of holidaymakers who had been vacationing in the park since the 1950s claimed that they saw a 5 to 6 feet tall hairy creature walk from the road into the woods. They said Bigfoot’s legs were “approximately 3 feet long, human-like jointed knee, with dark brown, splotchy black hair that was approximately 2 inches long.”
The trio were asked if it could be another animal, such as a deer or a bobcat, and they responded with an emphatic “no.”
Where to find
Links
Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO)
Finding Bigfoot
Mountain Monsters
North American Wood Ape Conservancy
NY BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS – Google My Maps
ArcGIS Online
References
BFRO sightings database, accessed July 15, 2017
Native American Bigfoot Figures of Myth and Legend, accessed July 15, 2017,
https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/09/01/bigfoot-sighting-reported-south-carolina-state-park/, “Bigfoot sighting reported at South Carolina state park,” accessed March 6, 2023.