While skeptics will argue that this article should be called “Five Places To Search For Something That Has Never Been Found,” that doesn’t take away from the fact that there is still a die-hard group of enthusiasts who have dedicated their lives to Bigfoot’s pursuit.
The historical context in the folklore of Bigfoot’s existence is enough to make a sighting hot-spot an interesting enough place to visit. So give it a shot. It might be fun. Here are five places to put on your Bigfoot tour.
Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, OR
The argument for Bigfoot’s existence is typically not that a single beast wanders the woods, but rather that a species has sustained itself for thousands of years while managing to keep its presence hidden from humans. The notion of the Northwest’s expansive woods seems to support this reasoning, as entire populations of animal species can exist without ever making human contact.
The Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness is especially appealing since its location in the Mt. Hood National Forest is loaded with huckleberries, an apparent favorite treat of the beast. Numerous reports exist of campers hearing noises in the night and having rocks thrown at them.
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Remer, MN
While a lot of Bigfoot enthusiasts use equipment not unlike that of ghost hunter, many are normal people who have nothing more than the word of others and the reliability of their memory banks.
Nestled in the Chippewa National Forest, Remer is home to only 400 residents and a hefty claim to be the home of Bigfoot. In the late 1800’s, stories began popping up from within the logging industry of some cryptozoological activity in the woods. Sightings increased through the 1930s, and people were even said to have spoken fondly of Bigfoot, treating it more like a neighbor than a beast.
As the logging continued and the densely wooded community cleared, talk fizzled out. Hope for searchers, however, still remains. Local knowledge is that Bigfoot is still in the area, just in dense woods nearby. Nowadays, even the town’s annual music festival shares its name with the creature. The Bigfoot Bluegrass Festival is held in August, and attendees are invited to camp, though it remains unclear whether or not the beast is drawn to the twang of stringed instruments.
Humboldt County, CA
On October 20, 1967, 16mm footage was captured of Bigfoot casually walking near Bluff Creek. Whether or not the footage is real has long been up for debate, but it has never been officially proven to be a hoax, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.
The Patterson-Gimlin footage, named after the two men who produced the video, has long been the most concrete piece of evidence to believers. Filmed just south of an area of Bluff Creek known as the Bowling Alley, the actual spot is about 25 logging road miles northwest of Orleans, California in Humboldt County, so if you really want to get into the filmmakers (and possibly actor’s) minds, you’re in for quite a trek into the wilderness.
If you see something that looks like a tall, awkwardly moving person in a poorly crafted 1960’s gorilla suit, you’ve probably found Bigfoot!
The State of Texas
For the sake of science and the ethical treatment of mythological beasts, you would think Bigfoot should be taken alive if taken at all. A live specimen could be studied closer and given more attention to behavior. But, then, if you protect a species no one has ever proven real, your forestry department can start to appear out of touch.
Don’t include Texas among like-minded peace-seeking states like California and Washington. If you see a Bigfoot in Texas, feel free to pull the trigger. After all, if it is real and it is aggressive, you don’t want to learn from personal experience. A dead specimen is always more cooperative on the lab table, too.
Probably don’t arm yourself with a .22 unless you’re interested in giving Bigfoot metallic mosquito bites. And if it looks particularly hoaxy, accept that you may face charges of manslaughter if a human lies beneath the suit.
Bays Mountain Park, TN
The 3,500-acre outdoor classroom in Kingsport, TN takes a more educational approach to Bigfoot. Reassuring to know is that even a search for Bigfoot that produces no sightings is still a valuable camping/outdoor/educational experience.
The Bigfoot legend isn’t at all absent from the Appalachian Mountains, and at the Legendary Cherokee Bigfoot Adventure Tour you’ll learn this and much more. After breakfast and a three-hour hike, you’ll take a slow barge across a mountain lake and visit a planetarium to learn about the wonders of astronomy in the Cherokee legend.
Evening, weekend and full vacation tours are also available for the more diehard believers out there. While it may seem like a more extreme Bigfoot hunt, it is laden with Cherokee lore surrounding Bigfoot in the Southern Appalachians.
The locations on the list are of diverse ecosystems and seem to present the possibility that Bigfoot can live anywhere with a sustainable food source and some privacy. So if you want to invade that privacy and can’t make the trip to the locations listed, just find your nearest densely wooded area and start searching.
For all the content you will ever need on general Bigfoot information, sightings, reports and more visit the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization’s web site.
Photo credit: Wikimedia
