Written By Ken HulseyIn 2010, I wrote a series of articles about local legends in Southern California. These articles featured stories about sea monsters, lizard men, UFOs, and, of course, Bigfoot. The series was well received by readers and many of the articles were featured on local websites. In 2012, my wife, Terri, and I concluded the series with a joint effort titled "A Brief History of Bigfoot in Southern California." This piece summarizes many local stories recorded throughout history, dating back to the 1700s. Since its publication, this story has been quoted in numerous articles about Bigfoot and linked to by several cryptozoology websites.
This story has become so popular that I was contacted by a producer from the Discovery Channel program "Monsters and Mysteries in America" about featuring it and myself in a future episode on the topic. However, there is no update on whether or when that will actually happen.
I've also received numerous messages from eyewitnesses who claim to have seen something resembling Bigfoot in Southern California recently. Until now, I have kept records of these sightings in hopes of writing a follow-up piece.
Given that our 2012 article has gained a lot of new page views, I thought it was time to revisit those reports. Below is a summary of many of the eyewitness accounts and stories that I have collected over the past four years.
In the 1980s, a local resident from San Bernardino shared that when he was young, his family often spotted a family of Bigfoot in the foothills near their home. He reported that if they got too close, the Bigfoot family would throw rocks to drive them away.
In 1985, a hiker in Modjeska Canyon, located in Orange County, spotted a large creature covered in black hair about twenty yards away while he was using a drinking fountain. When the creature realized it had been seen, it quickly ran away, sometimes on all fours. The hiker noted that he had seen large, human-like tracks in the area for years but initially believed they belonged to a homeless person. He also mentioned that his dogs would often refuse to enter certain areas.
In 1997, a group of five teenage boys saw a large, hairy creature moving through the brush in the Mojave River bed near Hesperia, California. Two days later, one of the boys' sisters rode through the same area on horseback to investigate their story and came face to face with the creature. A local paranormal investigator later searched the area and found what appeared to be a large animal's resting spot along with large, human-like tracks.
In November 2000, a couple on a late-night hike around Hemet Lake in Riverside County were startled by a large creature crashing through the forest approximately 400 yards away. Although they couldn't see it clearly, they described it as large and dark-colored. After leaving the area for a while, they returned, hoping the creature had departed. Upon their return, they discovered that the picnic area had been ransacked, and one of the large metal trash cans had a massive dent in it, as if it had been struck with immense strength.
In May 2003, a resident of Hesperia found that one of her parents' geese had been killed and eaten. The culprit also tried to rip the roof off the family’s chicken coop and left behind large four-toed footprints. Interestingly, numerous similar reports were emerging from the nearby town of Phelan at the same time, which were linked to the Chupacabra.
In 2007, a resident of Hesperia spotted a Bigfoot while horseback riding in a dry riverbed in the foothills north of Silverwood Lake. She stated that this was not her first encounter with a Bigfoot in the area; years earlier, a similar creature had frightened her family’s horses several times.
In January 2008, five local residents from Norco, California, witnessed a large, hairy man in the Norco River bottom. A local investigator surveyed the area of the sighting and found barefoot, human-like prints measuring 22 inches long, some distance away.
In August 2008, a couple camping near Idyllwild, California, was awakened by the sound of something striking a nearby tree trunk. The couple's dogs cowered in fear as whatever made the noises walked past their tent, leaving heavy footfalls in its wake.
Also in August of 2008, a Native American resident of Yucaipa, CA, was woken up by something making horrible screaming noises in his backyard. The man was able to scare off the animal, but it returned the next night. This time, he got a good look at the thing, which he described as large and hairy.
In January of 2009, a father and son spotted a large hairy creature watching them from behind a tree in the woods near Silverwood Lake (Angeles National Forest). The animal reportedly swayed back and forth as it watched them. It was this movement that drew the hiker's attention. The pair also mentioned that they had felt uneasy throughout their hike prior to seeing it.
In 2012, a resident of Mount Washington ( a neighborhood in the San Rafael Hills of Northeast Los Angeles ) claimed that her property was visited on numerous occasions by a large creature with long hair and muscular build. The creature in question often rummaged for food in the trash, crawled under the house, ripped the family's gate off its hinges, and looked into the homes second story windows.
Also in August of 2008, a Native American resident of Yucaipa, CA, was woken up by something making horrible screaming noises in his backyard. The man was able to scare off the animal, but it returned the next night. This time, he got a good look at the thing, which he described as large and hairy.
In January of 2009, a father and son spotted a large hairy creature watching them from behind a tree in the woods near Silverwood Lake (Angeles National Forest). The animal reportedly swayed back and forth as it watched them. It was this movement that drew the hiker's attention. The pair also mentioned that they had felt uneasy throughout their hike prior to seeing it.
In 2012, a resident of Mount Washington ( a neighborhood in the San Rafael Hills of Northeast Los Angeles ) claimed that her property was visited on numerous occasions by a large creature with long hair and muscular build. The creature in question often rummaged for food in the trash, crawled under the house, ripped the family's gate off its hinges, and looked into the homes second story windows.
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