Bay Area Skeptics

The San Francisco Bay Area's skeptical organization since 1982

Bigfoot in the Bay Area?

I recently trekked up north to Bigfoot Country. This prompted Genie Scott to request that if I should encounter Bigfoot, “Get an interview for my talk!”

I traveled the Bigfoot Highway, visited Bluff Creek where the infamous Patterson-Gimlinfootage was filmed, and stopped by the Willow Creek – China Flat Museum, a center dedicated to local history, and Bigfoot lore.

Unfortunately for Genie’s talk, and cryptozoologist’s worldwide, I encountered some fascinating anecdotal evidence, but I didn’t encounter any historical evidence, or Bigfoot…

California claims more Bigfoot sightings than anywhere else in the world. (Other cultures have different variants, such as the Yowie of my native Australia.) But does Bigfoot call the San Francisco Bay Area “home”?

Like the USGS earthquake map, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) have a Bigfoot map that pinpoints sightings reported throughout the country. According to this database, Bigfoot (Bigfeet?) favor the north and north-east Californian counties of Humboldt, Shasta, El Dorado and Del Norte, and the Santa Cruz mountains down south.

Bigfoot has allegedly been sighted in the Bay Area, albeit rarely.

I’m sure you recall the recent hoax where two men claimed to find Bigfoot in Georgia, and hosted a press conference in the Bay Area’s Palo Alto. Curiously, they forgot to bring along the corpse. Luckily, because it was revealed upon examination that the frozen Bigfoot ‘carcass’ was really an early Halloween costume.

So, where is Bigfoot in the Bay Area? The BFRO map claims that Bigfoot was sighted once in Pleasanton, Alameda County, back in 1963. In 2000, one report claims to have heard Bigfoot “screams” near Mt. Diablo in Walnut Creek, Contra Coast County. Between 1980 and 2002, Bigfoot has supposedly been heard and seen in various towns throughout Sonoma County. And in 1989 Bigfoot swapped redwoods for vineyards when he was reportedly sighted in the Napa Valley hills.

However, Bigfoot hasn’t been spotted in the counties of San Mateo, Solano or Santa Clara (BF needs trees, not just mountains). Sadly, Bigfoot never left his hairy heart in San Francisco. And Marin County is simply too expensive for him. What a shame, Bigfoot would love the dense forests and abundant tasty prey found throughout Muir Woods and Point Reyes!

Despite these reports, and many others, the only Bigfoot ‘proof’ we have are sightings, smells, supposed tracks and second-hand stories of the same. After all of these years, there are no bones, and no bodies (that aren’t of the costume kind).

But this doesn’t stop anyone from continuing the hunt for Bigfoot…

Don’t forget to attend Genie’s upcoming Bigfoot talk for Ask a Scientist in collaboration with the Bay Area Skeptics.


6 comments on “Bigfoot in the Bay Area?

  1. Eric says:

    I’m wondering about the reported site of them around the mt. Diablo area. I read it from the 1800-1900’s and that was enough to know! Just wondering if you could bring up the article that I saw? My family has been here since the 1800’s, Gold country and it’s still gold in the way! I’m just trying to validate the legendary giants that live in the country of California. I’m a sure believer of them and they don’t want any trouble.

  2. christopher dopp says:

    Article in the Antioch Ledger Newspaper 1870 Oct. 22 “Wildman seen,,,,,,,, Crow Canyon, Ca.

  3. christopher dopp says:

    A good Bigfoot sighting report by two policeman in Mill Valley 1980, published in the S.F. Chronicle. Find it at , Mysterious SF Blog. , under, Bigfoot, Marin county, also on seen in Halfmoon Bay

    • Alm says:

      I saw a Bigfoot crossing from the bay to Muir woods on 101 at late night 1am at least 9 ft tall and blond hairy .lol
      But really he was standing in the far left lane as I was coming down the grade 101 Sausalito right at the middle of grade after Bridge heading north .
      It was crazy I thought it was a dear bit it was so tall no possible way .
      It was too thin to be a bear .
      U was raised in Alaska and I know all kinds of animals and this was nothing I had ever seen .

  4. Christopher Morales says:

    There was a report of two immature bigfeet in 1869 & 1870 in the area of Orestimba creek.This is near Newman Ca in the central valley.Sighting was in the Diablo range.

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