Marble Mountain Wilderness Bigfoot Sightings

Bigfoot sightings in the Marble Mountain Wilderness area have been occurring for many years. The first recorded sighting happened in the 1880s, and was documented in the Del Norte Record.

Where is the Marble Mountain Wilderness

You can find the Marble Mountain Wilderness in Northern California, west of Mt. Shasta and south of Happy Camp.


View Larger Map

A Christian Youth Group Leader Filmed a Bigfoot Sighting, 2000

Here’s the well-known Marble Mountain Bigfoot sighting video, filmed by Mike Hall, leader of a “Campus Life” youth group hiking adventure. Campus Life is a “Youth for Christ” ministry. Some disabled students were in this group.

This is the raw footage, as originally filmed by the youth group leader, without embellishments by Bigfoot researchers who have analyzed the film.

Marble Mountain Bigfoot Video

The official BFRO report on this sighting is here: Report # 2928 (Class A). A “Class A” sighting refers to “clear sightings in circumstances where misinterpretation or misidentification of other animals can be ruled out with greater confidence” according to the BFRO website.

This was not the first sighting of Bigfoot in the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Jack Dover’s Bigfoot Sighting, 1880s

In the January 1887 Del Norte Record the following article told of a close encounter with Bigfoot, then called Wild Man, in the area between Marble Mountain and Happy Camp. The experiencer, Mr. Jack Dover, was considered an upstanding and trustworthy citizen with a high credibility factor.

“I do not remember to have seen any references to the ‘Wild Man’ which haunts this part of the country, so I shall allude to him briefly.

Not a great while since, Mr. Jack Dover, one of our most trustworthy citizens, while hunting saw an object standing one hundred and fifty yards from the bushes.

The thing was of gigantic size – about seven feet high – with a bull-dog head, short ears and long hair; it was also furnished with a beard, and was free from hair on such parts of its body as is common among men.

Its voice was shrill, or soprano, and very human, like that of a woman in great fear. Mr. Dover could not see its foot-prints as it walked on hard soil.

He aimed his gun at the animal, or whatever it is, several times, but because it was so human would not shoot.

The range of the curiosity is between Marble Mountain and the vicinity of Happy Camp. A number of people have seen it and all agree in their descriptions except that some make it taller than others. It is apparently herbivorous and makes winter quarters in some of the caves of Marble Mountain.”

– found in The Hermit of the Siskiyous by L.W. Musick.

Bigfoot’s Hand Print, in Snow, 2005

In 2005 when JavaBob’s Bigfoot Deli was open here in Happy Camp, a small group of hikers, father and sons, arrived with a compelling story. One of the sons stated that they hiked up the mountain. As they passed a particular snow bank he made a mental note of it. On the way back down later in the day they passed the same snow bank but this time a huge hand print was clearly visible. He knew it hadn’t been there earlier.

Bigfoot Howl Report

In 2001 I took a rafting trip on the Klamath River, and on our float we talked a bit about the paranormal. The rafting guide told me he’d heard what sounded like Bigfoot howls, very loud, in the area of Sulphur Springs, a campground twelve miles south of Happy Camp.

Bigfoot Sighting Reports Wanted

I’ve heard of another father/son team in the Sulphur Springs area that had a Bigfoot sighting. No one has come forward to give me a direct account of that sighting, but I welcome and encourage anyone with first-hand knowledge to contact me.

Could Bigfoot Be Laughing? 2006

My Bigfoot research partner heard the sound of giggling at Sulphur Springs, near the eastern campsite, when he was camped there alone, twice. It sounded like a couple young girls giggling. One possible explanation is that it could have been young Sasquatches observing him. This is a very desolate area and no other people were around.

Bigfoot Crossing

A man who lived in the last cabin on the road leading to Sulphur Springs erected a “Bigfoot Crossing” sign. It was there 12 years ago (year 2000) when I first explored the area; it has since been removed.

Bigfoot Footprints, Possibly Near Cougar Creek

A firefighter told me he’d seen Bigfoot prints in that area… he said they were in a creek drainage “nine miles south of Happy Camp.” This could have been Cougar Creek.

Sulphur Springs Photos, 12 Miles South of Happy Camp

Bigfoot Cave in the Marble Mountain Wilderness

There’s a cave in the Marble Mountains… called Bigfoot Cave. This is a very large cave system that is known to be the 12th deepest cave in the USA. It is 1205′ deep and 12.4 miles in length!

A perfect Bigfoot habitat!

Accessible and known entrances have of course been sealed by the US Forest Service.

The mountains are called “marble” mountains because they are made of marble, in large part. You can find lots of white marble stones in Elk Creek.

As I find more stories about Bigfoot sightings in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, I’ll place them on this page.

Fictional Bigfoot Sightings in the Marble Mountain Wilderness

My novel, River Girl, contains a chapter, “Wild Men,” that recounts a Bigfoot sighting story. In that chapter packers and their mules arrived in the Happy Camp area after traveling through the Marble Mountain Wilderness. A packer claimed he’d seen a wild man in the mountains a few days earlier. The children in River Girl decide to hike south toward the Marble Mountains in search of their own wild man adventure. I wrote that in 2001, before I started researching Bigfoot in 2005. I’ve always had Bigfoot on my mind!

In another novel I wrote (unpublished) a hiker in the Marble Mountain Wilderness is injured and then rescued by a Bigfoot, and taken into Bigfoot Cave. I truly believe they live there.

35 Replies to “Marble Mountain Wilderness Bigfoot Sightings”

  1. I have never seen a Bigfoot but I do believe they are real, I have read nearly every account of sightings at the different web sites. Nearly all the sightings have similar markings and there has been credible people who have claimed to have seen them, all these people are not lying. I hope someday to go on an expedition. But rather I do or dont im a firm believer, Ive never seen Jesus but I believe in him.

  2. I don’t think there is a choice if the issue is to be settled. Someone is going to have to shoot a Bigfoot and put it all over the media. This is the only way to settle the issue. And when they bring it in, they should notify every media outlet they can so it doesn’t get covered up and hidden away from public view. Make sure everybody knows, THEY SHOT A BIGFOOT!!! IT’S ON THE NEWS, ON THE INTERNET, TV, RADIO, NEWSPAPERS… No choice.

    1. If your going to study or get proof, tranquilize the creature, but don’t kill it.
      Whatever Bigfoot is it deserves to be here as much as we do.
      I have never seen one but I do believe they are real.
      If Sharks and alligators can survive for millions of years, so can this species.
      It would be cool to see one.
      I have been close to black bears.

  3. I’m a mule packer and have been packing into the Marble Mountain Wilderness for almost 40 years. I have lived here next to it for the past 24 years and know just about every trail in this Wilderness with my eyes closed. I have packed some of the top Cryptozoologists into the neighboring Siskiyou Wilderness who brought in hundreds of thousands of $$ worth of specialized scientific equipment looking for Big Foot. I have never seen any sign of one and they found no signs of him with all their equipment. I’d love to find some evidence that they exist but after all time I’ve spent in the Wilderness on prolonged trips for so many years and seen, heard, found nothing at all I’m afraid I am not a believer that they exist. It’s a nice fantasy and makes for great campfire storytelling though :).

    1. hey Ronda don’t give up on bigfoot yet I have not seen one since 1971 when I was in the Santa Lucia mountains on the big sur coast I have had several encounters with the hairyman . but only one of these encounters I saw one with in 40 yards of my camp It was a male with tri color hair ( blackish brown with auburn highlights) he had a bearded large human like face,about 8 1/2 feet tall wide shoulders long very muscular arms thick torso stump like legs reddish brown eyes after it walk quickly by my camp and with little or no effort ran up the hillside as I listened I could hear him crunching the debris on the ground as he went through the woods, at this time I think anyone will see them again in this area because of the many thousands of people who visit the Big Sur coastal area every year would be highly unlikely I can assure you they are still around and as you discovered are very hard to track don’t give up looking Ronda

      1. as I have said in some of my recent comments don’t go with to many people,bigfoot knows your there before you do don’t take any domestic animals with you,stay as quiet as possible they seem to be quite intelligent they are as smart as we are they might be smarter than us they don’t want you in there area so respect them and there inviroment do all this and you might find one and don’t forget your Camera

    2. Rhonda, Here is something I mentioned to another poster here:

      ” First for starters…all ape species show massive intelligence. In fact so.. some chimps for the first time being observed recently in the wilderness show them picking up rocks and sticks and using them as tools. This is fact. Google it yourself. Now for seconds. Just recently in the Congo a whole new species of apes that numbers in the thousands were able to avoid human contact all this time. This is a FACT!!”

      Now taking just these 2 important facts. It would be massively easy for these creatures to avoid humans, especially in these remote sections of wilderness. Most people get the impression that we have explored everywhere…but that is far from the truth. There are areas even in CALIFORNIA !! that have been very little explored, if at all. I personally know wilderness experts (and I mean hardcore experts)that have taken people in backcountries in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and even in Northern California, that they themselves came close to being lost because of how remote. Out of the 3 good friends of mine the one that has been doing this the longest (30 plus years), was the biggest skeptic I know just until 2 years ago when in a very remote region of Wyoming he had his very first encounter with a client of his. He kept quiet about his sighting in fear of ridicule. One day he actually opened up with some of his tracking friends, and they said they all had experiences themselves. It just goes to show how many people have probably seen these things but are afraid to come forward !! Just saying !!

  4. me and my buddy have researched bigfoot for two years we don’t know a lot but we know some can you tell US a little more info about bigfoot

    1. all I can tell you about bigfoot is if you are in search of a bigfoot look around one of the popular websites on bigfoot some have great population maps of areas bigfoot have been reported most of maps I have seen suggest the northwest region on the west coast seems to be the best place to start your quest for the big fellow.I have had 5 encounters with bigfoot starting in 1971 till present all the sightings happend on the big sur california coastal region this place has alot of wilderness search but if you go there don’t take alot of people with you stay as quite as you can hiking through the woods they are very alert beings they know you are there before you see him and please don’t shoot them well thats all for now happy searching

  5. .
    Americas First Nations People have lived here since before pre-recorded history. They’ve always swore “Bigfoot’s real,& that he’s cannibalistic !
    They also say there’s more than one race(?).
    Of which,one is seen in the early mornings,while another remains lurking in total darkness,refusing to be seen.

    In First Nation Peoples lore,one race is said to have been benevolent towards American Natives,while others are recorded as being cannibalistic & to have stolen women & children & raided Tribal camps.

    Taking this info into account,of course it makes sence that one race might have the snout of a Dog,while another doesn’t. Why one type is said to live underground or in caves,yet another seemingly climbs,hides & sleeps in trees,or in temp nests erected on the ground.

    Our planet has many life forms that employ all sorts of God given talents to aid them in survival. Like the Chameleon,the Turtle,Snakes,Birds & Fish. They all use elusive talents to avoid being seen.
    Think back to when you first saw their abilities you were amazed(rite?) So,what elusive ability might Bigfoot have/use & why is it he can’t exist? Because You haven’t seen him or because you choose not to believe what First Nation Peoples history tells us.

    Those who’ll ignore the ancient tales handed down by the “First Nation Peoples” are as mistaken as those of our last century who refused to beleive the Natives of Africa,who swore there was a 800LB “Nomadic Giant Ape” that lived as a family unit,in complete isolation”.

    Who’d know better than the indiginous tribes who have lived,hunted,worked & played investigated & deduced in that very land for thousands of years ?

    Who,some college professor who spent his entire life stuck in books? A civilization that’s systematically isolated itself from nature for over 2 thousand years?
    Is that who says Bigfoot can’t exist ?

    He can & does & thats why we get so many sightings all across America. There’s documented cases in history that show much more than most are aware of. Why ?
    Because historians omit these accounts.

    For instance:
    A Catholic Preist(Padre)settling in SW America unearhed 2 complete skeletons of enormous heights(11ft)&(9ft) tall with abnormally large skulls & jaws that Did Not detach from the skull(where did they go ?)

    Another instence was:
    Jacko the boy ape captured by a railroad engineer,purser & passengers(where did he go ?)

    Another instence was:
    A Coroner for Ventura County,familiar with the skull size of the average man,woman or child,found a huge skull in the earth while hiking with a large group of Boyscouts,because he was sure it was Neanderthalic he submitted it to UCLA & now it’s lost.(where did it go ?)
    The cases go on & on,you just aren’t told of them.

    Bigfoot doesn’t only live in North Western US but all across America,from one end to another. They come out in daylight & nite in search of food.
    Osterman said they store food & live in a family unit & they do.

    I beleive Bigfoots real & cannibalistic.
    I think,that unlike the First Nation People,Tribes of Neanderthalic Pre-Man(Bigfoot) retreated deep into the unwanted recesses of N.America seeking to remove themselves from any interaction with the hairless white apes who invaded & occupied the land Bigfoot once shared with Americas First Nations People.

    But this is just my opinion & surely doesn’t mean anything to naysayers. I will say that each non believer should research histroy on the topic rather than blindly think he’s the master of all he surveys.
    Below is a link to a newscast that might help you keep it in perspective.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuab1N26pDU

    Thanks for a great page!

  6. For all of you believers out there, where’s the Bigfoot manure and carcasses? Unbelievable for any rational human being to believe such a myth without ANY empirical evidence. Keep on dreaming!

    1. Dude, read more on the subject. There are many cases of people finding scat and having it analyzed. The DNA is very close to human and many labs just say it is tainted, because for them to say it is Bigfoot would hurt their credibility at this time. As for a carcass, I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods and dead animals can disappear in a week and if they bury their dead, they would not be found unless you knew where it was buried.

      1. I’ve never seen a case where the DNA wasn’t identified as a conventional animal. If you have EVIDENCE of anything other (not a tall tale but EVIDENCE) please post the link(s) below.

    2. I have spent over 40 years backpacking ,hikeing, flyfishing and I worked for california state parks system in ALL my years I never ever have a seen that many large animal carcases because the forest takes care of it’s own I have found a LOT of scatterd and bleached bones things break down quickley in the deep dark woods

    3. Tim, before you come to the table have your facts all drawn up before looking any more foolish. First for starters…all ape species show massive intelligence. In fact so.. some chimps for the first time being observed recently in the wilderness show them picking up rocks and sticks and using them as tools. This is fact. Google it yourself. Should have done this before typing here. Now for seconds. Just recently in the Congo a whole new species of apes that numbers in the thousands were able to avoid human contact all this time. This is a FACT!! Just google it. Again research you should have done before typing here. Third, dead carcasses disappear rather quickly in the wilderness. They did a test on this a couple years back. They put a dead dear carcass down and filmed it with a time lapse camera. The body was totally gone within 5 days. Again something you should have researched before typing you fingers on your keyboard with you inexcusable comment. So in the future before coming the table. do even a little bit of research next time before you look any more stupid, so you can be someone that is worth debating with, because frankly you would lose any debate based on your misinformation…Just a plain and simple fact !!

    4. There are countless samples of scat, hair, footprints, vocalizations, sightings, etc., etc., ….but people will only believe when it either bites them on the butt, or they have a body.

  7. Its 9 feet tall, and the arms are unhumanly long…It also come downhill very fast on rugged rocky terrain…What the hell else could it be…Granted it looks human, but I dont think its a person…it’s gigantic in stature.

    1. One area is Highway 36 east of Fortuna – Rio Dell, it’s very sparsely inhabited, much of it is state & federal wilderness. Richardson Grove on Hwy 101-Redwood Highway has several sightings. Weitchpec and Soames Bar and Happy Camp have several encounters on record. Patrick Creek and Humboldt and Redwood parks and Trinity Center are great for camping.

    2. I have had 4 sightings in the Big Sur wilderness on the california coast the most interesting sighting (less than forty yards from myself)happened at limekiln state park in 1971 Big Sur’s ventanna wilderness has a small population of Squach it is a good place to start looking but the best part of the year to maybe incounter a squach is in early spring and don’t take too many people with you happy hunting

      1. Sam,do you think you could get in touch with me someway,I am very much interested in big foot in the Santa Lucia range south of big sur.and north of big sur areas.i am a novice researcher and could use all the help I can get.thank you

  8. I also have serious doubts on this footage. Most stories I have heard of Big foot depicts them as shy creatures avoiding human contact. This image showes the people there in almost a carnival type atmosphere laughing and joking about a unknown animal approaching where they are standing. I also believe in Big Foot. But he has not survived by being compacent like this.

    Mark

  9. My guess is that the figure on the slope is a colleague of the campers. He walks much too human-like to be a Sasquatch and his movements seem to be right on cue. No Sasquatch, worth his prowess as a survivalist, is going to stand out in the open like that and make all those gestures for a cameraman. Also, all those branches in that supposed Sasquatch structure could have been broken off by a bunch of healthy young campers.

    1. “He walks much too human-like to be a Sasquatch.”

      Agreed.

      Truthfully the only video I’ve ever seen of bigfoot where the walk was not just like a human is the Patterson-Gimlin film.

  10. Another grainy, far away, blurry bigfoot sighting. I believe bigfoot is real because I have seen then many times with my own eyes. But their Bigfoot I would have to say is not real. I feel it walks to human. Also I have never known any Bigfoot to stand in the open like that. In my studies Bigfoot do not like humans and they have been taught to hide when near humans. Every encounter I have had with the Bigfoot they back off or hide to the point I can’t see them whenever I raise my camera to my face. I guess all they see is a scope on a gun. One more thing, the guy shooting the video obviously sees the Object but yet he keeps panning away from it and shakes the camera. Come on man!!

    1. I don’t agree with your view of this sighting. This group is at his camp and he is not happy with that and the length of the arms is very impressive. The shakiness is , well you try to hold a small camera up, to tape something far away. It can be hard to see in the view finder and trying to keep the camera can be tough.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *