Welcome To Bigfoot Country

You don’t have to look hard to see reminders of Mt. Hood Territory’s most famous resident. In fact, the signs are everywhere: This is Bigfoot country.

Mt. Hood Territory has more reported Bigfoot sightings than any other destination in the state. Considering Oregon is known as prime “squatching” territory, that’s saying something. The result is that the elusive cryptid is woven into Mt. Hood Territory’s cultural tapestry. He’s seldom seen, but often felt.  

You don’t even have to go deep in the forest to see him. Keen-eyed travelers will spot carvings, statues and other squatchy monuments in front of businesses and homes in pretty much any community. Should you want an experience that goes a bit deeper, visit the North American Bigfoot Center in the town of Boring. Founded by Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” alum Cliff Barackman, the museum is a treasure trove of Sasquatch evidence. They have video and audio recordings, casts of footprints and other… impressions. (Ask them what we mean!) They also display all sorts of other items that have even the most skeptical of visitors puzzling the possibility, not to mention a well stocked gift shop. 

The museum has an expansive library with dozens of books from people who have spent years researching Bigfoot, including “Oregon Bigfoot Highway,” which catalogs numerous sightings along the Clackamas River. The sheer number of sightings in the area — from Estacada to deep in the forest — can’t help but make a person think something is afoot. (Get it?!) So, the next time you’re visiting the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River, perhaps on a whitewater rafting trip or anywhere else in Mt. Hood Territory, be sure to keep one eye peeled for something out of the ordinary; you might just catch a glimpse of someone — or something — watching you.