Three Bigfoot Encounters in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Posted Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Squatchable.com staff
If you've ever wondered what lurks in the vast wilderness of Northern California, a recent video from the YouTube channel Base Camp Chris dives deep into one of the most Sasquatch-rich regions in the entire country. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a sprawling 2.1 million acres of rugged terrain, making it the largest national forest in the lower 48 states. This isn't just any patch of woods, though. It's home to Mount Shasta, a towering 14,000-foot volcano, and the infamous Trinity Alps, where countless sightings have been reported over the decades.
The video paints a vivid picture of why this area is such a hotspot for Sasquatch activity. Willow Creek, nestled within this region, proudly calls itself the Bigfoot Capital of the World and even has a museum dedicated to the phenomenon. The Bigfoot Highway runs through here, stretching north to Happy Camp, passing through the Hoopa Valley Reservation, where Native American tribes have passed down stories of these beings for hundreds of years. And of course, Bluff Creek is nearby, the very spot where the legendary Patterson-Gimlin footage was captured back in 1967. The Marble Mountain Wilderness, the Klamath Mountains, and the 360-mile Bigfoot Trail all weave through this ancient landscape of redwoods, steep mountains, and rainforest. It's the kind of place that feels like it could hide something extraordinary.
The first story shared in the video comes from Stacy, who was training as a wildland firefighter in New Mexico back in September of 2003. Her crew of 20 was dispatched to Northern California to help with the massive Del Loma fire. After spending 16 days camped near the Trinity River, waiting in case the fire shifted, Stacy had an experience that changed her perspective forever. Just after dinner, as the sun was setting, she heard some of her crewmates talking excitedly about something across the river. When she finally walked over to see what they were looking at, she was stunned. There, on the other side of the river about 25 to 30 yards away, was a massive, shaggy figure standing around seven feet tall with huge shoulders. It had long hair, a small head, and looked like something between a man, a bear, and a moose. The creature stood there for several minutes, just staring across the water at the growing crowd of onlookers. When someone finally shone a flashlight on it, revealing a flat face and dark eyes, the being turned and bolted up the slope. What happened next was almost cinematic. The trees swayed violently as it pushed through the forest, giving the witnesses a clear trail of its path up the mountain. Stacy described the feeling of seeing one in real life as something that fills you with respect and wonder, a reminder that there's more to this life than we know.
The second story takes us back to 1996, when Corrine Beth and her partner set up camp near the Trinity Alps for an extended trip. They had a clean setup with an eight-man dome tent, a fire pit, and a picnic table. After heading into the small town of Lewiston for dinner, they returned around 10 p.m. to find their campsite in complete disarray. The tent was unzipped, knocked on its side, and all their gear was spread across the ground. It was a windless night, so there was no explanation for how the tent could have come undone. Bears don't unzip tents, and there was nothing missing from their inventory. Beth had a gut feeling that something was deeply wrong. She told her partner they needed to leave immediately and head to Redding to get a hotel. Something about the whole scene just didn't sit right with her.
The video goes on to share a third encounter, though the details get cut off in the discussion. Based on the setup, it sounds like Base Camp Chris has compiled some seriously compelling accounts from this neck of the woods. If you're a fan of Sasquatch stories or just love exploring the mysteries of the Pacific Northwest, this video is definitely worth checking out. The Shasta-Trinity region has such a rich history of sightings, and these firsthand accounts really capture the eerie feeling of being in that wilderness. Grab some popcorn, settle in, and let Base Camp Chris take you on a journey through one of the most fascinating Sasquatch territories in the world.