The Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot footage taken in 1967 is one of the most famous Sasquatch videos. Pic credit: Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin via MojoPin1983/YouTube
Sasquatch enthusiasts have branded Willow Creek, California, the “Bigfoot capital of the world,” and many enthusiasts agree.
Washington State has the highest number of reported sightings, with more than 700 cases. The state of California comes a distant second with about 460 sightings.
However, the title of the “Bigfoot capital of the world” goes to Willow Creek, a small town in California with a population of only 1,700, because of the dedication of residents to the legend.
Willow Creek was near the site of the 1967 Bigfoot sighting
Six Rivers National Forest, a few miles outside Willow Creek, was the site of the famous 1967 sighting by Roger Patterson (1933–1972) and Robert “Bob” Gimlin (born 1931).
The sighting produced the enigmatic Patterson-Gimlin footage (see below), filmed in October 1967 near Bluff Creek on the Six Rivers National Forest in Del Norte County.
The video shows a bipedal creature with furry skin walking away hurriedly while casting furtive sideward glances at the videographer.
Willow Creek celebrates the legend
Bigfoot frenzy gripped Willow Creek after the footage became an international sensation. The town grew into a center of celebration and propagation of Sasquatch traditions. It attracted tourists from around the country and the rest of the world.
Tourists visit the town’s Bigfoot attractions and participate in Sasquatch-themed festivities, such as the annual summer Bigfoot Daze.
People visit the China Flat Museum to learn more about Sasquatch lore. The museum has a collection of footprint casts supposedly dating back to 1958.
Enthusiasts also organize searches for Bigfoot in the nearby woods. Some hunters claim to have sighted the cryptid in the nearby woods.
The California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University) also offers a course in “Bigfoot studies.”
Humboldt is a city nearly 50 miles southwest of Willow Creek.
Sasquatch footage hailed “best ever video”
Enthusiasts believe that the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot footage is evidence of the elusive cryptid.
Recently, enthusiasts hailed footage filmed from a train traveling from Silverton to Durango, southwest Colorado, as the latest definitive evidence.
The video shows a furry bipedal creature walking in mountainous terrain (see below). The creature sat on the ground as the train passed.
The video sparked an online debate. While enthusiasts declared the creature was a Sasquatch, sceptics argued it was either a prankster in a gorilla suit or a bowhunter in a ghillie suit.