Creatures and cryptids and creeps, oh my! From fairies to a giant Thunderbird and even a legendary dragon known as Ogopogo that is said to inhabit the waters of Okanagan Lake, apparently, our Washington home is shared with some colorful neighbors of the monstrous kind, with the most famous of all being the star of folklore himself, Bigfoot!
The giant, hairy cryptid is so famous around these parts that he even gets his own dedicated webpage on the Washington Military Department’s website. The beloved yet untouchable legend is even protected by an ordinance from 1969, with the law banning people from killing Bigfoot should they ever come across him. Incidentally, the same county that created the law, Skamania County, also considers itself a Bigfoot refuge. Still, the ape-like creature with big feet has been spotted throughout the Washington wilderness, including Snohomish County!
Generations of Sasquatch Stories in Snohomish
Tales of Bigfoot in not just Washington but all of North America go back far beyond the country’s recorded history. Across the globe he’s been known by many titles within many different cultures. The name Sasquatch is actually an Anglicization of the word “Sasq’ets,” which was the name given to the big, hairy bipedal animal that loosely translates to “wild man.” Reported sightings of the creature from North American settlers were first reported during the late 1800s and continued well into the 1900s, with the occasional finding of footprints, sporadic encounters, and even a few grainy photos and videos adding to the mystery.
Details of Snohomish County’s earliest Bigfoot encounter can be found on the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) website. Founded in 1995, the organization is the only scientific research organization exploring the mystery of the beast or friendly woodland neighbor, depending on your outlook.
Report #1670 recounts an encounter from 1958 in Arlington at the barn of Hubert and Doris Smith, who reportedly caught a whiff of an awful smell in the dairy barn before exploring the situation, only to find footprints in the barn that led up the nearby hill and into the dense forest. A few days later, tracks were found at the nearby creek, of which plaster of Paris prints were made. A school bus driver also reported seeing a bigfoot cross the road in front of his bus on his nearby route shortly after.
The following reported siting would come from Granite Falls in October of 1971 and would be one of many throughout the decade, including one in 1977 that would result in an official police report being filed. The officer met with a witness who had seen the creature’s tracks high up on the hills of Green Mountain while sledding with his family just days prior. The investigation report found the tracks to still be in the vicinity, with the tracks still prominent enough for a photograph to be taken with them clearly visible. The officer even succeeded in casting one of the prints.
Bigfoot Lurks Throughout Snohomish County
These days, Washington leads the country in Bigfoot sightings, with 710 reports and 9.12 sightings per 100,000 people, according to 2023 data analysis. Most sightings are found in Eastern Washington within the seemingly endless and highly secluded wilderness. Still, one can’t go far in the state without the presence of Bigfoot, seemingly lurking in the distance, which couldn’t be more accurate for the Snohomish area as it becomes its own hotbed of Sasquatch activity.
So far, there have been 59 sightings listed on the BFRO website, along with links to media articles that recounted sightings from other reputable sources throughout the years. One such article in the Washington Times recounts the story of John Ray of Marysville and Rob Parker of Snohomish in 2014. Both were investigators for BFRO, having spent years hunting the mythical beast and collecting a plethora of Bigfoot-related evidence throughout their investigations, which they were more than happy to discuss during the interview.
In addition, plenty of dedicated sites tell the tales of chance encounters with the creepy cryptid. One such group is the dedicated Facebook group, Washington Bigfoot, and there is even a smaller group explicitly dedicated to sightings in the region known as Snohomish County Bigfoot.
Though some may simply dismiss these tales as just that, stories acknowledging Bigfoot on a larger scale seem to add validity and credibility to the belief in the creature’s existence. The Washington State Legislature has even recognized Bigfoot in the past, with Senate Bill 5816 proposing the recognition of Sasquatch as the official cryptid of the State of Washington in 2017. Though the bill wasn’t signed into law, that didn’t mean that elusive giant disappeared with it. Washington Trails Association has a page dedicated to local hiking trails where the mysterious animal is said to lurk about. Even the Washington State Department of Transportation has shared viral videos and photographs that have been believed to have captured the captivating creature.
The Legend of Bigfoot is More Than a Myth in Snohomish County
Whether you believe in the local legend or operate under the assumption that Bigfoot is and always has been an elaborate hoax, for the people of Snohomish County and all of Washington, this mysterious entity is and probably always will be in every essence of the phrase: The Man, The Myth, The Legend.
Widely celebrated throughout the region, you don’t have to go far to find a Bigfoot Xing road sign, large cut-outs of the cryptid in passing fields and forests, sculptures depicting the beast’s likeness and school mascots are even created in his image. Nearby Gold Bar coffee shop, Espresso Chalet, is dedicated to all things Bigfoot and features a 14-foot-tall wooden carving of Harry Henderson from the movie “Harry and the Hendersons.” Bigfoot souvenirs, cups, and brochures on-site make spectacular gifts for that special “Squatcher.”
Celebration of the creature has proven to be a significant tourist draw, and many visitors find themselves scouring the regional forests in search of Bigfoot. Clearly, the love is there throughout the state for our ample, hairy, woodland, cryptid neighbor, but in the event you encounter this elusive creature, here’s a gentle reminder to proceed with caution if you so choose to believe.
Have you caught a glimpse of Bigfoot here in Snohomish County? Send us your answers to submit@snohomishtalk.com, and they might just be featured in our next Bigfoot feature!
