Bigfoot is a myth that originated in the Pacific Northwestern part of the United States.  For decades now, legend has it that a large mammal-type creature that resembles both a human (because of its upright posture) and a primate, referred to more formally as Sasquatch, really exists.  Big Foot is said to reach heights of up to nine feet, though most accounts (called sightings) have him at about seven feet tall.

The Legend of Big Foot

Much like the mythical Lochness Monster, the Big Foot Sasquatch legend has never been proven as true.  There have been numerous accounts and a few grainy pictures taken, but all this evidence of a Big Foot monster can be easily dismissed or explained as either hearsay or coincidence.

Washington State and the southwestern area of Canada in and around Vancouver and Manitoba have been the center of the Big Foot Sasquatch sightings for some time now.  There have been sightings in all 50 states and all across Canada, with as many as 25 in the remote areas of Northern California and at least 20 in the snowy regions of neighboring Oregon.  Despite this, the vast majority of these sightings are in Washington and lower Canada.

Why the Pacific Northwest?

There are lots of wooded and remote areas in the Pacific Northwest and lots of snow.  The snow is a key because it seems like most sightings take place in winter and tracks from the Big Foot monster's huge feet are easy to find in the snow.  Many Big Foot Sasquatch enthusiasts insist that this is proof that the Big Foot monster is not simply an upright bear, as many have claimed.  They point toward the fact that the bears would be hibernating in winter, instead of being sighted by hunters and forest dwellers, as is the case with Big Foot.

Number of Bigfoot Encounters

Bigfoot encounters range from small stories of seeing shadows in the dark to shaky film and photos of footprints.  Science can explain away most of these things, such as shadows, moonlight, upright bears, and other furry creatures in the area.  As for the footprints, science can explain those away, as well, as people purposely using molds or other means to make footprints in the snow.  No hair or other DNA evidence of such a creature has ever been collected or thought to exist, thus nobody knows for sure if the legend of the Big Foot monster is real or not.