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Ryan Robinson takes you for a ride in the passenger seat of his RV, off the grid, deep among the dramatic rock formations of the Utah Desert. Robinson and friends chill by the fire, tell stories, and of course, rig a one of a kind highline over the Looking Glass Arch in Moab, UT.
People have always been fascinated with stories of mythical beasts. The United Kingdom has the "Loch Ness Monster,"in the Scottish Highlands. There’s the "Yeti," in the Himalayas. Across North America, stories of "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" sightings abound, from the damp, redwood forests of extreme Northwest California and the Pacific Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. Native Americans have their own tales of Bigfoot, with each tribe having its own name for the mythical creature.
“The word Sasquatch is believed to be an Anglicization of the Salish word Sasq’ets, meaning ‘wild man’ or ‘hairy man,’” according to The Canadian Encyclopedia, which credits J.W. Burns with coining the term in the 1930s.
“Burns was an Indian agent assigned to the Chehalis Band, now known as the Sts’ailes First Nation,” the Canadian Encyclopedia writes, adding, “The Sts’ailes people claim a close bond with Sas’qets, and believe it has the ability to move between the physical and spiritual realm.”
Photo courtesy of South Carolina Bigfoot Festival
America’s fascination with the mythical beast has become so widespread that cities across the country have annual Bigfoot or Sasquatch festivals, which feature everything from lectures by Bigfoot researchers to Bigfoot calling contests. Benners Meadow Run RV Campground in Farmington, Pennsylvania hosts a two-day Bigfoot festival every September with Bigfoot experts and TV personalities, Bigfoot-themed arts and crafts, music, and a midnight hike in which guests search for the mythical beast.
The campground even plans to donate net proceeds from the event to support two Uniontown, Penn.-based charities: Fayette Friends of Animals Rescue Shelter and One Community One Voice, which provides various types of programming and support for children in need. The good news for RV enthusiasts is that there are Bigfoot and Sasquatch festivals taking place across the country. Here’s a sampling of Bigfoot-themed festivals that are taking place in the coming months, along with listings of nearby campgrounds that can serve as basecamps for your Bigfoot adventure!
Alabama Bigfoot Conference in Anniston, June 8th: This conference features several Bigfoot researchers, including Barton Nunnelly, who has appeared on The History Channel, The Travel Channel, and the BBC. Nearby campgrounds include:
Bigfoot Daze in Willow Creek, July 13th: This annual event, now its 62nd year, provides an opportunity for Bigfoot enthusiasts to come together to share their love for this mysterious creature. The festival features a wide range of activities, including live music performances, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and a parade. One of the highlights of the festival is the Bigfoot calling contest, in which participants try to imitate the howls and calls of the legendary creature. Nearby campgrounds include:
Great Florida Bigfoot Conference in Ocala, June 8: This conference features an all-star lineup of Bigfoot researchers, investigators, and authors ready to interact with fans and discuss their experiences and findings. Speakers include Russell Acord, an author and part-time filmmaker who collaborated with researchers in The Travel Channel’s “Expedition Bigfoot” series; Ranae Holland, co-host of The Travel Channel’s “Finding Bigfoot” show; Ken Gerhard, an acclaimed cryptozoologist, author, and television personality renowned for his research into mysterious and unexplained creatures; and Ryan “RPG” Golembeske, a notable researcher specializing in the study of Bigfoot. Nearby campgrounds include:
Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival in Logan, August 2-3: Speakers at this festival include Cliff Barackman, who has been doing Bigfoot field research since 1994 and curates one of the world’s largest collections of cast footprint and handprint evidence for sasquatches. Other speakers include Steve Kulls, who has written several books, including The Sasquatch Playbook: A Believer Looking at the Sasquatch Mystery through the Eyes of a Skeptic; 50 Large: The Real Story of the Georgia Body Hoax, and What Would Sasquatch Do? Using Primate Behavior to Validate the Bigfoot Mystery. Additional speakers include Lyle Blackburn, a native Texan known for his work in writing, music, and film. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Beast of Boggy Creek and Sinister Swamps, whose subject matter reflects his life-long fascination with legendary creatures and strange phenomenon. Lyle is also the founder of the rock band, Ghoultown, and narrator/producer of documentary films such as The Mothman of Point Pleasant and Boggy Creek Monster. Lyle is a frequent guest on radio programs such as Coast To Coast AM, and has appeared on television shows including The UnXplained, Monsters and Mysteries in America, Strange Evidence, Finding Bigfoot, and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.
Oregon Bigfoot Festival in Portland, June 29th: This event features several paranormal investigators, including David Schrader of Discovery+ and Travel Channel’s “The Holzer Files,” “Ghosts of Devil’s Perch.” Schrader also hosts “The Paranormal 60” podcast. Other speakers include Ronny LeBlanc of Discovery + and Travel Channel’s “Expedition Bigfoot,” “Paranormal Caught on Camera” and “Conjuring Kesha.” Nearby campgrounds include:
Forest County Bigfoot Festival in Marienville, June 7-9: This festival, held annually on the second weekend of June, celebrates the myth and legend of Bigfoot and features experts and speakers that entertain the festival-goers. This year’s keynote speaker is Cliff Barackman, who has been doing Bigfoot field research since 1994. His expeditions have taken him to 46 states and five continents in search of evidence supporting the existence of undiscovered hominoids worldwide. Cliff is especially familiar with the footprint and handprint evidence for sasquatches, and he is the curator for one of the largest collections of cast evidence in the world. His collection includes impressions from North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Along with music entertainment, there is a large Bigfoot-themed craft show and food vendors. Featured activities include a Bigfoot hunt, a Bigfoot calling contest, a biggest foot contest, and a 5K run. Nearby campgrounds include:
Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest in Whitehall, Sept. 28: This Adirondack village, which has a long history of Bigfoot sightings, honors the legendary beast with presentations by Bigfoot researchers, live music, food trucks, a beer garden, specialty items, and merchandise and a Bigfoot calling contest. Nearby campgrounds include:
South Carolina Bigfoot Festival in Westminster, Oct. 11-12: This is a family-friendly street festival style event with live music, expert speakers, Bigfoot tales, food and craft vendors, Bigfoot themed contests, and children's activities. Nearby campgrounds include:
Upper Cumberland Bigfoot Festival in Crossville, Oct. 19: The festival features a panel discussion with celebrity guests; Bigfoot calling, costume, tree knocking, and mullet contests; and an evening glow run. Nearby campgrounds include:
Texas Bigfoot Conference in Jefferson, October 18-19: Details on this conference were not yet posted at the time of this writing. However, several speakers were confirmed, including Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Lyle Blackburn, Ken Gerhard, Chester Moore, and Dr. Haskell Hart. Nearby campgrounds include:
Metaline Falls Bigfoot Festival in Metaline Falls, June 15-16: Presenters at this festival include Thomas Sewid, who with his wife, Peggy Seaview, operates the website SasquatchIsland.com, a YouTube channel, and their popular Facebook group “Sasquatch Island.” They are fast becoming some of the most recognized speakers and performers of Sasquatch or, as his Kwakwaka'wakw Tribe from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada calls them, Dzoonakwa.
"I call North America Sasquatch Island because many indigenous Tribes have a name, stories and in some cases art or dances about Sasquatch,” Sewid states on his website. “Even to this day, all people from every corner of North America have sighting accounts, stories and names for the large hair covered creatures known as Sasquatch.”
Other speakers include Mel Skahan, an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation in Washington State who worked for many years with the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest.
Skahan grew up listening to stories of the “Forest People” from his great grandfather. “During is career, he has had numerous encounters with Sasquatch, ranging from putrid smells to sighting one,” the Metaline Falls Bigfoot Festival states on its website, adding that Mr. Skahan has been interviewed by several media organizations and television programs, including “Red Earth Uncovered,” “Finding Bigfoot,” “Expedition Bigfoot” and “Yeti Massacre.” He has also appeared in Bigfoot documentaries, including “Bigfoot’s Reflection,” “A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed,” and its sequel, “Paranormal Bigfoot.” Nearby campgrounds include:
Wisconsin has its annual Bigtoot & Paranormal Convention each spring in Marinette. This year’s convention took place May 31-June 1 in Marinette and included a nighttime Bigfoot hike at the Hyden Adventure led by researchers Rich Daniels and Barnaby Jones. According to the convention website, “The Hyden Adventure is 80 acres of private land, that was made famous in 2012 when a series of 3 game camera photos reveled what many believe was a Sasquatch, was featured on the hit Animal Planet TV Show ‘FINDING BIGFOOT.’ Since 2020 Barnaby and his team (Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society) have been conducting research and investigations on the property. Rich Daniels, who has been a speaker at our convention before, had a first-hand experience with what can only be described as a bigfoot while spending the night on the property.” Nearby campgrounds include:
Jeff Crider, President and CEO of Crider Public Relations, has been involved in covering the campground industry for over 25 years. Jeff has worked as a freelance writer for publications such as RV Business, Motor Home Magazine, Trailer Life, Highways and other Affinity Group Inc. publications since 1995. He has also successfully pitched many of the nation's top tier media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Financial Times, Reuters, The Associated Press and National Public Radio. In addition to writing, Jeff is also a talented photographer and humanitarian.
