Bigfoot stories have been part of Pierce County lore for generations. The accounts range from strange sounds in the woods to brief glimpses of a tall figure disappearing among the trees—and some of the reports point to familiar places around the county.
Among them are a woman’s reported sighting near Ashford in 1974 and another hiker’s account from Chinook Pass in 2022. A former Northwest Trek worker also described a frightening nighttime experience in the 1970s. The park says its cameras have captured bears and cougars, but no Bigfoot.
The stories sit alongside longstanding Puyallup tribal accounts of large, red-eyed beings connected to local landscapes. Tribal historic preservation director Brandon Reynon describes those accounts as part of the Tribe’s oral history.
A Bigfoot research organization lists 85 reports in Pierce County, more than in any other Washington county. But a Pacific Lutheran University archaeologist says there’s no physical or genetic evidence that Bigfoot exists. The News Tribune’s full report includes more accounts and a video—click through to watch and see how the local stories stack up against the evidence.
Discover more of Tacoma in today’s Tacoma Local Minute. Catch the rest of today’s local news, events, and updates in the full issue here.
Not a Subscriber Yet?
Sign up for a free subscription to Tacoma Local Minute and get the latest issue in your mailbox every morning.