You’re driving down a winding road in McDowell County, the moon just a sliver above the treeline, and something steps into the headlights. It’s tall. It’s hairy. It’s gone before you can even reach for your phone. If you think this is just a West Coast thing, you haven’t been paying attention to the Tar Heel State lately.
North Carolina is currently one of the hottest spots in the country for researchers and curious hikers alike. Honestly, it’s not just the mountains anymore. While the high peaks of the Blue Ridge get the most glory, the sightings are popping up everywhere from the dense Uwharrie National Forest to the coastal plains near Camp Lejeune.
What’s Actually Happening in the North Carolina Woods?
People often ask me if there’s a "Bigfoot season" here. Not really. But there is a pattern. According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), North Carolina has well over 100 "Class A" and "Class B" reports on the books. These aren't just blurry photos from the 70s. We’re talking about recent, high-detail encounters.
Take the 2022 report from Orange County. A father and daughter were out on their property northwest of Durham—broad daylight—when they saw a bipedal, hair-covered figure. That’s not a "blobsquatch" in the distance. That’s a sighting in the middle of a Sunday afternoon in the Piedmont.
Then you’ve got the McDowell County cluster. This area is basically the unofficial capital of bigfoot seen in north carolina. In 2017, a group called Bigfoot 911, led by John Bruner, made national headlines after a sighting in the South Mountains. Bruner described a creature with a "solid black face" and shaggy hair that covered its body. He claims it cleared 40 yards in about five steps.
Think about that. That's a stride that would make an Olympic sprinter look like they’re walking through molasses.
The Legend of Tsul 'Kalu
This isn't just a modern fad fueled by reality TV. The Cherokee have lived in these mountains for thousands of years, and they’ve always talked about Tsul 'Kalu. He was a legendary giant, a "Master of the Game," who lived on the slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains.
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The Cherokee didn't view him as a monster, necessarily. He was a powerful, slant-eyed giant who controlled the animals. You can still see his supposed "footprints" carved into Judaculla Rock in the Nantahala National Forest. It’s a massive soapstone boulder covered in petroglyphs that researchers still can’t fully decode. When you stand there, looking at those ancient markings, the idea of a large, undiscovered primate in the woods doesn't feel so crazy.
The Bear in the Room
Now, let's be real for a second. Scientists have a very different take.
A data scientist named Floe Foxon recently published an analysis basically saying that for every 900 black bears in a state, you’re statistically likely to get one Bigfoot report. North Carolina has a lot of bears. Roughly 20,000 of them, actually.
Black bears are surprisingly good at walking on their hind legs. If they’re injured or just trying to get a better scent of some barbecue, they’ll stand up and shuffle. In low light, a 400-pound bear walking bipedally looks remarkably like a hairy man.
How to Tell the Difference
- Shoulder Width: Bears have a "pear" shape when they stand. A Sasquatch is typically described as having massive, human-like shoulders.
- The Stink: Hunters in the South Mountains often report a "wet dog mixed with rotting garbage" smell before a sighting. Bears smell, but usually not like that.
- The Gait: Bears look awkward when they walk upright. The reports from North Carolina almost always mention a "fluid, gliding" movement.
Why the Uwharries are a Total Mystery
The Uwharrie National Forest is one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. These mountains used to be as tall as the Himalayas, but millions of years of erosion have turned them into rugged, rolling hills. It’s 50,000 acres of absolute thicket.
I’ve talked to gold panners who refuse to go into certain creeks in the Uwharries after dark. They talk about "rock throwing." That’s a classic Bigfoot behavior reported all over the world—something in the brush hurls a stone to get you to leave its territory.
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In April 2014, a gold panner in the Uwharries reported exactly this. It wasn't a "falling" rock. It was a targeted throw. You don't see bears throwing stones with any kind of accuracy.
Tracking the Evidence
If you want to find bigfoot seen in north carolina, you have to know what to look for besides a 9-foot-tall hairy man.
- Tree Knocks: This is a rhythmic thwack of wood against wood. It’s believed to be a form of communication.
- Stick Structures: Look for large branches twisted or snapped in ways that nature doesn't usually allow. We’re talking 10-inch thick oak limbs snapped 10 feet off the ground.
- Vocalizations: It’s not a howl, and it’s not a growl. It’s a "whoop" or a long, sirens-like scream that vibrates in your chest.
Recent Sightings: A Quick Look
| Year | Location | Type | Brief Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Macon County | Class A | Two witnesses saw a figure crossing Hwy 64 in daylight. |
| 2022 | Orange County | Class A | Sighting on private wooded property near Durham. |
| 2020 | Montgomery County | Class A | Road crossing near Mt. Gilead and Uwharrie Forest. |
| 2019 | McDowell County | Class B | Video captured of what appeared to be three figures. |
The Culture of the Hunt
You can’t talk about North Carolina Sasquatch without talking about the WNC Bigfoot Festival in Marion. It started because the local Bigfoot 911 group got so much attention that the town decided to lean into it.
The first year, they expected maybe 5,000 people. They got 30,000.
It’s a weird, wonderful mix of hardcore researchers with $5,000 thermal cameras and families just there to eat "Sasquatch Burgers." But talk to the people in the booths. You’ll meet folks who are genuinely traumatized by what they’ve seen. They aren't looking for fame; they’re looking for validation.
Why People Don't Take Photos
"Why didn't you just take a picture?" It’s the first thing skeptics say.
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But honestly, have you ever tried to take a photo of a deer in the woods with your phone? It looks like a brown smudge. Now imagine you're terrified. Your adrenaline is spiking. Your hands are shaking. By the time you fumbled with your lock screen, the "large bipedal animal" is long gone.
Joneric Bruner, who helps run Bigfoot 911, is refreshingly honest about this. He’s admitted he doesn't necessarily "believe" in the way a religious person does—he just knows what he and his father have experienced. They use trail cams, night vision, and thermals, but the creature always seems to be one step ahead.
Your Next Steps in the Search
If you're planning on heading out to find your own evidence of bigfoot seen in north carolina, don't just wander into the woods with a flashlight. You need a plan.
- Visit the Uwharrie National Forest: Specifically the areas around Troy and Mt. Gilead. Stick to the hiking trails, but keep your ears open for anything that sounds like a person knocking on a tree.
- Go to the WNC Bigfoot Festival: It’s held in Marion every September. It’s the best place to hear "boots on the ground" stories that never make it to the official reports.
- Check the BFRO Database: Before you go camping, look up the county you’re visiting. If there have been five reports of "heavy bipedal footsteps" around a specific campground, maybe bring an extra-strong lock for your cooler.
- Learn the "Bear Signs": Know what a bear track looks like. A bear's "big toe" is on the outside of the foot. A primate's big toe is on the inside. If you see a 16-inch print with a big toe on the inside, you’ve found something very interesting.
The mystery of North Carolina's "Wild Man" isn't going away. Whether it's a relic hominid, a misidentified bear, or something else entirely, the stories keep coming. The woods of the Tar Heel State are deep, old, and very good at keeping secrets.
Next time you're out there, just remember: keep your eyes open. And maybe leave the glow sticks at home—apparently, they’re a little too good at getting their attention.
Ready to start your own investigation? Start by mapping out the "hot zones" in McDowell and Montgomery counties using recent BFRO data.