Want to see Bigfoot? If you are in Virginia, you better be ready to hit the road

If you think Bigfoot, or a Sasquatch, is on the loose in the United States, you are not alone. There have been a number of reported Bigfoot encounters in most states.

According to experts, however, your best chance of a sighting would be in a remote, forested area where the ape-like creatures could prey on wild animals, such as deer.

While you might think the criteria is a good match for Virginia, it’s actually Washington State that has the most reported Bigfoot encounters.

BonusInsider’s team compared witness reports against the latest population data for their report. Per capita, Washington State was followed by Oregon and West Virginia.

If you are searching for giant footprints or even the ape men themselves in the wild, you may need to hit the road for the encounter:

• The State of Washington, 710 reports, 9.12 sightings per 100,000 – With 710 Bigfoot sighting reports, Washington State is the most likely place for a Sasquatch encounter. The odds of seeing one are 10,965 to 1 and even better considering that 52.74 percent of the territory is covered in forest and is home to at least 270,000 deer (white and black-tailed and mule deer combined), as well as another 1,200 Columbian deer. If present, the Sasquatch could also hunt elk (60,000), along with various small animals. The largest number of reports, 83, are from Pierce County and include various sightings, footprints, and vocalizations and growls heard by witnesses.
• Oregon, 257 reports, 6.06 sightings per 100,000 – At 6.06 reports per 100,000 people, Oregon offers fairly good odds for spotting Bigfoot – 16,500 to 1. Forests are estimated to cover 48.51 percent of the state territory, while deer and elk, along with plenty of other wild animals, live here. Bigfoot sightings in Oregon date back to the beginning of the 20th century, but the native tribes have legends about “wild men” that are probably much older. Although not an official symbol of the state, the mythical creature is nearly as popular as the salmon and the beaver for Oregonians and the local tourist industry. With a total of 27 reported sightings over the past 40 years, Clackamas County must be a cryptozoologist’s dream.
• West Virginia, 106 reports, 5.97 sightings per 100,000 – Compared to other states, West Virginia does not have a large number of Sasquatch sightings (106 reports) but due to the fact that fewer people live here, the odds of seeing the hairy beast are quite high – 5.97 cases per capita. Recent sightings in the southern part of the state have gained media attention, while the counties with the most cases are Pendelton (14) and Randolph (10). The state has a large population of around 550,000 white-tailed deer, but another important factor in the likelihood of seeing Bigfoot is the landscape – mountainous and heavily forested. Currently, roughly 79 percent of the state is covered by forests.

While your chances of seeing Bigfoot in Virginia are pretty low, that hasn’t stopped Augusta County from celebrating the creature annually at a summer Bigfoot Conference and Family Festival. The last one was held in June 2021 in New Hope.

So whether it’s a myth or a real phenomenon, if you are in Virginia, you probably won’t encounter Bigfoot. There is a better chance of seeing Chessie, Virginia’s very own sea monster.