The creature Bigfoot is one of those that has inspired both wonder and fear in the hearts of believers worldwide. While regionally its name changes, often the terms Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, and Skunk Ape refer simply to an incredibly large unidentified hominid creature that walks through the woods and occasionally encroaches on the remote edges of civilization without ever fully leaving the realm of the paranormal. But if you were looking to find a Bigfoot, where might you head?
One of the most reliable methods of determining where Bigfoot may come from is to search through the records of Bigfoot sightings and create a mental image of the landscape. Where does Bigfoot most commonly reside? In the vast stretches of land in the United States, which seem to be holding a mystery in the wilderness that we have not yet fully uncovered?
The place with the most Bigfoot sightings reported in the past few decades is Washington State followed closely by California, Oregon, Ohio, Texas, and Florida. Once upon a time, Bigfoot was thought to be a single entity, striding long distances between states to visit the many witnesses who spotted it. As time went on, however, multiple creatures were spotted at the same time and it became apparent that no creature could span such a distance in so little time.
Theories about why Bigfoot appears more commonly in some areas go hand in hand with theories about the nature of the creature itself. Is it human? A Hoax? Or is it some creature that shares a common ancestor with humans, evolving over thousands of years not to use tools and congregate in groups, but rather to stay in the wild and avoid human contact? It seems its natural instinct for avoiding human contact is quite good, but imperfect still.
Some suggest Bigfoot has some as yet unobserved trait that allows it to escape from human society into another world. The idea that the creature could jump out of the woods and then back to blend so well as to evade detection has some wondering if the creatures even exist on this plane of existence most of the time or if they are something akin to ghosts, stepping in and out of reality at will.
But what if your goal is to avoid Bigfoot altogether? Surprisingly enough it’s Nevada, home of Las Vegas and Area 51. According to data gathered by the Bigfoot Field Researcher Organization, there have only been eight sightings reported in the State of Nevada since 1870. This is only beaten by Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland in terms of sightings, but the square mile to sighting ratio makes Nevada the clearest bet for avoiding Bigfoot.
Nevada is also surprising as it borders two of the top six contenders for most Bigfoot Sightings, and is itself home to at least one major city. Even in a location where Bigfoot has become a motif alongside Elvis impersonators and tabloid style aliens, if reports are any indicator, Bigfoot rarely goes to Nevada.