YEAR: 1970

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: Around the 27th

STATE: Iowa

COUNTY: Clayton County

NEAREST TOWN: McGregor Iowa and Prairie Du Chien across the Mississippi in Wisconsin

NEAREST ROAD: Off of Hwy 18 in Iowa

OBSERVED: This is an old report, but recently after watching the better bigfoot programs on tv, it dawned on me that what we had experienced was a bigfoot.

Every September, my husband I would go hiking to see the color. This trip was in September, 1970 to Pikes Peak State Park located on the highest bluff on the Mississippi River in Iowa.

September is a time when the kids are back in school. There was only one other car in the parking lot so the trails were deserted.

Pikes Peak had several walking trails. We decided to take the longest which led to the overlook on the Mississippi. We had hiked almost to the point of the overlook. Fall had us crunching on the fallen leaves when we heard a large thump, thump, thump from behind the trees followed by a loud animal scream that we had never experienced before. Having hiked in the woods almost weekly, we learned to identify most of the animal sounds around us. This was not an identifiable animal.

The screech scared us so badly that we immediately turned around and ran as fast as we could all the way back to the rangers station. Having reached the station we immediately inquired about the animal we had encountered. We explained in great detail what had happened, but the rangers said they had no clue what we had encountered and that nothing similar had ever been reported.

To this day I am still haunted by the sound of the footsteps and the screech. Until the bigfoot programs I had never considered that what we had encountered could be a bigfoot. Now I'm 90% sure of my identification.

I also noticed that there were no other sightings in the same area. Perhaps we were just at the right time and the right place, but I know what we experienced.

Although late, previously I was unaware of any reporting sites to relay our experience.

I am excited to hear your thoughts.

OTHER WITNESSES: My husband-we were alone on the trail.

OTHER STORIES: None

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 1:30 A calm day-the trees were in full color in a deserted state park

ENVIRONMENT: Heavily forested area near a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Iowa.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Scott Allen:

I spoke with the witness on April 4, 2014. She was motivated to share this report after learning about the BFRO on TV. The event happened more than 40 years ago but made a significant impact on the witness and her husband. They later moved from the area and have not been in these woods since this happened.

I can add some detail to her report. The couple was walking happily along a trail in the early afternoon on a warm, sunny day. There were no other hikers seen. They were caught completely off guard with the sudden powerful sounds that came from behind trees at their 10 o'clock position about 50 feet away. It was described as very close.

The thump-thump-thump and screech-scream were amazingly loud. The thumps could be felt and heard. Witness believes the thumps were footsteps. The scream was described as a woman shrieking but with deeper undertones with the intensity of a siren. There were no unusual smells remembered. They did not see what made the sounds. The experience lasted about 10-15 seconds.

Witness and husband immediately turned away and ran three miles back to the ranger station where they recounted their experience to the ranger. Both were confident it was not a bear or coyote based on their experience with these animals.

Witness comments that there were no other reports from the area. Over the years there have in fact been numerous similar encounters and visual sightings of sasquatch on public and private land on both sides of the Mississippi in the region. Some have not been published per request of the witnesses.

About BFRO Investigator Scott Allen:

An Iowa native, Scott has explored Iowa and many other parts of the US while hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, caving, canoeing and more. He brings to the investigation process a lifelong interest in natural sciences supported by formal education in biology and chemistry as well as training and professional experience in audio and video production.

Scott attended the Iowa Hill Country 2012 and Iowa Big River 2014 expeditions and has participated in several private expeditions in central and southeastern Iowa. He is currently conducting exploration and research focused along Iowa’s Des Moines River and its many tributaries.