YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 18

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Guernsey County

NEAREST TOWN: Cambridge

NEAREST ROAD: Rt 22

OBSERVED: My wife and I were having a picnic supper at Salt Fork State Park on August 18, 2004 at approximately 7:00 p.m. After approximately 15 minutes we decided to hike down a path into the woods with our dog. After progressing approximately 15 feet into the woods we heard loud unexplainable noises. The noises/howls continued as whatever was making the noises seemed to be walking parallel with us. We were nearly 75 yards into the wooded area when we stopped and looked more closely to see what was making the noises. The noise was heard again and I saw it, and began shouting at my wife, "There it is! There it is!" Together we saw what appeared to be a nearly 8 foot tall, dark colored subject looking at us. We watched it for about 10 seconds and then it walked upright, in a human form, deeper into the woods and away from us. Scared, we turned and quickly walked out of the woods hearing the noise several times behind us. We reached our picnic area, picked up our belongings, and that's when we heard it again, this time thunderously loud, and we knew it had followed us and believe it was within about 50 feet of us still concealed in the woods. We grabbed our stuff and ran for our vehicle (with our dog). It was the eeriest encounter we have ever had in our lives.

ALSO NOTICED: The woods were exceptionally quiet. No other wildlife was heard.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2
Having a picnic

OTHER STORIES: Not until we looked at this site after the event happened.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 7:00 p.m. very cloudy

ENVIRONMENT: Green wooded area, lake nearby

Follow-up investigation report:

After spending time on the telephone and on-site with the witnesses recreating the encounter, no issues of credibility or misidentification were identified. The witnesses related additional information and observations about this event, including behaviors of the creature under observation, and other animals, which are consistent with similar encounters with a bigfoot.

Salt Fork State Park is an area of over 20,000 acres in east central Ohio. It is part of the unglaciated portion of Ohio and is characterized by rugged hills covered by large second growth woodlands and grass meadows. It is crisscrossed with small streams and creeks; the Salt Fork Lake occupies nearly 3,000 acres in the park, much of it in small side ravines that were flooded during the impoundment. It supports a variety of wildlife including numerous deer and black bear, a rare species in Ohio.

Salt Fork also has a rich history of bigfoot sightings and is located in an area of Ohio that has yielded many encounters. When a variety of sources are combined Salt Fork sightings number at least one dozen reports.

Here is the exact location of the sighting looking down from where the witnesses were standing.

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