Spooky Roadside Stops: Bigfoot Discovery Museum

Spooky Season has arrived!

The wind is chilled, the leaves are changing, and through this period of transition, we find a reinvigorated sense of adventure.

Happy Campers RV Rentals is here to inspire and encourage your new found Fall feelings! Let's dig into the spirit of the season together, as we take you on a journey to some of the best Spooky Roadside Stops on the West Coast!

It's time to pack up your costumes, consolidate your candy, and hit the open road on a Halloween destination vacation.

The third destination on our tour of Spooky Roadside Stops features one of North America's most popular mythological (or real?) figures. Welcome to the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton, California!

"Our collection includes exhibits of local history, tied in with local Bigfoot sightings, Popular Culture as it relates to the public view of Bigfoot, and actual evidence in the form of plaster foot and handprints along with a detailed exhibit on the Patterson-Gimlin Film."

Table of Contents

A Brief History of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum

Michael Rugg and Paula Yarr are co-founders of the Bigfoot Discovery Project (BDP). The BDP accepts the subject of the Patterson/Gimlin Film as the type specimen for the Pacific Coast Bigfoot or Sasquatch.

The organization seeks to create a dialogue about the implications of the impending "discovery of Bigfoot" by conventional Western science. The Museum opened in June of 2006 with the purpose of educating the public about the probability of Bigfoot and the current thoughts as to its habits and its place in the natural world.

Michael Rugg's Lifelong Quest

As a child, Rugg spent many weekends and holidays on fishing, camping, and hunting trips with his parents throughout central and northern California. His father once owned a lumber mill in Garberville, giving young Michael extensive exposure to the remote wilderness areas where Bigfoot sightings are most common.

His first Bigfoot encounter may have happened on one of those occasions. He has been collecting information and artifacts while studying unknown bipedal primates since the early '50s when the first photos of Yeti tracks on Mt Everest appeared in Western newspapers.

"There are various wild man myths from all over the world," says Joshua Blu Buhs, author of Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend.

In western Canada, the Sts'ailes First Nation have the "Sasq'ets," the supposed origin of the word "Sasquatch."

From Dream to Reality

After 50 years of pondering the question and ten years of kidding about opening a "Bigfoot Museum for his retirement"—with Paula's encouragement and help—Rugg decided to bring his research, library, and collection together.

He combined his talents and those of others to create images, words, music, and exhibits that would educate and entertain the public during their discovery of Bigfoot. Thus the BDP was manifested in the form of their website and the Bigfoot Discovery Museum.

Soon after opening, they found out from local witnesses that there are still bigfoot in Santa Cruz County. Time spent in the woods has provided plenty of evidence to establish the reality of Santa Cruz Sasquatch!

Planning Your Bigfoot Discovery Museum Road Trip

Located in the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains, the Bigfoot Discovery Museum makes an ideal destination for your RV adventure. The museum is easily accessible from major California highways and offers plenty of nearby camping options.

Best RVs for Your California Cryptid Quest

Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or an extended West Coast tour, choosing the right RV makes all the difference. Here are some excellent options for your Bigfoot hunting expedition:

• Thor Freedom Traveler - Perfect for families seeking creature comforts while searching for creatures in the wild
• Forest River Sunseeker - Spacious interior ideal for storing all your Bigfoot research equipment
• Entegra Ethos - Compact yet comfortable for navigating winding mountain roads

Not sure which RV is right for your adventure? Contact our team for personalized recommendations based on your travel plans and group size.

Bigfoot Quick Facts

1. Bigfoot's Origin Story

Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is an ape-like creature that is said to inhabit the forests of North America. Often found within Canadian and American folklore, evidence of the existence of Bigfoot includes anecdotal sightings as well as video and audio recordings, photographs, and casts of large footprints.

Bigfoot has become an icon within the fringe subculture of cryptozoology and an enduring element of popular culture.

2. Common Bigfoot Descriptions

Thousands of people have claimed to have seen a Bigfoot. The creature is most often described as:

• A large, muscular, bipedal ape-like creature
• Covered in black, dark brown, or dark reddish hair
• Standing as tall as 10 to 15 feet in some reports
• Emitting a pungent, foul-smelling odor similar to rotten eggs
• Having a human-like face with a flat nose
• Featuring broad shoulders, no visible neck, and long arms

The eyes are commonly described as dark in color and have been alleged to "glow" yellow or red at night.

3. Tale As Old As Time

Bigfoot legends existed long before there was a single name for the creature. These stories differed in their details both regionally and between families in the same community.

On the Tule River Indian Reservation in California, petroglyphs created by a group of Yokuts at a site called Painted Rock are alleged by some to depict a group of Bigfoots called "the Family."

The local tribespeople call the largest of the glyphs "Hairy Man" and they are estimated to be between 500 and 1000 years old.

Make Your Spooky Season Unforgettable

The Bigfoot Discovery Museum offers a unique blend of mystery, history, and adventure that's perfect for the Halloween season. Whether you're a true believer or a curious skeptic, this quirky roadside attraction provides entertainment and education for the whole family.

Ready to start planning your spooky season RV adventure? Browse our full fleet of RV rentals and find the perfect vehicle for your West Coast cryptid quest.

From the redwood forests of Northern California to the misty mountains of the Pacific Northwest, your Happy Campers RV will be your comfortable home base as you explore the mysterious world of Bigfoot and beyond.

Hit the open road this fall and create memories that are truly legendary!