Does Bigfoot Roam The Uwharrie National Forest?
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 5:40 pm
Candid Source wrote:Uwharrie National Forest is one of the best-kept secrets in North Carolina. City dwellers can experience a wilderness adventure with just a hop, skip and a jump an hour and a half outside the Triangle area. Located mainly in Montgomery County, this 50,000-acre federal national forest offers camping, hiking, hunting, boating, and fishing.
With its location on the edge of the Uwharrie, along with two lakes and the Yadkin River, it’s no wonder the Town of Troy wants to rebrand its image to attract new residents, businesses, and tourist. The Town of Troy has a population of about 3400 and has experienced an unusual growth spurt in the last few months. So how do you build on growth and market a small town with lots to offer? You adopt Bigfoot as your unofficial mascot!
Bigfoot also known as Sasquatch is one of the most widely known creatures in the world yet the scientific community declares it does not exist. While still unconfirmed as an actual species, thousands of reports, videos, pictures and audio recordings cascade in from all 49 states and Canada. Bigfoot researchers estimate a population of 4,000 of these indigenous species are currently roaming in North America. Since the 1990’s, reports of the elusive hairy bipedal humanoid have been sighted in the Uwharrie as well as hearing strange sounds of loud tree knocks and howling screams.
Researchers have also found evidence of large footprint tracks. North Carolina is no stranger to Bigfoot sightings. Witness accounts on the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) website go as far back as 1968 in Green County near Carolina Bay Swamp. According to the BFRO, 96 reported cases across the state of North Carolina have been documented. Out of those reported cases, Montgomery County has led the state with the most sightings and encounters.
Bigfoot also known as Sasquatch is one of the most widely known creatures in the world yet the scientific community declares it does not exist. While still unconfirmed as an actual species, thousands of reports, videos, pictures and audio recordings cascade in from all 49 states and Canada. Bigfoot researchers estimate a population of 4,000 of these indigenous species are currently roaming in North America. Since the 1990’s, reports of the elusive hairy bipedal humanoid have been sighted in the Uwharrie as well as hearing strange sounds of loud tree knocks and howling screams.
Researchers have also found evidence of large footprint tracks. North Carolina is no stranger to Bigfoot sightings. Witness accounts on the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) website go as far back as 1968 in Green County near Carolina Bay Swamp. According to the BFRO, 96 reported cases across the state of North Carolina have been documented. Out of those reported cases, Montgomery County has led the state with the most sightings and encounters.
Although Woods has never had a close encounter of the third kind, he has interviewed many witnesses that have had personal encounters with the elusive forest giant. Woods states that witness accounts of Bigfoot sightings seem to coincide with the same descriptions of their encounters which make them credible witnesses.
“I hear it was around 7 to 8 feet tall, black/dark brown hair, sometimes gray hair, long hair covering most of the body and even had one witness stated there was not any hair at all on the head of the creature”, Woods stated.
Woods also indicated that witnesses report a bad smell or hearing strange sounds coming from the forest in the dead of night.
The Town Of Troy
The Town of Troy has already incorporated Bigfoot into their promotional materials and logos with the upcoming Troyfest, Uwharrie Mountain Radio and the Uwharrie Festival scheduled for September 2017. By adopting the unofficial mascot, the town of Troy will definitely create an identity that helps it to stand out among other small towns.
“Bigfoot is one thing some people like,” town planning director Johnson Bray explained to the Courier-Tribune newspaper, “if you think about it, it brings out the child in you.” “We don’t want to be Roswell, New Mexico,” Bray stressed, “but want to have something unique to bring visitors.” Bray wants to promote Troy as “the outdoor capital of North Carolina.” Bray says, “a lot of people are embracing the idea,” and a lot of businesses are getting on board by incorporating Bigfoot memorabilia in their shops.
One such place is the El Dorado Outpost located in Troy. The El Dorado Outpost is known in the area as Bigfoot Central and serves as the information and activity hub for the Uwharrie Region. For over 50 years, the El Dorado Outpost has been serving tourist with camping and fishing supplies, advice on where to stay, what to see, and where to find the best scenic views and some Bigfoot souvenirs to take home with you. The family-owned business is dedicated to providing visitors with “the forest experience.” Will the El Dorado Outpost sponsor Bigfoot Town Hall meetings in the future?
Maybe local Bigfoot researcher, Lee Woods, can set that in motion! If Bigfoot watching is not your genre, there’s plenty more to explore while enjoying your stay in Troy. Be sure to check out the 54-foot Pisgah Covered Bridge in Asheboro, former textile mill turned gallery STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise, or enjoy a movie under the stars at the Badin Road Drive-In.
Critics aside, the Bigfoot family has become a cultural icon and if they only knew the marketing and money their image brings to the economy, the Bigfoot family would probably be the wealthiest species on the planet. It’s my hope that maybe these companies and businesses will take some of those profits and use it towards preserving wildlife and endangered species. That is my hope.
Written by Hope Thompson