The Bigfoot Trap – Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest – Oregon

The Bigfoot Trap is a quirky attraction located in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in Southern Oregon. It was built in 1974 by the North American Wildlife Research Team in response to reports of 18-inch human-like footprints found near the Applegate River. The trap was baited for six years, but unfortunately, it only caught bears—no Bigfoot.

Today, the trap is maintained as a novelty by the U.S. Forest Service and sits along the Collings Mountain hiking trail, attracting hundreds of visitors annually. The structure itself is a 10-by-10-foot wooden box, reinforced with metal bands and secured to the ground with telephone poles. The trap’s door has been bolted open since 1980 for safety reasons.

If you’re interested in visiting, you can take the Collings Mountain Trail, which is a 1.8-mile hike with an elevation gain of 365 feet. The trail offers scenic views and passes through old-growth forests.

The Bigfoot Trap was built in 1974 by the North American Wildlife Research Team, a now-defunct organization based in Eugene, Oregon. The idea for the trap came from Perry Lovell, a miner who lived near the Applegate River and claimed to have found 18-inch-long human-like tracks in his garden. Hoping to capture Bigfoot, the research team kept the trap baited with carcasses for six years, but only caught bears.

The trap was abandoned in the early 1980s, and by 2006, the U.S. Forest Service repaired it under the Passport in Time program to preserve it as a tourist attraction. Today, it remains the only known Bigfoot trap in the United States and sits along the Collings Mountain hiking trail, drawing hundreds of visitors annually.

The Bigfoot Trap in Southern Oregon is a fascinating relic of cryptid history! Here are some extra details:

• Why It Was Built: The North American Wildlife Research Team constructed it in 1974 after a local miner, Perry Lovell, reported finding 18-inch footprints near his cabin. Hoping to capture Bigfoot, they baited the trap with meat—but only caught bears.
• The Structure: It’s a 10-by-10-foot wooden box, reinforced with metal bands and built from telephone poles. The original design included a sliding steel door, but it was permanently bolted open in 1980 for safety.
• Its Fate: After years of neglect, the trap was restored in 2006 through the Passport in Time program, preserving it as a tourist attraction.
• Visiting Today: It sits along the Collings Mountain hiking trail in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. Hikers often stop to check out the trap while enjoying the scenic wilderness.

It looks like the Bigfoot Trap in Oregon is the only known trap specifically built to capture Bigfoot. While there have been many hoaxes and claims of Bigfoot evidence, no other documented traps have been constructed with the same intent.

However, some cryptid enthusiasts and researchers have attempted various baiting techniques, such as:

• Food lures (placing meat or fruit in remote areas)
• Motion-activated cameras (to capture potential sightings)
• Audio recordings (playing supposed Bigfoot calls to attract responses)

Here’s how you can get to the Collings Mountain Trail and the Bigfoot Trap:

Trail Details: The Bigfoot Trap is 0.75 miles into the hike. The full Collings Mountain Trail is a 7.1-mile out-and-back route with 2,004 feet of elevation gain.

Starting Point: The trailhead is located near Hart-Tish Park in Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. The Bigfoot Trap is located in Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, near Upper Applegate Road, Applegate, Oregon. To reach it, you can start at Hart-Tish Park, cross Upper Applegate Road, and follow the Collings Mountain Trail for about 0.75 miles.

Directions: From Jacksonville, Oregon, drive 7.8 miles west on Highway 238 into Ruch. Turn left onto Upper Applegate Road and continue 8.9 miles. Then, bear left over a bridge on the Applegate River at the junction with Palmer Creek Road. Drive 6.8 miles further, and just after the turnoff for Hart-Tish Park, pull off to the right at the sign for Collings Mountain Trail #943.

Parking: Space is limited at the trailhead. If full, you can park 0.1 miles back at a larger pullout near the Grouse Loop Trail, opposite Hart-Tish Park.

How do you find it?