Collings Mountain trail hiking | Bigfoot trap
GPS | Photos | Information
Dimensions of the Bigfoot trap - The sides are heavy 2" x 12". The gate welded steel. Measurements of February 25, 2007.
Height |
Width |
Length |
Gate Height |
Gate Width |
Posts |
8' - 4" |
9' - 8" |
10' |
7' |
3' - 6" |
6" |
Copyright 2009 - Mario Vaden
The image here is the only Bigfoot trap of it's kind in the United States. Most of what you see in the photo remains as original. It has been disabled, no longer functional for trapping. This trap is almost in view from the old miner's cabin along the trail. In March 2007, I released a small 460 pixel version of this photo to the Public Domain for the Wikipedia Bigfoot article.
In regards to an actual Bigfoot, Yeti or Sasquatch, the most likely people to know the location of a real one on the west coast would probably be Taylor, Sillett or Atkins, mentioned on my main redwoods page. I don't think they believe in Bigfoot. But if such a creature existed, that's the kind of peope who would find such a thing. Those who spend countless hours in the redwoods.
#943 Trailhead GPS
N 42°03.073' W 123° 07.903'
Bigfoot Trap GPS
42.056567, -123.137233
Those are the actual coordinates for the Bigfoot trap, added to the linked icons below with code triple-checked. A couple folks replied that the file navigated east near Mt. McLoughlin. For me too. But those are the coordinates, approximately 2.72 miles north of the OR / CA border, near Applegate Lake, which is searchable too. And about .56 miles NW of the lake, or .45 miles NW of Applegate Road. If you copy and paste the coordinates to a search box, that should definitely navigate to the correct location
In 2005, I posted the first online video of the Bigfoot Trap, but later removed it because there seem to be plenty of videos now for it at online video sites.
Collings Mountain Trail and the Bigfoot Trap, while it stands, are near Jacksonville and Medford in Southern Oregon, just a few miles from the Oregon and California border. This is in the Rogue River National Forest. The lake scenery and local mountains provide a nice adventure hiking.
Collings Mountain trail views the Siskiyou Crest, Applegate Lake, a large Bigfoot trap and mine adits. The trail was named for 2 brothers who mined near there in the 1850’s and 1860’s. There is an old collapsed cabin by the main trail. Don't confuse it with the Bigfoot trap, which is almost within sight of it. Look up on the hillside along an off-shoot path for the trap. Disabled, the gate won't shut now.
A couple of photos are in the Rogue River NF & Blue Ledge Mine album: Rogue River National Forest Album. There is quite a bit of poison-oak along the path all the way to the the Bigfoot trap. As a groundcover, shrubs and vines into oak and pine. There are one or two easy stream crossings over rock, and one with a bridge.
A couple of photos are in the Southern Oregon or Rogue River National Forest photos linked from the bottom of the page. The Bigfoot trap was built in 1974 with a special use permit. About 2005, a large falling pine just missed crushing it. Forest fires have swept the area in the past, and forest fire may devour the Bigfoot trap someday. The Sasquatch trap with fort-like strength never caught a Bigfoot. A great appeal of this trail and others nearby is exceptional solitude. If you just want to use the trail to see the trap, but desire a longer hike, consider Butte Fork trail nearby in Red Buttes Wilderness.. The Bigfoot Trap is about 20 minutes along the Collings Mountain trail. There is less poison-oak surrounding the trap than along some stretches of the trail.
Directions:
West of Jacksonville, Oregon, turn off Hy. 238 onto Upper Applegate Rd. and proceed to Applegate Lake. As you drive by the lake, look for the Collings Mountain trail sign on your right.
From the roadside, the trail drops to Grouse Creek. Soon after is a collapsed cabin and the Bigfoot trap about 3/4 mile. The Bigfoot trap is a few hundred feet up an offshoot. Next, this trail climbs 1000' steeply for 1 mile to a ridge and follows Collings Mountain. There are several old mine adits. Excellent views of Applegate Lake and Siskiyou Crest. This is an okay trail, but I like others better. I generally walk to the trap for a short hike on this one. If you don't know what poison-oak looks like, visit: Poison Oak. Unless you have the itch to see the Bigfoot trap, this trail alone is not worth a drive all the way across the state.