3-31-2026 UPDATE: This post has been updated today to include breaking news regarding the intense drama currently unfolding in the Bigfoot documentary community!
3-10-2026 UPDATE: We are updating this post today to include a massive surge in local sightings right here in Northeast Ohio! Between March 6th and March 9th, 2026, there has been a documented “hominid surge” between Hudson and Streetsboro on Rt. 303, Ohio as well as in Portage County—literally minutes away from Akron and Kent. Also, we have updated links in this blog post.
Squatch Watch 2026: The Bigfoot Documentary Everyone is Talking About
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I always want to keep our community in the loop, and some major news just broke today that has the whole “Squatch” world talking! Business Insider just published a fascinating look at the drama within the Bigfoot community over a new documentary that claims to have found “rehearsal” footage of the famous 1967 film. While the national community is buzzing over these “hoax” allegations, we are keeping our eyes on the treeline right here in Northeast Ohio following the recent surge of sightings on Route 303!
We’ve added a brand-new section below specifically for Bigfoot 2026 Updates to keep you informed on where these sightings are happening near our favorite hiking trails.
Ohio has its share of monster sightings. With its extensive river systems, large contiguous forests and the encroachment of man, there’s no wonder that things that go “bump in the night” do indeed go “bump in the night” near people that can hear them!m
Here’s our researched list of monster sightings in Ohio over the past two centuries. Apologies ahead- we’ve not included any UFO sightings.
1. The 2026 Portage County “Bigfoot” Surge
Locally, Bigfoot is often called the “Grassman,” the recent activity in early March 2026 has even the most skeptical neighbors doing a double-take.
What’s Happening in Our Backyard?
From March 6th to March 9th, 2026, there was a statistical “cluster” of sightings along the Headwaters Trail corridor—that’s the beautiful 13-mile trail connecting Mantua and Garrettsville that we all love for family bike rides.
Researchers are calling it a “Greenway Highway” migration. Essentially, these creatures are using the old rail lines to move unseen through the wetlands and woods of Portage County.
Recent 2026 Bigfoot Sightings
If you’re planning a hike at West Branch or walking the trails in Mantua, here is what has been reported in just the last few days:
Mantua Center (State Route 44): A 9-foot-tall male was spotted on March 6th. This is very close to our local traffic routes!
Headwaters Trail (Hankee Rd): On March 9th, hikers had a 15-second face-to-face encounter with a 10-foot-tall figure. They described a “shoulder-pivot” movement—where the creature has to turn its whole upper body to look at you because its neck is so thick.
Windham/Garrettsville: Reports of a smaller 6-foot figure (likely a juvenile) and a very large black-furred subject.
Bigfoot in Portage County
It turns out the Ravenna Arsenal (Camp James A. Garfield) is acting like a massive, 21,000-acre “sanctuary.” Because it’s restricted military land, it’s the perfect hiding spot. My son Elijah, who is always out exploring and studying native ecosystems, reminds me that these areas provide plenty of deer and cover—everything a large “neighbor” would need to thrive.
While these encounters can be startling—witnesses often mention a “forest hush” where all the birds and bugs go silent—there have been no reports of aggression.
See the Bigfoot in Ohio Evidence for Yourself!
I’m not the only one obsessed with this surge! Local researchers and the Bigfoot Society have been all over these Portage County sightings. Check out these recent updates from the field—the descriptions from the Headwaters Trail are just bone-chilling! This link shows the real-time data from the Bigfoot Mapping Project. It’s perfect because it shows your readers that this isn’t just a “story”—it’s being tracked with GIS technology.
This post from the Bigfoot Society is fantastic because it’s a hub for witness stories. Linking to them builds your “street cred” with the paranormal community in Ohio.
Pro-Mom Tips for the Trail:
Stay Aware: If the woods suddenly go silent (the “forest hush”), take a second to look around.
Stick to Groups: Most sightings happen to solo hikers or pairs.
Trust Your Nose: Several witnesses mentioned a “strong musky odor.” If you smell something like a wet dog/skunk combo, it might be time to head back to the minivan!
Check it out! Whether you believe or not, it’s a great excuse to get the kids off the screens and out into the CVNP or Portage Parks to do some “tracking” of their own.
2. Loveland’s Frogmen
First Sighted in Loveland, Ohio in May, 1955, a traveling salesman spotted three individuals huddled by the side of the road at around 3:30 am. The man swears he saw Leathery Green Skin, Webbed Hands and Webbed Feet. As they moved to get out of the way, he saw frog like faces, and, one of them holding a stick that was showering the three frog men in sparks.
By itself these would be the statements and drawings of someone under the influence… but other witnesses have ALSO seen similar 3-foot tall frogmen near Loveland a road that runs parallel to the Miami River. Of these several witnesses, several were police officers, and have come within mere feet of the animals. Never finding one dead, the frogmen often jump into the Miami River.
3. Gallipolis’s Mothman
Located on the Ohio River across from Point Pleasant, WV, Gallipolis boasts hundreds of sightings of ‘the Mothman’- a winged creature with low set big red eyes, human like legs, murky gray skin, 5-7 feet tall, and produced a humming sound while they flew. Others described a brownish silver man with glowing red eyes heightened to 10 feet tall.
The Wyandot Indian Oral history contains many references to vampire like creatures that came out on foggy days. They stole children, stole already hunted game and blighted crops. The Wyandots called these “Flying Heads”.
The early 1900s also has a share of large birds with 12 foot wingspans. During World War I, “Bird men” with dark reddish Feathers were seen long the river- and children were kept indoors.
The 1966-1968 series of sightings in Gallipolis were corroborated by hundreds of people.
The Ohio Grassman – our Bigfoot
Named the Grassman in Ohio, the infamous, well-traveled & hard to photograph monster at large is bigfoot. There are dozens of sightings across the state- from Alliance to Coshocton County to Dayton to Kenmore and nearly every area in Ohio besides the Summit Mall Parking lot in Fairlawn. For the purposes of example, let’s focus on just two stories, shall we?
4. The Minerva Monster
At 7 feet tall, and with multiple witnesses, this is Ohio’s best known Bigfoot Encounter.
Herbert Clatyon’s grandchildren received an awful fright seconds beforethey came running into their home in 1978 Paris Township, Ohio to sound the alarm. With dogs going berserk outside, the family discovered a large, thick hairy creature picking through some settled building materials.
It just stood there. It didn’t move, but I almost broke my neck running back down the hill.
This no-neck creature continued to appear to the family- sometimes picking through garbage, sometimes near an old abandoned mine, and others while protecting what looked like a pair of cat like animals. When the animal peered into the kitchen window and sent several women into tears of fear and stoked a search effort.
Several additional sightings and sounds were recorded around 1978 in Paris Township.
Minerva, OH 44657
It’s a blood-chilling sound. A curdling sound. It will scare the hell of out you.
5. The Cedar Bog Monster
About two miles south of Urbana, Ohio, you can find the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve. This preserve opened to the public in 1942- and the inbound public interest flushed something out of hiding.
Locals started seeing a large, hairy, ape-like creature near Woodburn Road (Woodburn bisects the Park). This could certainly be our loved Ohio Grassman.
Now, like anywhere else in the state, sightings are one thing, but two things happened that add to the mystery:
A barbed wire fence was installed around the park a few years after it opened. ‘To keep the dear off of the road’ Residents at the time were highly suspicious of the fence, and were suspicious that the fence did more than steer deer from traffic.
In addition, and in 1945, three teenagers on a camping trip near the bog disappeared.
Reports of screams and the feeling of being watched are often reported to this day.
Read–>> Real Alligators in Akron, Ohio Lakes
6. The Orange-Eyed Monster at Charles Mill Lake
Known to Terrify Visitors to Charles Mill Lake near Mansfield, Ohio for over 50 years, the Orange Eyed Monster has been seen in 1963, 1964 and 1991. The monster is said to be 11 feet tall (much taller than any big foot creature!) and 1000 pounds in girth.
Seen by many eye witnesses, and the cause for a ‘monster hunt’, many residents believe the work is due to an old hermit waving a pair of bicycle reflectors on a stick.
Local Lore suggests that the Orange Eyed Monster Originated from a Tunnel underneath the Riverside Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio, about 70 miles away. How the animal decided to move to Mansfield, this writer does not know.
7. Charles Mill Lake Monster
Occupying the same region and with references and sightings often confused, the Charles Mill Lake Monster was seen only once in March 1959 by three local youths near Ruggles Road close to the Charles Mill Reservoir Dam.
Described as a strange, 7 foot tall arm-less humanoid with glowing green eyes and webbed feet, the beast came up to scare the young men as it rose from the black water in front of them. This bizarre and unique Swamp Thing has not been seen since.
The day after the encounter, Local Authorities did confirm the existence of tracks that resembled those of footwear worn by skin divers.
8. The Giant Salamander of Crosswick
Located south of Dayton near Waynesville, the small gathering of Crosswick, OH was certainly a small but settled provincial town in May of 1882. As the story is reported, two young boys were fishing and were attacked. Carried off by ‘snake’ with legs, several men arrived on the scene and rescued the boy as he was pulled into a tree trunk 26 feet in diameter.
Armed with axes, the men hacked through the tree and scared out a thirty foot long animal 16 inches in diameter with four foot long legs, a forked tongue and large yellow spots all over its scales.
Standing erect in anger before it ran away through tail propelling power, the animal stood 12-16 feet in height when erect and ran off like a racehorse, never to be seen again.
Several prominent men vouched for the story. Read more about the Crosswick Giant Salamander here.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
9. Bessie, Lake Erie’s own Nessie
Culminating to a heightened flurry of reports in 1990, South Bay Bessie is either Huron’s Ohio’s favorite faux carnival attraction, or a 20 foot serpentine monster with a large round head.
But published stories existed 92 years before hand in newspaper articles from the Sandusky Register in 1898, and the first non-native sitings as early as 1817.
A 1931 hoax culminated in a dead South East Asian Python being found beaten to death by two men with carnival connections.
Others believe that Bessie is actually an overgrown Sturgeon- a fish that CAN reach lengths of up to 20 feet.
10. Devil Monkeys
Spotted in 1997 in Dunkinsville, Ohio near Portsmouth, A large grey creature with long arms, a short tail and covered in hair was spotted by Ms. Debbie Cross. Her reports said the monkey like creature walked on its knuckles and had flat, rounded feet. Other reports from around the county can confuse these with kangaroos because of their jumping gate. – Wikipedia Article
Earlier, in 1875 in what is now the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area, there is a story of a “devil” creature that harasses workers in the iron mine and nearby smelting furnaces. The creature had short legs, a long black tail, and a thin body. Reported in the Ironton Register, March 11th, 1875.
11. Phantom Kangaroos
Speaking of Kangaroos, Ohio appears on lists of states where Phantom Kangaroos have appeared, although no specific location or time is available (but reports in the dozens?). Phantom Kangaroos are mean, ghostly, and have a tendency to attack pets! Apparently there is a book dedicated to Phantom Kangaroos and other monsters in Ohio.
12. Peninsula Python
Speaking of Carnvial Pythons, one Summit County Exclusive makes our list. The animal is not specifically fantastic, but the story is!
IN 1942, a circus wagon tipped over while riding near the Ira Road Cemetery in Bath (think today’s CVNP). This Cole Bros’ Circus wagon contained live animals… And as the story goes, two large snakes escaped. One was later killed in Doylestown, Ohio on the other side of the county.
In 1944. eccentric Robert Bordner published a story in the Cleveland Press, leading to many sightings sworn not to be hoaxes throughout Boston Township, his hometown. (Peninsula is in Boston Township)
Would the python have died, or could it have survived in the many caves dotting the Cuyahoga Valley National Park? The village of Peninsula celebrates the Peninsula Python every July with a festival and parade!
Looking Back: The Classics
While these new 2026 bigfoot sightings in Hudson and Portage County are incredibly exciting, we can’t forget that Ohio has a long, legendary history with these creatures. If you want to see where my obsession with local legends first began, you have to check out my original post on the classic Cambridge, Ohio sightings and Salt Fork State Park. It’s the perfect backstory to help you understand why this new ‘hominid surge’ on Route 303 is such a big deal for our community!
