The Big Thicket

Big Thicket National Preserve

The Big Thicket

When the woods go silent around you and all the insects and birds stop making a fuss, it’s possible Sasquatch is lurking around the corner. At least, that’s what Rob Riggs thought. He told that to Michael Hardy who wrote a 2014 essay in Houstonia about his hike through the thicket led by Riggs.

Rob Riggs searched for Sasquatch in Big Thicket National Preserve Park since he moved back to the area in 1979. He wrote the Big Thicket: On the Trail of the Wild Man: Exploring Nature's Mysterious Dimension in 2001, and Bigfoot: Exploring the Myth & Discovering the Truth in 2014, co-authored by fellow researcher Tom Burnette.

He was so dedicated to the cause that he “moved into a Chaparral camper on the edge of the Thicket in order to mount cameras and set out bait” prior to his death in 2015. But unfortunately he never had the pleasure of meeting one of these shy creatures face-to-face.

So, the question remains, is Sasquatch hiding out in East Texas Thicket?The state of Texas is home to 246 Sasquatch sightings according to many research organizations. That’s the seventh highest state sightings number in America.

But Hardin County, where the Big Thicket National Preserve Park exists, has only one reported sighting. It took place in 2019, on Bragg Road. A motorist and his son were driving down the road when a “large, solid-black animal came out of the woods on the east side of the road” he was “walking slowly on two legs.”

The motor, a retired combat vetran, said that he doesn’t scare easily. But the 20 foot creature that came wandering out of the trees was a frightening sight to behold. It had glowing eyes and made its way briefly onto the road grade before wandering back off to the bush. He also noted that he spotted swamp gas lurking up from the area before he saw the creature.

While not many sightings have been officially documented in the East Texas area.   There are other areas that such as Bragg Road where the sole sighting occurred, is also the home to the ghostly light of Light of Saratoga or the Ghost Road of Saratoga.

It leads one to believe, why there are so few sightings recorded in the area when the area is known to be so active. Is there something lurking out there in the woods, or is it just a figment of our imaginations? You’ll have to let us know what you think...   Also we may be leading a Sasquatch Expedition in 2021 in East Texas so stay tuned to our event section.

Also don't forget if you decide to make the Trek to the Big Thicket National Preserve Park for your own Sasquatch expedition, you’ll want to make sure that you bring some bug spray and your favorite Sasquatch hoodie for chillier evenings.

Please let us know what you think about the Big Thicket in the comments below or email us.  We'd love to hear from you.
​
BELIEVE

By Tae Haahr
Research Writer, Sasquatch Syndicate Inc.