Is Bigfoot Real?

Bigfoot. Whether you believe Bigfoot exists or not, he has become a household topic for our family.

We never gave much thought to Bigfoot up until a couple years ago. Our two youngest kids, ages eight and ten at the time, latched onto the idea, and it wasn’t long before they declared themselves official Bigfoot researchers. They checked out every book they could from our local library, they turned a small room in our house into their Bigfoot research lab, they set up a wildlife camera overlooking our creek, and they embarked on small expeditions in our backyard at night, listening for the breaking of sticks or a distant distinct call.

We loved the idea and helped them find ways to research including taking them to local Bigfoot festivals. The festivals turned out to be mostly people in costumes and overpriced merchandise, but also an opportunity to hear from research experts and people who experienced encounters whether by chance or on an expedition.

When we first visited Blue Ridge, Georgia, back in 2020, we passed the Bigfoot museum that is right along the main highway. We saw all the signs for miles back, and we saw the oversized statue next to the gravel parking lot. I remember thinking, Bigfoot (eye roll)—who in the world is keeping this place in business?

On our most recent trip to Blue Ridge, now that our kids are Bigfoot enthusiasts, my first thought was Bigfoot—there’s a Bigfoot museum the kids would love to visit! It was the one touristy thing we did on our trip besides cupcakes from The Sweet Shoppe of the South, winner of Cupcake Wars. 

Little did we know that the one place we passed up again and again on our first trip—with an eye roll—ended up being the one place we really wanted to visit this time.

We did all the things—parked near the oversized statue, took selfies with every Bigfoot in the place, and read all the stories offering proof Bigfoot exists in the wild. We listened to recorded firsthand accounts, viewed the many casts of Bigfoot footprints, and studied maps of sightings near and far from where we live. 

After all the research our kids have done and the mounds of “proof” we have seen, it honestly matters not to me if Bigfoot exists or not. Because at the end of the day, here is what we know—it’s something that lights our kids up. They read about it. They talk about it. They ask questions about it. Every time they bring up Bigfoot, like anything else, we have the option to lean in and engage, to get curious, to listen to their stories, and to help them find answers to their questions. For now, they still have childlike wonder and they want us to be a part of it.

The truth is, it’s fun to have these experiences and to learn alongside them. For us, it’s not about whether or not Bigfoot is real, it’s about the journey and the exploration. We don’t know if Bigfoot exists and chances are we’ll never know, but what we do know is we are here for it. Here to support our kids, here to believe in them. We are here to be a part of their journey, wherever that may lead them.