It Happened Here: Bigfoot in North Ogden

One of the most popular stories of mystery and lore is that of Bigfoot. Some will claim it doesn’t exist while others will swear that they have seen it or had it on their property.

Jay Barker of North Ogden has actually had two separate experiences with Sasquatch, (who says lightning doesn’t strike twice?). In 1977, Jay and a friend took their boys for one last fishing trip in the high Uintahs before school was back in session. The first lake they fished was a dud and no one was catching fish. They decided to make a trek to Fish Lake and as they crested the ridge and looked down at the lake, they saw a giant fur-covered animal down below. Thinking it was an Elk at first, they were surprised when it stood up on two legs and started walking away. Too far away to see its face, the young boys in the group started yelling, trying to get the beast’s attention. It looked around trying to determine the source of the noise and then cautiously walked into the forest and away from the group.

Once would be enough for most folks but one early morning in the spring of 1980, Jay had another experience with Bigfoot. He was feeding the fish at the Cold Springs Trout Farm in North Ogden. At one of the small ponds on the east side of the farm, Barker noticed fish lying all over the lawn. Next, to the pond, he found dozens of dead trout, some with their heads missing, but most were intact. As he was looking around the pond he noticed some very large human-like footprints pressed deep in the mud. The tracks measured 14 inches long and the toes curled down into the mud. Barker called the Utah Fish and Game and informed them about the tracks. They brought plaster with them to cast a mold of one footprint. It could also be seen where Bigfoot had jumped into the pond and walked around, disturbing the moss on the bottom. Fish and Game took the footprint cast and studied it for quite a while before returning it to Jay.

Other Sightings:

1980: In a North Ogden residential area, several strange footprints were discovered.

1991: Bigfoot sightings were reported by residents in North Ogden.

1995: A North Ogden resident reported seeing a large, dark, hairy creature in his yard one night. A large metal gate from a fence was found ripped off and hurled 30 feet away. A teenage boy said he saw Bigfoot running alongside the canal.

1996: A group of children in North Ogden’s Coldwater Canyon said they were chased away by Bigfoot. Coldwater Canyon has been a hot-spot for Utah’s Bigfoot activity. A hike up the canyon is beautiful and quiet … almost too quiet. It’s actually quite creepy and gives one a feeling of being watched.

1996: Footprints were found again at the Cold Springs Trout Farm in North Ogden and also at Nordic Valley.