Bigfoot Trap Trail

The trap is real even if Bigfoot isn’t. Built in the 70’s it’s now a wreck, but the creekside trail is great and you can keep hiking if you think old Sasquatch is lingering just a little further uphill.

Driving

– Go to the bathroom, it’s an hour drive.  Head north on the 5… just get there. Then get off on the Phoenix exit (before Medford) and turn left. Then, turn right on Highway 99 for less than a mile and turn left on South Stage Road towards Jacksonville.  There’s a quick jog right and then left on Griffin Creek Road and then South Stage turns into California Road(?) as you drive through Jacksonville.

As you emerge from Jacksonville you are on Route 238 heading to Applegate. It’s rural. It’s nice. Keep an eye out for Upper Applegate Road in about 10 minutes. You’ll turn left at a city called Ruch, but you aren’t going to see a city, you’ll just see a yellow church/school building. So turn left and you have 20 minutes on Upper Applegate Road driving along the Applegate River. Some roads split off, but head toward Applegate Lake and Applegate Dam. When you see the lake to your left, look to your right.

Parking

– Pull off the road in front of the Collings Moutain Trail sign. You can drive 50 yards up for more parking, or across the street in the campground parking but don’t be a weenie. There are some roadside areas you can’t park on, so… just don’t be a weenie.

The Adventure

– It’s a storybook hike crossing a creek over and over for 3/4 of a mile. There are children and talking animals and dancing flowers… it’s really a perfect trail. But you do have to pay attention and take the trail uphill to the left to find the Bigfoot Trap.  No sign, just… pay attention. It’s an obvious trail and “The Trap” is just 200 yards up.

And you’ll see the effects of a short trail. Graffiti, garbage, people… but it’s a freaking Bigfoot Trap! Okay… it’s a wood hut with a giant steel gate. But some knuckleheads actually thought they could catch Bigfoot with it.

You can continue upstream to the top of the ridge and hit Collings Mountain.   Talked to one couple that hiked the trail all the way to Carberry Creek Road and back around for an 11 mile loop. That’s crazy. But if you want to be crazy, do that. I prefer the not-crazy adventure of looking for an imaginary man-ape.