The Patterson–Gimlin Film
Two riders in the California woods filmed a large, hairy figure walking away across a creek bed, and it turned to look at them.
What was reported
On 20 October 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin were riding along Bluff Creek, looking for evidence of Bigfoot, when they say they came upon a tall, dark, hairy figure by the creek. Patterson filmed it with a 16 mm camera as it walked away across the sandbar.
Partway through, the figure turns its head and upper body to look back at the camera. The minute-long film is still the most famous Bigfoot evidence, and frame 352 has been reproduced countless times.
Explanations offered
Many people think it shows a person in a costume. A man named Bob Heironimus said in 2004 that he wore the suit, and a costume maker said he sold one to Patterson, but no suit has been produced. Some researchers argue the figure's walk and proportions would be hard to fake. Gimlin has always said the encounter was real.
- When
- 20 October 1967
- Where
- Bluff Creek, Northern California, USA
- Witnesses
- Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.