The Most Iconic Northern California Town That Belongs On Your Bucket List
By Jill S.|Published March 03, 2017
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Jill S.
Author
Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at jsanford@onlyinyourstate.com.
The redwood forests of Humboldt County are home to small, old logging town and a big paranormal creature known as Bigfoot. It’s a quiet but quirky community known for it’s love of this mythological being, and a Northern California road trip through the area is incomplete without a stop here in Willow Creek.
Willow Creek is a tiny town with just 1,710 human residents. It's home to a Northern California legend however, which it is much larger than that in the hearts of all Northern Californians.
It's referred to as the "Bigfoot Capital of the World" and is the home of the Willow Creek-China Flat Bigfoot Museum. Even if you weren't ever a believer before you came to town, one stop here and you will be questioning whether or not this gentle giant creature is real.
There's plenty of evidence that Bigfoot is real and it's all right here in town. From plaster moldings of his footprints to photos of him running off into the trees, there is plenty of evidence that has been compiled by the Bigfoot enthusiasts in the area.
There's also a ton of historical nick nacks in the museum that reflect this area's history. Willow Creek's first non-indigenous settlers were Chinese laborers from the mining and lumber camps, which earned the town the name China Flat. The China Flat post office opened in 1878, and changed its name to Willow Creek in 1915.
Today, however, the mythological creature is the heart and soul of this community. Don't be surprised to see status of him all over town... and if you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the real thing!
If the town and its name are starting to feel familiar, that's because this quirky location was the set of a 2013 horror movie by the name of Willow Creek.
In it, a woman is taken by Bigfoot as his "forest bride" so that he may procreate... but by all accounts Bigfoot is a usually gentle and shy creature who is curious about humans but usually doesn't want to get too close, much like this deer on the lawn of a Willow Creek residence.
Do you have any fascinating stories about Bigfoot or living in his stomping grounds here in Northern California? Share your experiences with us on Facebook!
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