Mount St. Helens Sasquatch Expedition Reveals Multiple Eyewitness Encounters
Posted Saturday, August 22, 2026
By Squatchable.com staff
Just came across a really compelling documentary-style video from the Salish Sasquatch YouTube channel that takes viewers deep into the heart of Sasquatch country on Mount St. Helens in Washington State. If you've ever been curious about the Bigfoot activity in the Pacific Northwest, this one is worth every minute of your time.
The video opens with the host meeting up with several eyewitnesses who share their encounters near the mountain. One of the most striking stories comes from Mike Leone, who describes not one, but two separate encounters near Mount St. Helens. The first happened back in July 2009 when he was camping near the Loowit Viewpoint. He describes hearing rapid whooping calls coming from the direction of Ape Canyon, with one of the creatures whistling twice in sharp, distinct tones. Mike was so moved by the experience that he says it brought tears to his eyes. He even compares the vocalizations to some of the famous whoops captured on the Morehead recordings, noting how fast and close they sounded.
His second encounter took place in November 2016 at a campsite off Forest Road 81. After a long day of hiking, he had just started a fire when he heard two trees being pushed over consecutively right behind his camp. He describes hearing the creature moving through the thick, gnarly forest behind him, too dark to see anything but definitely close enough to hear. The next day, he tried to push through the same terrain and found it nearly impassable. Nothing walks through that kind of brush at night, especially pushing trees aside like that.
The video also includes an audio recording Mike captured near the mountain in August 2015, shortly after midnight. It's the kind of field recording that researchers dream about, and it adds another layer of credibility to his accounts.
Beyond the interviews, the host explores some of the most iconic locations around Mount St. Helens, including the stunning June Lake and the famous Ape Caves. The Ape Caves have long been associated with Sasquatch lore, and the video touches on the interesting history of how they got their name. The lava tube system stretches for miles and is one of the longest in the continental United States. The cave slime, the bats, the salamanders, all of it creates an atmosphere that feels otherworldly, and it's easy to see why this area has captured the imagination of Bigfoot researchers for decades.
One of the most fascinating segments involves the host and her friend Sonia discovering what appears to be a large footprint heading up an embankment near their campsite. They sent footage to researcher Cliff Barackman, who was intrigued enough to come examine it in person. After ruling out a possible black bear, the print still showed characteristics that didn't match any known animal, including a large toe and a secondary toe. The host returned to make a plaster cast and capture a 3D scan, which is exactly the kind of methodical documentation the community loves to see.
The video also touches on some of the deeper history of Sasquatch sightings in the Mount St. Helens area. There's a story about a cleanup crew woman who, after the 1980 eruption, came across a massive femur bone that she described as almost twice the size of the largest man. When she and her group turned it over to the rangers, they were told it was from a black bear, which the bear hunter in the group strongly disputed. The bone was confiscated, and they never heard back. Stories like this have circulated in the Pacific Northwest for decades, and they continue to fuel speculation about what might be hiding in the vast wilderness around the volcano.
There's also a mention of an incident at Climbers Bivouac in August 2004, where 35 campers were awakened around 2:00 in the morning by awful screams coming from all around them, roughly 200 to 300 yards away. They also reported a very foul odor accompanying the sounds. With 35 witnesses, that's not something that's easy to dismiss.
Mount St. Helens has always been a hotspot for Sasquatch activity, and the 1980 eruption only added to the mystery. The blast zone created a unique environment that has been slowly recovering for over four decades, and researchers have long speculated about how the disaster might have affected any resident Sasquatch populations. The mountain sits within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is part of the larger Cascade wilderness that stretches all the way north into British Columbia. This corridor of old-growth forest provides exactly the kind of habitat that Bigfoot researchers believe these beings thrive in.
The video does a great job of blending scenic exploration with serious witness testimony, and it never feels rushed. The host takes time to let the witnesses tell their stories in their own words, which is something that often gets lost in more sensationalized coverage. If you're a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this is the kind of content that makes you want to grab your gear and head into the woods.
Definitely check out the full video on the Salish Sasquatch channel. It's a solid piece of work that respects both the witnesses and the subject matter, and it might just inspire your next trip to the Pacific Northwest.