Centre County Bigfoot Sightings
In 2025, multiple Bigfoot sightings were reported in Centre County, Pennsylvania, just 20-25 miles from Penn State University. Investigators deemed the witnesses 'sincere and very credible.' One Penn State student described encountering a black silhouette while raccoon hunting that filled him with dread.
The forests of central Pennsylvania have long held stories of strange creatures in the woods. In 2025, a cluster of Bigfoot sightings near Penn State University brought renewed attention to the region and produced witnesses that investigators found unusually credible.
The October Sighting
On October 4, 2025, an unnamed witness reported an encounter approximately 25 miles from Penn State’s campus in State College. The witness, interviewed by researchers from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), was deemed “sincere and very credible” - a designation not given lightly by investigators accustomed to sorting genuine reports from hoaxes and misidentifications.
Details of the sighting have been kept partially confidential to protect the witness, but the report describes a clear visual encounter with a large, bipedal creature matching classic Bigfoot descriptions. The witness’s demeanor and the consistency of their account impressed investigators who have evaluated thousands of reports over the years.
The Penn State Student
Perhaps more compelling was an earlier incident from February 19, 2025, involving a Penn State student who was raccoon hunting in the woods around 6:30 PM. As darkness gathered, the student described being overcome by what he called a “dreadful feeling” - an inexplicable sense of being watched and an urgent desire to leave the area.
When he turned his flashlight toward the source of his unease, he briefly illuminated a large black silhouette before it disappeared into the brush. The student was shaken enough to report the encounter despite the inevitable skepticism such claims attract.
A Pattern Emerges
What made the 2025 Centre County sightings notable was their clustering - at least three credible reports within a 20-mile radius over several months. This pattern suggests either a single creature with a defined territory or multiple animals in an area with suitable habitat.
Central Pennsylvania offers ideal Bigfoot habitat according to researchers:
- Vast tracts of continuous forest
- Abundant deer and other prey species
- Limited human population density
- Rugged terrain with numerous hiding places
- Connected to larger wilderness areas via mountain ridges
Scientific Skepticism
Despite the credibility of these particular witnesses, mainstream science remains unconvinced of Bigfoot’s existence. No physical evidence - no bones, no bodies, no DNA - has ever been recovered that proves the existence of an unknown great ape in North America. Skeptics suggest that even sincere witnesses may be misidentifying known animals or experiencing psychological phenomena in isolated wilderness settings.
Yet reports continue, and witnesses continue to stake their reputations on what they claim to have seen. The Centre County sightings of 2025 add to a phenomenon that shows no signs of resolution.