Why So Many Bigfoot Sightings Happen Near Old Mining Towns
Abandoned tunnels. Isolated ridgelines. Forgotten towns. The perfect recipe for mystery.
Across Appalachia, especially in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, a surprising number of Bigfoot sightings cluster around old mining towns. Places like Lynch, Benham, Harlan, Matewan, and countless coal camps that once echoed with machinery now sit quiet, reclaimed by the forest.
But why do so many encounters happen in these areas?
Here are the leading theories researchers and witnesses keep coming back to.
1. Abandoned Mine Tunnels Create Hidden Pathways
Old coal mines leave behind miles of underground passages.
Most are sealed, but many collapse naturally, leaving cracks, vents, and hidden openings.
Researchers have long speculated that these tunnels could offer:
shelter
stable temperatures
hidden travel routes
protection from humans
Even if Bigfoot isn’t living in them, the terrain around abandoned mines is perfect for staying out of sight.
2. Mining Towns Were Built in Remote, Rugged Terrain
Coal companies didn’t build towns in easy places.
They built them deep in the mountains, steep hollers, dense forests, and isolated ridgelines.
Those same areas are:
low‑population
heavily wooded
full of wildlife
rarely explored today
Perfect habitat for a large, elusive creature.
3. Old Mining Communities Left Behind Food Sources
When coal camps shut down, nature took over:
fruit trees
gardens gone wild
feral animals
abandoned livestock areas
Trash dumps are now buried in the forest
These create micro‑ecosystems that can support large mammals — including something like Bigfoot.
4. Generations of Miners Reported Strange Activity
Long before “Bigfoot” became a household name, miners told stories of:
huge footprints near coal tipples
rocks thrown from tree lines
strange howls echoing through hollers
“wild men” watching from ridges
heavy footsteps around camps at night
These weren’t paranormal investigators; they were working men describing what they saw.
5. The Terrain Amplifies Sound and Shadows
Old mining towns sit in narrow valleys where sound bounces, and shadows stretch.
A howl can travel for miles.
A silhouette on a ridge can look enormous.
It’s the kind of landscape where encounters feel bigger, louder, and more intense.
6. Nature Reclaims Everything
Once the mines closed, the forest swallowed the towns.
Buildings collapsed.
Roads disappeared.
Wildlife returned.
What’s left is a perfect blend of:
human history
wilderness
isolation
mystery
Exactly the kind of environment where Bigfoot sightings thrive.
Final Thought
Old mining towns are more than abandoned relics; they’re gateways into some of the most remote, untouched terrain in Appalachia. Whether Bigfoot uses the tunnels, the ridges, or the forgotten hollers, one thing is clear:
Where the mines once dug deep, the mysteries still run deeper.
Old coal mines leave behind miles of underground passages.
Most are sealed, but many collapse naturally, leaving cracks, vents, and hidden openings.
Researchers have long speculated that these tunnels could offer:
shelter
stable temperatures
hidden travel routes
protection from humans
Even if Bigfoot isn’t living in them, the terrain around abandoned mines is perfect for staying out of sight.
2. Mining Towns Were Built in Remote, Rugged Terrain
Coal companies didn’t build towns in easy places.
They built them deep in the mountains, steep hollers, dense forests, and isolated ridgelines.
Those same areas are:
low‑population
heavily wooded
full of wildlife
rarely explored today
Perfect habitat for a large, elusive creature.
3. Old Mining Communities Left Behind Food Sources
When coal camps shut down, nature took over:
fruit trees
gardens gone wild
feral animals
abandoned livestock areas
Trash dumps are now buried in the forest
These create micro‑ecosystems that can support large mammals — including something like Bigfoot.
4. Generations of Miners Reported Strange Activity
Long before “Bigfoot” became a household name, miners told stories of:
huge footprints near coal tipples
rocks thrown from tree lines
strange howls echoing through hollers
“wild men” watching from ridges
heavy footsteps around camps at night
These weren’t paranormal investigators; they were working men describing what they saw.
5. The Terrain Amplifies Sound and Shadows
Old mining towns sit in narrow valleys where sound bounces, and shadows stretch.
A howl can travel for miles.
A silhouette on a ridge can look enormous.
It’s the kind of landscape where encounters feel bigger, louder, and more intense.
6. Nature Reclaims Everything
Once the mines closed, the forest swallowed the towns.
Buildings collapsed.
Roads disappeared.
Wildlife returned.
What’s left is a perfect blend of:
human history
wilderness
isolation
mystery
Exactly the kind of environment where Bigfoot sightings thrive.
Final Thought
Old mining towns are more than abandoned relics; they’re gateways into some of the most remote, untouched terrain in Appalachia. Whether Bigfoot uses the tunnels, the ridges, or the forgotten hollers, one thing is clear:
Where the mines once dug deep, the mysteries still run deeper.
Thanks
~Thomas~
This post is by Thomas Marcum. Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as TCC Research. Over 25 years of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wildland firefighter, a published photographer, and a poet.
This post is by Thomas Marcum. Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as TCC Research. Over 25 years of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wildland firefighter, a published photographer, and a poet.
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