Willow Creek, California

For the California wine region, see Willow Creek AVA.

Willow Creek, California
Census-designated place
The "Bigfoot Museum" in Willow Creek
The "Bigfoot Museum" in Willow Creek
Location in Humboldt County and the state of California
Location in Humboldt County and the state of California
Coordinates: 40°56′22″N 123°37′53″W / 40.93944°N 123.63139°W / 40.93944; -123.63139
Country United States
State California
CountyHumboldt
Area
[1]
 • Total30.610 sq mi (79.281 km2)
 • Land30.310 sq mi (78.504 km2)
 • Water0.300 sq mi (0.777 km2)  0.98%
Elevation
[2]
610 ft (186 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total1,720
 • Density56/sq mi (22/km2)
DemonymWillow Creeker
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
95573
Area code530
FIPS code06-85642
GNIS feature ID1660182
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Willow Creek, California

Willow Creek (formerly China Flat)[4] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 1,710 at the 2010 census, down from 1,743 at the 2000 census. Residents of this small mountain town are commonly referred to as "Willow Creekers". The town is located around 30 miles (48 km) from county seat and harbor city Eureka, with the two places differing vastly in climate.

Willow Creek sits along the Trinity River. Willow Creek is described as a "rugged mountain community nestled in the heart of the Six Rivers National Forest." This area of California is located in the Trinity/Shasta/Cascade Region, near the Oregon border, and is easily reached via State Routes 299 and 96 (the "Bigfoot Scenic Byway").

The town is approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of where the Patterson-Gimlin film was made. Willow Creek calls itself the Bigfoot capital of the world, has a Bigfoot Museum and holds an annual "Bigfoot Daze" festival in September in honor of the creature, followed by various festivities in a local park.[5] The roadhead of the Bluff Creek / Fish Lake Road, near which many alleged Bigfoot sightings and footprint finds occurred, is about 50 miles (80 km) north, along Route 96.

An Amazon reviewer[6] of the 2013 found-footage horror film, Willow Creek, says, "The endearing quirkiness of the town is captured very well in the iconography, the interviews (particularly with Steven S., the bookstore owner), and the food." The Wikipedia review says, "The two stop off first in Willow Creek ... where various locals talk to Jim's camera, warning them to keep out of the woods, singing ballads about Bigfoot, and generally enjoying their 15 minutes in the spotlight while Jim and Kelly have a blast ...."

Willow Creek was served for many decades by the weekly Klamity Kourier newspaper, which closed in 2006 and was quickly replaced by the Bigfoot Valley News.[7] The Bigfoot Valley News has since closed, but the regional newspaper, Two Rivers Tribune (www.tworiverstribune.com), opened in 1994 and is still going strong.[8][when?] Its news coverage area is from Burnt Ranch to Happy Camp, 97.5 miles (156.9 km) [9][better source needed] (by Routes 299 and 96) to the north.

  1. ^ "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files – Places – California". United States Census Bureau.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Willow Creek, California
  3. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CGN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Big Foot Days Willow Creek California". www.seecalifornia.com.
  6. ^ Samuel Lamerson
  7. ^ Bigfoot Valley News
  8. ^ "Two Rivers Tribune". Facebook.
  9. ^ Per Google Maps