They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.

Alternatively, you can build a half-way decent Sasquatch trap that has yet to catch the elusive creature, and you’ll still get a fair number of visitors.

In the southern part of Jackson County, Oregon, in the woods of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, you can find the world’s only federally-maintained Bigfoot trap. It is a 10 x 10-foot wooden box, secured to the ground with telephone poles.

In the early 1970s, Oregon miner Perry Lovell reported finding 18-inch-long footprints in his garden. Although human in appearance, the size suggested they might have been left by Bigfoot. In response, the North American Wildlife Research Team (NAWRT) constructed the trap and kept it baited from 1974 to 1980. NAWRT is no longer in operation, and the trap was successful only in catching a few bears. Largely forgotten, the trap fell into disrepair.

That changed in 2006, when the U.S. Forest Service repaired the trap as part of its “Passport in Time” program. It is maintained, allegedly as a tourist attraction. We say “allegedly” because the U.S. Forest Service offers this helpful and informative article about the declining habitat of Sasquatch. We’re sure it’s just a coincidence that the article is dated April 1.

Although the trap has yet to capture any cryptids, it is successful in roping in hundreds of tourists each year. The trapdoor is permanently bolted open for the safety of the human visitors. Presumably, in the event of an unexpected Bigfoot investation, the bolts can be removed and the trap can be returned to its originally-intended purpose.

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