YEAR: 2025

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: 22

STATE: Virginia

COUNTY: Grayson County

LOCATION DETAILS: 36.686506, -81.542878, Grindstone Campground, 1946 Laurel Valley Rd, Troutdale, VA 24378
From Exit 45 I-81 Marion Va, take Hwy 16 South for appx. 16 miles to the town of Troutdale, turn West on Rt. 603 for appx. 8 miles to the Smyth/Grayson County line and Grindstone Campground.

This is the Mt. Rogers Wilderness area.

NEAREST TOWN: Between Konnarock and Troutdale

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 603

OBSERVED: TREE KNOCKS, NO VISUAL

I have hesitated to submit a report, since this doesn't involve a sighting, but still, there's no explanation for the two separate tree knocks I heard.
June 22, 2025, I was in abandoned Grindstone Campground, on the North side of Virginia's highest mountain, Mount Rogers, on the border of Smyth County and Grayson County, just off Highway 603 in the Fairwood Valley of Jefferson National Forest/Mount Rogers NRA...I was there to photograph rare fireflies I had seen and photographed there a couple of days earlier; this time I wanted a nice shot of the fireflies on the abandoned Amphitheater trail; however, this was the first night of the sweltering 90 degree temperatures, and the ample fireflies I had photographed just a couple of days earlier, there was none to be seen...
I'm set up, at the mouth of the trail, with my camera, tripod and a chair...I'm all alone in this campground, shut down due to damage to its infrastructure, so this once desirable 100 site full service campground is now relegated to maybe 15 sites with a porta-potty, so it's rarely used, and on this Sunday night, there were no campers there...
It's dusk, around 9 something PM, there's a little light, still, no wind, no owls, wildlife or any noise...suddenly there comes a knock from the woods ahead of me...imagine a Louisville Slugger wooden ball bat swung full force against a large Oak tree or similar hardwood...that was the sound...one single knock, nothing before, nothing after...it reverberated loudly through the forest...
So I'm pondering what in these woods could have made such a loud singular wood knock, certainly not a woodpecker, squirrel, nor was it a bear riding down a bug infested tree, there was no crunch sound with it, no footsteps...
Then, at 9:45, perfectly dark, still no fireflies, still wondering what made that loud wood knock...here comes another wood knock,same direction, same sound as before, just as loud, definitely closer than 1/4 mile, probably a few hundred feet Southwest of my location, probably on the hillside above a stream I photographed fireflies at a couple of days earlier...this is when I packed up and headed out...there were no cars present on my way out, nor at nearby Mt. Rogers trailhead...this area is not known for Bigfoot encounters, but having done SAR work in this area for 27 years, I have no idea what could have made that exact sound...I mentioned this to a man I met a few days later who related that he's had incidences all around the Troutdale area for years.
Despite the high humidity and temperature, there was no odor associated with Boar Bears or Bigfoot...location 36.686506, -81.542878.

ALSO NOTICED: Not in that immediate area, but a man I happened to mention this to a few days later, that grew up in Troutale (8 miles East), deep in the forest surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest, claimed all his life he heard knocks, vocalizations, tree structures, etc.

OTHER WITNESSES: No, no other cars or humans around.

OTHER STORIES: I have heard of no other BF sightings in that immediate area; next closest reported sighting I saw on the BFRO site was the overlook on Grayson Highlands State Park, 4 miles West of this location.
The only other "paranormal" event in the area happened 30 years ago, only 2 miles North of Grindstone Campground...my wife and another couple were camping on a ridgetop in the National Forest...around 3am we heard wild horses gallop part our tents, jarring the ground close to my head...all parties heard it and was awoke by the galloping...in looking for evidence it was clear no horses could have galloped through there at full speed because our tents were backed up to 4 foot high brush and brambles...no hoofprints or evidence...in the years since, this area has been reported to be inhabitated by "faeries" by others...there is a very bold spring on that mountaintop that has never dried up, that makes the headwaters of Fox Creek...supposedly that creates energy.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: First knock around 9:00 PM (21:00); second knock 9:45 PM (21:45)

ENVIRONMENT: Mt. Rogers Wilderness area, North ridge, old growth hemlocks and hardwoods, mossy rocks, dense foliage and rhododendrons.
Temp was the first night of 90 degree temps, stuffy and humid, no wind.

About BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

Matthew Moneymaker is originally from the Los Feliz District of Los Angeles, California.

- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

- Juris Doctorate (Law degree) from University of Akron School of Law

- Founder of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization,1995.

- Writer and co-producer of the Discovery Channel documentary "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science", 2001.

- Co-producer of the TV Series "Mysterious Encounters" for the Outdoor Life Network (OLN Channel), 2002.

- Producer of the "2003 International Bigfoot Symposium" (Willow Creek Symposium) DVD set, 2004.

- Co-host of "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet Channel, 2010 - 2017.

- Current Director of the BFRO

- Available for private bigfoot expeditions and conferences. To inquire please email ContactUS@BFRO.net

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net