Official synopsis
In 1924, a group of gold prospectors led by Fred Beck claimed they were attacked by massive, hairy, ape-like creatures in a remote Washington canyon—an event that became one of the most infamous Bigfoot encounters in history. Siege of Ape Canyon brings this harrowing tale to life with expert interviews, gripping historical analysis, and, for the first time ever, on-the-ground footage of the actual cabin site. Featuring exclusive insights from researcher Marc Myrsell, who has spent years unraveling the truth behind the event, this documentary peels back layers of myth, legend, and evidence to uncover what really happened in the shadowy depths of Ape Canyon.
Review
Documentaries from the Small Town Monsters filmmaking group usually focus on local color and eyewitness accounts of cryptid and other high strangeness encounters, but the group’s latest effort The Siege of Ape Canyon takes a bit of a different approach as director Eli Watson focuses on the search for and discovery of a famed Bigfoot incident. In particular, the main spotlight is on Marc Myrsell, who has discovered remains of the cabin where miners were allegedly attacked by a group of “mountain devils” in 1924, along with the mine they were working.
Although the documentary will naturally appeal to cryptozoology buffs, anyone interested in history should find it an intriguing watch. Myrsell’s determination and dedication in trying to locate the legendary locations and to keep the story alive while trying to determine fact from fiction makes for a fine watch. Also, descendants of one of the miners are interviewed and discover the role that their family member played in the history of the area.
No evidence of Sasquatch is unearthed, but that isn’t the point of The Siege of Ape Canyon. The love of historical research into a mystery and exploring where few people tread is abundant.
The Siege of Ape Canyon launched exclusively on streaming platforms, including AppleTV, Google Play, and YouTube, on November 11, 2025.
