A couple who went out for a hike in an area of the USA known for its alleged Bigfoot sightings were left creeped out after noticing a tiny detail in one of their photos.

The legend of Bigfoot is one of the most enduring tales from North American mythology. Also referred to as a Sasquatch, the cryptid is a tall, humanoid figure which is believed to have been wandering the US national parks for the past century.

There is no concrete scientific evidence to prove that Bigfoot exists, however, this doesn’t stop people from pointing to grainy photos of a tall, muscular creature with reddish-brown hair as evidence of its existence.

The latest entry into the Bigfoot cannon comes from hiker Duffy Springfield, who was enjoying a day outdoors in Panther, West Virginia with her boyfriend back in March.

However, when the student had the photos on her film camera developed, she noticed a tiny detail which would leave her with chills.

Taking to Reddit, the Purdue University student shared the snaps alongside the title: “Got Film Developed from Hiking in the Mountains. Is That a Hand?”

In the caption she pointed out the hand on one side of the pillar, adding that the other side featured only ‘a drop off to the woods below’ as well as the ranger confirming she and her boyfriend ‘were the only ones there for the week’.

While none of the responses could agree for certain whether or not it was in fact a hand they were looking at several people did agree the photo was indeed ‘oddly terrifying’.

Speaking about the photo in an interview with Newsweek, Springfield added that she and her boyfriend were ‘pretty excited’ by the detail.

“Honestly, we were pretty excited when we saw it because of all the cryptids said to lurk in the West Virginian mountains. Even if it’s not actually a hand, it’s a fun story to have,” she said.

Check out the ‘hand’ in the photo (Reddit/Duffy Springfield)

When it comes to tales of creepy encounters, West Virginia has no shortage of weird and wonderful folklore – particularly as the state lies entirely in the Appalachian Mountains, which are known to be a hotbed of conspiracy theories.

Meanwhile, a TikTok user recently claimed to have spotted Bigfoot while out hiking in Parallel Forest in Lawton, Oklahoma, sharing a nine-second video of a hairy figure relaxing under a tree.

However, reactions to the clip were mixed, with several people pointing out the similarities between the ‘creature’ and a ‘Jack Links Adult Sasquatch Costume’ which appears to be easily available to buy in the States.