The devil made me go on that road trip.

January 31, 2006 12:48 PM

What are some interesting places that have the name "devil" in them (like devil's tower, or devil's postpile)? I'm thinking about visiting as many as I can.

On a recent trip, I was looking up a hike in a book and noticed that there were several sites named "devil's something" listed. Since they seem to be geologically interesting, I thought it might make a nice unifying theme for a road trip. I got 4 on that first trip without any planning (but they aren't very exciting, you can look at my crappy blog post if you like). I don't plan on doing all of them at once, but just going if the opportunity arises. I'll take satan or hell or the like also, not for any evil reason, but just because they're likely to be interesting also.

posted by 445supermag to travel & transportation (76 comments total)

There's a road called the Devil's Backbone near Wimberley, Texas.
posted by Seamus at 12:50 PM on January 31, 2006

Hells Canyon (Oregon/Idaho border) and the Devils Punchbowl (North Oregon coast)
posted by azlondon at 12:53 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Island.
posted by ND¢ at 12:55 PM on January 31, 2006

There's an area of flat-topped boulders on the Appalachian Trail, near McAfee's Knob, known as the Devil's Kitchen.
posted by junkbox at 12:56 PM on January 31, 2006

There's (the|a) Devil's Punchbowl in central Wisconsin. It's pretty in the spring and summer and if it ever freezes again. Some crappy pics are here.
posted by substrate at 12:56 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Rock

Devil's Tower

And many places in Connecticut with the name devil in them

"If Connecticut place-names give any sort of an accurate indication, nobody ever beat the Devil for leaving a calling card all over the map of the state. With a half-dozen or so such geographical locations, there are legends explaining that the name came about because the Devil either visited or lived there, while for the rest, the devilish address seems to have stuck because they look like spots where the Evil One would feel right at home.
But those who know Connecticut history will understand where in the devil such an extraordinary number of diabolical designations really came from. For no people ever had a more devil-may-care attitude than those zealous old Puritans who trooped out of the Boston area in the 1630s to establish a worldly paradise in the Connecticut River valley. Those founders and the true believers who followed them were convinced that the Devil might really be lurking behind every bush -- and that it paid to advertise his presence and power."

posted by ericb at 12:57 PM on January 31, 2006

Plenty of Devil's Kitchens about I believe, this being the one I've seen. There's the Devil's Chimney. There are multiple Devil's Cauldrons, including this one at Lydford Gorge.

All those are more than a road trip away for you, but they might give you some help when Googling for more nearby locations.
posted by edd at 12:57 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Hopyard in Connecticut.
posted by Miko at 12:57 PM on January 31, 2006

Miko - jinx!!!
posted by ericb at 12:58 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Hill. If you're willing to include other languages, there's Spuyten Duyvil and an assortment of Devil's Points.
posted by tangerine at 1:00 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Bridge

Devil's Punch Bowl

Devil's Lake

Devil's Canyon
posted by ND¢ at 1:00 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Lake, WI
posted by probablysteve at 1:01 PM on January 31, 2006

Kill Devil Hills
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 1:01 PM on January 31, 2006

Kill Devil Hills NC
posted by kimdog at 1:02 PM on January 31, 2006

All found in Jersey: Devil's Tower, Devil's Tree, and (sort of the same) Demon's Alley.
posted by itchie at 1:03 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Slide in Utah
posted by split atom at 1:03 PM on January 31, 2006

Spuyten Duyvil

Spuyten Duyvil
posted by spicynuts at 1:03 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Triangle, aka the Bermuda Triangle
Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin
Devil's Head Resort, Wisconsin
Devil's Elbow Ski Area, Ontario, Canada
The Devil's Teeth aka the Farallon Islands, California
Devil's Slide, near Half Moon Bay, California
Devil's Gate Reservoir, near Pasadena, California
posted by frogan at 1:06 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Thumb : Boulder, CO.
posted by selfnoise at 1:08 PM on January 31, 2006

Hell, Michigan!
posted by brad! at 1:09 PM on January 31, 2006

devil's tramping ground, near pittsboro, nc
posted by kneelconqueso at 1:10 PM on January 31, 2006

Purgatory Chasm in Massachusetts lets you knock of three in a few minutes: The Devil's Pulpit, The Devil's Coffin and ummm... The Devil's Corn Crib.
posted by justkevin at 1:11 PM on January 31, 2006

There are several places called "Devil's Churn", including a couple of state parks. These are normally water features, either on a fast river, or part of a tidal feature.

The one on Oregon's North Coast is a tidal feature, a long narrow slice out of solid rock that reaches a maybe a 100 yards back into land. Water rushes in and out of the Churn at a vicious pace.

I'd link, but what the heck, you're googleriffic, I'm sure.
posted by Dunwitty at 1:11 PM on January 31, 2006

There's a Devil's Punch Bowl on the Oregon coast, too.
posted by malaprohibita at 1:12 PM on January 31, 2006

Slightly tangential, but there's a Sodom Road in Westchester County, NY, and another one in or near Tiverton, RI.
posted by scratch at 1:12 PM on January 31, 2006

To add onto Oregon, the Devil's Punchbowl is roughly a 20 minute drive away from Devil's Lake. I wouldn't say the lake is that interesting. I live by it, and have yet to see any large monsters scaring the local population.
posted by Phynix at 1:14 PM on January 31, 2006

Oh, btw, also:

Devil's Head : Downeast Maine
posted by selfnoise at 1:17 PM on January 31, 2006

See also: The Devil's Asshole.
posted by Dunwitty at 1:20 PM on January 31, 2006

You should ask The Geographic Names Information System.

I get 107 hits just in Oregon for "Devil", including these body parts:
Devil's Backbone
Devil's Elbow
Devil's Heel
Devil's Butte
posted by Laen at 1:21 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Dyke - aptly placed near Brighton, UK.
posted by AwkwardPause at 1:21 PM on January 31, 2006

Hell's Kitchen.

:-p
posted by The Confessor at 1:24 PM on January 31, 2006

Google can help you with your goal perhaps more than you realize if you don't mind opening the flood-gates. Browse to maps.google.com. Type "devil's" in the location field. Add a qualifier like "geology" as a second word in the input field so you mainly get geological points of interests including caves, lakes, rock formations, rivers, mountains, and lava flows, instead of a lot of business names. The best bit is you interactively see where each site is located on the USA map along with a link for planning your road trip(s).

Click the forward arrow on the left as long as you have patience for -- you won't see a next page list, but the forward arrow will keep giving you a new set of 10 candidates for -- well, for as long as I had the patience to click it. The links get more tenuous the longer you click, but new sites continue to crop up even then.

Then repeat for "hell" and "satan".
posted by mdevore at 1:26 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Elbow, Missouri
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 1:30 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Churn in Oregon was a favorite childhood hangout. Always came away sopping wet and a greater sense of mortality.
posted by cior at 1:31 PM on January 31, 2006

in the SF Bay Area there's Devil's Slide along the ocean and Mt. Diablo (does Spanish count?) in the East Bay
posted by sammich at 1:32 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley, and the Devil's Punch Bowl near Palmdale.
posted by fandango_matt at 1:33 PM on January 31, 2006

I think Devil's Punchbowl and Devil's Churn on the Oregon coast are the same thing... But if you're going to check it out, you might as well go another twenty miles or so and hit Devil's Elbow.
posted by pwb503 at 1:37 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Den, Weston, Conn.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 1:37 PM on January 31, 2006

in the SF Bay Area there's Devil's Slide along the ocean

soon to be bypassed by a tunnel.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:38 PM on January 31, 2006

Google gives a ton of results for Devil's Hole.

Devil's Den Farm B&B in Vermont. There's a small cave by that name on the property. (It's a very popular name for small caves in the Northeast.)

There's a Sodom Rd. in Westport, MA (on the East coast!)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:39 PM on January 31, 2006

Hell, Cayman Islands....actually don't waste your time...the stingrays are way cooler.
posted by cyclopz at 1:41 PM on January 31, 2006

Hell's Half Acre -- conveniently located on the way to Devil's Tower!
posted by scody at 1:41 PM on January 31, 2006

Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Warning: is in North Dakota.
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:02 PM on January 31, 2006

There is a place in Missouri called Devil's Pool. I think it's on Table Rock Lake very near the Arkansas border. Can't remember the story behind it, but it's pretty.
posted by lilybeane at 2:07 PM on January 31, 2006

In Death Valley you can't take two steps without tripping over something prefixed with "devil" or "hell" (or "furnace" or "bad"). fandango_matt beat me to The Devil's Golf Course, but there's also Devil's Cornfield, Devil's Hole and, I'm sure, many more.
posted by zanni at 2:11 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Den in Gettysburg.

Heck, it looks like you could just have a Devil's Den visiting spree.
posted by plinth at 2:14 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Sink, Sedona, AZ
posted by RockyChrysler at 2:15 PM on January 31, 2006

The Hell Gate (also called Hellgate, Hellsgate and Hell's Gate) in the East River and the Bridge that spans it in NYC.
posted by TimeFactor at 2:19 PM on January 31, 2006

The Devil's Staircase:
In Wales
In Virginia
In Scotland
In California
In New Zealand
In Mathematics
Should keep you busy.
I know the Welsh one, it's wonderful.
posted by grahamwell at 2:23 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Millhopper, Florida.
posted by jjg at 2:28 PM on January 31, 2006

Since we've moved on (over? down?) to Hell, let's not forget:
- Hell's Kitchen (Link is to the neighborhood website, with a fun obituary applauding the loss of NYC's 2012 Olympic bid to London);
- the Hellmouth à la "Buffy" (aka Sunnydale): various LA-area locations identified here and here; and
- what many consider the true setting of Satan's Gates (especially during August)
posted by rob511 at 2:33 PM on January 31, 2006

Sun Devil Stadium! The football stadium at Arizona State University in beautiful Tempe, AZ. Also home of the Fiesta Bowl and Arizona Cardinals (until next year when the Cardinals open their own stadium in, blech, Glendale, AZ).
posted by mullacc at 2:49 PM on January 31, 2006

Maybe Lucifer Lake... for variety's sake?
posted by staggernation at 2:53 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Half Acre. Nice drive or bike ride, too.
posted by fixedgear at 3:02 PM on January 31, 2006

I second Devil's Dyke in Sussex, UK. Dyke Road leads to it from Brighton.
posted by i_cola at 3:02 PM on January 31, 2006

There's a Devil's Bridge between Rhayder and Aberystwyth in Wales, as well as the aforementioned devil's staircase. In Wales, if the locals don't remember who built something, they blame it on the devil.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:05 PM on January 31, 2006

Central Massachusetts features Purgatory Chasm.
posted by letourneau at 3:37 PM on January 31, 2006

"Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Warning: is in North Dakota.
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:02 PM PST on January 31 [!]"

What's wrong with that? It's an absolutely beautiful area.
posted by drstein at 3:53 PM on January 31, 2006

There's the Devil's Icebox Cave (and boardwalk!) in Rockbridge Memorial State Park near Columbia, MO. It does seem eerily cold there in the summer. Watch for bats.
posted by sevenless at 3:56 PM on January 31, 2006

The Devil's Elbow and The Devil's Pulpit, both conveniently located at Mt. Diablo in the East Bay (SF Bay Area, California.)
posted by Rhomboid at 4:05 PM on January 31, 2006

there's a "devil's lake" in potsdam, germany

the legend says that the devil got struck by a lightning while riding in a horse carriage and he then drove down a hill into the lake and now the lake is "bottomless" and there's a treasure in it
posted by suni at 4:12 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Punch Bowl in Menomonie, WI. It's a beautiful local spot in my hometown, especially in the winter, although this unusually warm winter probably has kept it relatively snow-free.
posted by charmston at 4:15 PM on January 31, 2006

Oh, and there's a Hell's Gate in New Zealand, as well.
posted by scody at 4:30 PM on January 31, 2006

There's the devil's marbles in Central Australia, but it might be a bit out of your way.
posted by dhruva at 4:34 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Kitchen trail in Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colorado
posted by madstop1 at 4:51 PM on January 31, 2006

The Devil's Pulpit is a small part of the Bruce Trail, which goes through much of Ontario (Canada). That section is near a tiny town called Mono Centre.
posted by number9dream at 5:07 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Courthouse in North Carolina (where I spent time rock climbing, years ago). Also, another Devil's Stairs in NC.

While you're in the state, visit Pisgah Slides too.
posted by toxic at 5:25 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Bathtub.
posted by Marit at 5:57 PM on January 31, 2006

Arches national park has a ton of "devil" this, and "dark angel" that type of places. It really is quite amusing, being so deep in the mormon country and all.
posted by blindcarboncopy at 6:01 PM on January 31, 2006

Is Mt. Diablo close enough?
posted by Eothele at 6:37 PM on January 31, 2006

There's a Hell, MI if you want a little bit of diversity.
posted by 517 at 7:41 PM on January 31, 2006

A different link for Devil's Millhopper, in Gainesville Fl. . It's a pretty cool place.
posted by oddman at 8:00 PM on January 31, 2006

Devil's Crotch is an awesome ski run at Breckenridge. I highly recommend being pretty good on the slopes before trying it, though.
posted by stovenator at 8:22 PM on January 31, 2006

I third the Devil's Golf Course; it's one of my favorite places anywhere.
Click on the link given, and you'll see the salt formations, that make it an entirely sterile (huge) area. Go at sunset and wait for everyone else to leave, and you will hear nothing -- no birds, no insects, no burrowing animals, nothing. It really inspires awe.
posted by Aknaton at 8:45 PM on January 31, 2006

pwb503: Devil's Churn is a narrow spit, Devil's Punchbowl is a looks deep basin.

Growing up in the area, I can assure you that they are not the same thing. Devil's Punchbowl is located at Otter Rock, north of Newport and Devil's Churn is near Yachats off of Cape Perpetua.
posted by cior at 3:52 AM on February 1, 2006

North of Devil's Lake in Wisconsin is Devil's Island-well-most-of-the-time-Peninsula, part of the Apostle Islands. The Devils there are definitely the big black flies, but the island is otherwise secluded, with lots of sand, grass, birds, and other northern things to poke around at.

If it can be in Spanish, you should definitely see La Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), part of the seemingly endless line of waterfalls in Northern Argentina at Iguazu National Park.
posted by whatzit at 7:02 PM on February 12, 2006