Path to the Devil's Tramping Ground
Devil's Tramping Ground
Anyone who grows up in NC hears of The Devil’s Tramping Ground.
I’ve lived out here in the country for over 10 years now and I decided it was time to finally go and see this thing.
On the way I stopped at The Old Place for breakfast. Pretty busy. Naturally, I had some homemade biscuits with country ham.
Then on down NC 903 to Harper’s Crossroads which is where the infamous spot is located.
Yep – it’s a natural perfect circle in the woods. It’s like a circle of dirt and gravel surrounded by woods.
The gravel is the clue. From the looks of the gravel, which is quartz and granitic and the fact that it’s only in the circle surrounded by clay and soil – my guess is the spot is a small igneous batholith or laccolith from which the overlying sedimentary structure has eroded away. The top of the batholithic structure has also eroded down to a flat top. The surrounding sedimentary erosion resulted in the rich soil outside the circle. So, you have a granitic circle which doesn’t support growth surrounded by rich sedimentary soil which readily supports vegetation.
Not sure if the devil walks around it, but from all the litter and debris it’s obviously a party spot for the local kids.
Of course, being a guy, in the woods, and having had several cups of coffee – naturally I . . . .
1 comment:
Thanx Bill for posting this. I have heard of this all my life, but never heard where it was. Probably because I was a preacher's kid. In fact my dad was a rector of the Episcopal church in Siler City for one summer back in the mid 1950's.
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