Local legend states that a barren circular path, 40 feet across, is where the devil paces. There he plots new terrors to bring onto mankind.

Others believe that vengeful spirits are buried underneath the patch of unfertile soil, where no vegetation will grow. One theory states that Waxhaw Native Americans were slaughtered and buried here hundreds of years ago. Their restless spirits now kill anything that spends too much time on their grave.

It's also believed that during the 1970's and 80's a small cult of devil worshippers would use this area to sacrifice animals in unholy rituals.

Today, people have witnessed animals avoiding the circle. One visitor’s dog choked itself on its leash to avoid the circle's center. Others that have come across the Devil's Stomping Ground have witnessed small animals dying on the edge of the circle.

People brave enough to visit the circle at night have claimed to see a pair of red eyes manifest themselves in the center. The sound of footsteps can be heard in and around the area.

The Devil's Stomping Ground has become a popular place for teens to test their bravery. One teenager had a frightening experience as he and his friends stood in the circular path. He states that, "It felt like a large hand rose from the ground and grabbed my heart. I fell to my knees, it hurt so bad...I couldn't move."

PICTURES: http://www.hauntspot.com/haunt...ds-nc-2~s600x600.jpg

What is the cause of this? is it scientific or supernatural? Can some experiments be done to find out?

Science abandoned supernatural explanations to physical phenomenon in the 1840's (soon after Wohler discovered he could make urea without the use of kidneys). They still do today! Jeez!

I would guess it has something to do with the extraordinarily acidity and high salt content in the soil there. Just hazarding a guess, but I'd say that its probably "toxic" soil that keeps grass from growing. Over time, rain is leeching the salt away, which is why the circle is shrinking.

Occum's Razor says its scientific.

quote:

Originally posted by bflynn:
I would guess it has something to do with the extraordinarily acidity and high salt content in the soil there. Just hazarding a guess, but I'd say that its probably "toxic" soil that keeps grass from growing. Over time, rain is leeching the salt away, which is why the circle is shrinking.

Occum's Razor says its scientific.

Occum needs to get an electric , but I think you might be right enough .

Here is the information I have on that area , I don't live there but I have been on satellite view for nearly an hour, and did a few web searches but I am still lacking a good link to the University of North Carolina's Research Forest page .
This site is barely a stones throw from the Universities land .

The most interesting feature of this area to me is Flat creek just north of this site.

Around it the land is completely bare , the water has a yellow rusty appearance and , because I can't get a good terrain map on it , I think the surface appears to be puckering a bit around some sort of crack.

If there is something going on underground there , perhaps some kind of geo-thermal activity , The devils stomping ground would be on the creeks eastern most tip .

Somebody with better access to the University's website could probably get more information .

There really isn't anything at UNC on this place. There's a few books from UNCPress and some sites at the library

Duke has a good forestry research group, but they don't cover this location. Its really just a minor curiousity.

Is there something specific you're looking for? I usually drive within a few miles of this place twice a week.

The creek to the north of this place ( which is literally across the street ) interests me more than the curiosity site.'

I just wanted to know why the water is tinged yellow and the ground seems to swell a bit in spots and there are some darkened areas of soil there as well.

It could be salty or acidic , like you say , but I can't seem to find any analysis on it anywhere.

You would think the University would have tested these areas at some point.

Of course the Devils tramping ground must have some link to this area of Flat creek , there could be a subterranean stream there , and just an observation ( because that is all you can do with a satellite image ) the stream could be hot as well.

And , I guess I should have added this , but I was busy for a bit there .

The trees all around Flat creek are planted in straight lines , that lead me to look into why .

I don't have the info on history anymore , but supposedly they utilize this site and it is less than a mile north of the site in question .

Can't make a link work .

I found it on the satellite view when I entered the Devils stomping grounds on Google maps .

But even that put me in the wrong place , so it is just too long a search for me to explain.

This is the link I believe

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=...65,0.001093&t=h&z=20

The trees in straight lines are planted that way. There area quite a few lumber farms in the entire state. When they replant, they put them down in straight rows.

I believe if you put the name into google, you get the wrong place.

This PDF is mildly helpful. It shows streets and creeks and by matching up road names we can see where the creeks around the DTG is.
http://www.chathamnc.org/Modul...aspx?documentid=3052

It appears the area where the DTG is doesn't drain directly to Flatwood Creek. But as you say, there may be something subterranean going on there.

In the satellite images I see (google), I don’t see anything yellow in the creek waters.

When looking on the google satellite map approximately 10 miles dues south of Siler City and slightly west .

Follow 1100 north from 902 till you reach Graves church road .

On the left across from it looks like a grass /gravel cleared road that has no name .

This passes through the center of 2 cleared areas around the creek I am talking about .

The eastern one could have been cleared intentionally , the western one looks very odd with the cracked surface and the discolored soil and yellow water .

The google link I gave goes to the DTG. Its barely visible, the circle is surrounded entirely by trees. There is no road at the site, its 150 yards away.

Your site is about 1/2 mile north. I don't know what they are, but its probably the same phenomenon as DTG in a larger, less spooky form. It looks like a mineral deposit of some kind.

Something like that yes, and it is probably the non paranormal answer to the question, too bad we have no good info on what that other site contains.