The Devil’s Tramping Ground sits in the woods near what is called Harper’s Crossroads and Bear Creek in Chatham County, North Carolina, which is more or less in the middle of the state. It’s a clean circle, around 40 feet across. Nothing grows in this circle.
For many many years locals in the area said that the devil comes to this circle at night and walks the ring while he thinks, while he tramples. Dogs won’t go there. When things are left inside, sticks and trinkets, they’re gone by the morning.
As far as written history the Devil’s Tramping Ground goes back to the 1880s. Some older people in those stories say their grandparents already knew the place. There’s a 1784 deed which called a nearby tract “The Poison Field,” which is probably the same as the Devil’s Tramping Ground. A fellow by the name of John Harden wrote about it in the 1940’s and the story started spreading from there: the story of the Devil’s Tramping Ground.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has taken soil samples from the Tramping Ground. Salt content was super high, which would explain why plants won’t grow there. However it doesn’t explain why sticks and trinkets and other objects left in this mysterious circle move. Doesn’t explain why the circle stays so sharp.
Some say a molasses mill with horses walking in circles explains the Devil’s Tramping Ground. But the mill paths don’t match up.
Others say it was a Native American gathering spot. Some say witches (of course!) or a buried chief.
The circle is still there and resides on private land. People go daily to see this haunted little patch of land. They still leave trinkets in the middle and check in the morning. They’ll be in different places by then.
We are left with a circle looking for an explanation while the Devil still walks.
Day 1 of the 7 Days of Halloween 2026 – Tales of High Strangeness from Scary Earth.
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