Buck Hill — Devil's Tramping Ground

A 40-foot bare circle in the pine forest of Chatham County — where nothing grows and where objects left overnight are found moved to the perimeter by morning — has been a source of local legend since at least the 1700s. Scientists have tested the soil, found nothing unusual about its chemistry, and failed to explain why plant life refuses to establish itself within the circle. The local tradition says the Devil paces this circle at night planning his mischief, and anything left in the circle is pushed out by midnight. Soil samples tested by NC State University showed no herbicide or unusual mineral content.