In a state filled with a variety of impressive natural wonders, there was one that stood out to early settlers as particularly unnatural. In fact, they found it so odd that they wondered if it might perhaps even be of demonic origin. Nowadays, there’s nothing nearly so unnerving about this unnatural natural feature as all that — except maybe its name.
Long before any of us were around to witness it, landlocked West Virginia was actually prime oceanfront property — or rather, prime ocean-bottom property!
This is evidenced not only by the many sea-creature fossils found in the mountain creeks in some areas of the state, but also by some of the towering rock protrusions the state is famous for, including Seneca Rocks, N Rocks, and Champe Rocks. These famous outcroppings are all composed of Tuscarora Sandstone, a sandstone made from the remnants of an ancient beach.
Although it changes names a few times, the Tuscarora Sandstone runs for hundreds of miles: south into Tennessee and north into New York! And another fascinating formation in this long line of cliffs is Devil's Backbone right here in West Virginia.
Named because it struck early European settlers to the region as so unnatural that it must be the work of a devil, this sandstone fold towers above WV-39 just a short distance southeast of Huntersville, West Virginia, near Marlinton.
But the actual source of this unusual rock curvature is some sort of ancient, intense compressional folding that twisted these layers into this anticline we now know as Devil's Backbone.
There's a small pull-off at the base of Devil's Backbone along WV-39 so that you can safely stop, hop out, and get a picture of this amazingly unnatural natural wonder.
Throw in a fishing pole and some wading boots while you're at it, as Knapp's Creek runs along the base of the Backbone as well, and it's a great spot for fishing or wading.
If you’d like to visit Devil’s Backbone for the first or fiftieth time, you can find Google Map directions from your location here.
Yet another example of this unique anticline outcropping, although not nearly as curved, can be found in Monroe County. That’s right, Peters Mountain’s famous Hanging Rocks is also comprised of Tuscarora Sandstone!
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