Devil's Tramping Ground -- a Chatham County mystery. Can science help solve it?

The Devil's Tramping Ground is a clearing in the Chatham County woods where nothing has grown for as long as anyone can remember. (And the site has been a mystery for a long time--an article appearing in 1882 describing it in much the same was as it is described today.)

The mysterious lack of plants in the area has inspired the legend that the Devil comes to that spot in the night and paces in a circle while planning "all sorts of menace and mischief," trampling all the plants in the process. Scientists have yet to determine exactly why nothing grows there.

Here's a short clip about the science behind the circle in which vegetation refuses to grow -- and a little sample of Tommy Edwards' song about the place.

https://video.pbsnc.org/video/unc-tv-science-devils-tramping-ground/

Thanks to the late Tommy Edwards for the link -- and the music! Here's a link to the whole song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIYfDWPpbTE

Please note that the Devil's Tramping Ground is on private property and visitors have abused it over the years. Please be respectful and visit only with permission. Any Devil's Tramping Ground stories out there?

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