Why do they call it Devil's Den?


Why do they call it Devil's Den? Legend has it that local residents once believed that crevices between the boulders there were home to an enormous snake. The snake was supposedly nicknamed “The Devil,” resulting in the entire area being dubbed “Devil's Den.” Despite the eccentricities of local legend, the true origin of the name is uncertain.


What place is known as Devils Den?

Devil's Den, a boulder-strewn hill on the south end of Houck's Ridge, was once the backdrop for intense carnage brought about by artillery and infantry fighting on the second day of the battle. On July 2, 1863, more than 5,000 soldiers from nine states fought a bloody battle at, arguably, Gettysburg's strangest place.


What is an interesting fact about Devils Den?

Devil's Den was formed with Little Round Top (to the east) and Big Round Top (southeast) by periglacial frost wedging of the igneous landform formed 200 million years ago when a diabase sill intruded through the Triassic Gettysburg plain. The feature acquired its foreboding name prior to the 1863 battle.


What is at the bottom of Devils Hole?

Devils Hole itself is a water-filled cavern cut into the side of a hill. The cavern is over 500 feet (152 m) deep and the bottom has never been mapped. Devils Hole provides its resident pupfish with conditions of constant temperature (92°F, 33°C) and salinity, unlike the fluctuating environments of many other pupfish.