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(8,064 ft.)

(7,704 ft.)

(7,545 ft.)

(7,541 ft.)

(7,040 ft.)

(6,965 ft.)

(6,528 ft.)

(6,469 ft.)

(5,098 ft.)

(5,036 ft.)

(4,862 ft.)

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(4,158 ft.)

"The Prince of Darkness, to use Gudde's term, gets his rewards in Monterey County with a cauldron, creek, curve in the road, flat, half acre, hill, peak, street, two canyons, and a segment of a trail.

'The instances of geographical terminology which do honor to his satanic majesty by bearing his name are countless, since from time immemorial man has ever entertained a sly liking for the interesting gentleman of hoofs and horns. All over the world this is found to be true, and California is not an exception to this curious ruling; many and varied are the places in the State which are thus distinguished.' -- Shepardson.

Stewart reminds us that 'However profane he might be in speech, the American did not apply the name of God to places. When he wished to give any idea of the supernatural, he resorted to the Devil.'"
- Donald Clark, Monterey County Place Names

(3,757 ft.)

(3,263 ft.)

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(2,475 ft.)

(2,040 ft.)

(1,784 ft.)

(1,706 ft.)

(570 ft.)

"There are in California between 150 and 200 topographical features that are named for the Prince of Darkness. Probably no other state can equal this number. We have not only many forbidding places in mountains and forests where he might abide, but also an assortment of weird formations of basalt, sandstone, and lava, as well as numberous evil-smelling pools and wells, which people like to connect with the devil. Besides the common generic terms, the most popular terms found are Gate, Punchbowl, Den, Kitchen, Gap, Backbone. There are a number of unusual combinations: Devils Speedway [Death Valley NP], Devils Rock Garden [Shasta Co.], Devils Playground [San Bernardino Co.], Devils Half-Acre [Shasta Co.], Devilwater Creek [Kern Co.], Devils Parade Ground [Tehama Co.], Devils Heart Peak [Ventura Co.], Devils Nose [Calaveras Co.], and Devils Head Peak [Napa Co.]. (Note that the absence of the apostrophe in all these names is in compliance with a general rule laid down by the U.S. Board on Geographical Names.) The name is also applied to a town: Devils Den [Kern Co.]. The bend in the Sacramento River, north of Colusa, was once known as Devil's Hackle. The 'devilish' names in Geyser Canyon [Sonoma Co.] were already current in 1867 - Devils Gristmill, Inkstand, Laboratory, Pulpit, Quartzmill, etc. Well-known features are Devils Postpile National Monument [Madera Co.], a strange pile of basalt columns established as a national monument, July 6, 1911; Devils Crags [Kings Canyon NP], named by J. N. LeConte in 1906; Devils Golf Course [Death Valley NP], a wide expanse of jagged salt hummocks on which only the devil could play golf; and Devils Garden [Riverside Co.], an immense thicket of cactus. Devils Homestead [Lava Beds NM] is so named because of the weird appearance of the formation along the west boundary of the Monument caused by a recent lava flow (i.e. only a few centuries old). Devil's Mush Pot Cave [Lava Beds NM]: J. D. Howard originally applied the name Devil's Mush Pot to the small crater near Indian Well, and the name Pots to the cave south of Hercules Leg because there were 'two stonewhirl pools' on the floor of the lower chamber. "
- Erwin G. Gudde, California Place Names

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