The Devil's Canyon

More often than not if a location has a "satanic" sounding name it is because it is geographically massive and/or inhospitable, as is case with "Death Valley" in California. Other reason is that animals such as big cats or bears once lived there. Many times Native American tribes named a certain area after the animal that inhabited it. The pioneers would often mistranslate the original Indian names and a panther or grizzly bear would be interpreted as a demon, "The Devil's Punchbowl" in Southern California being an example. Sometimes locations were the sites of massacres or death like "Death Hollow" in Utah. The Dark Lord’s image was also used comically and/or ironically in places like “The Devil’s Golf Course” in Death Valley. Finally, some places were just weird like “The Devil’s Post Pile” in California or down right spooky or awe-inspiring like “The Devil’s Tower Monument” in Wyoming. I have made it a point to visit places with "satanic" sounding names whenever I go on a camping or hiking trip. Just for 06-06-06 here a list of "Devil's Canyons" that exist in the Western United States. Visit one near you!

* Devil's Canyon; Matanuska-Susitna County, Alaska
* Devil's Canyon; Franklin County, Arkansas
* Devil's Canyon; Cochise County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Gila County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Greenlee County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Mohave County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Navajo County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Pinal County, Arizona
* Devil's Canyon; Humboldt County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Imperial County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Imperial County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Kern County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Los Angeles County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Monterey County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Napa County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Nevada County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Placer County, California
* Devil's Canyon; San Benito County, California
* Devil's Canyon; San Mateo County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Santa Barbara County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Shasta County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Sierra County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Siskiyou County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Trinity County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Tulare County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Tuolumne County, California
* Devil's Canyon; Clear Creek County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Eagle County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Hinsdale County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; La Plata County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Larimer County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Mesa County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Otero County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Ouray County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Rio Blanco County, Colorado
* Devil's Canyon; Lemhi County, Idaho
* Devil's Canyon; Cheyenne County, Kansas
* Devil's Canyon; Carter County, Montana
* Devil's Canyon; Fergus County, Montana
* Devil's Canyon; Richland County, Montana
* Devil's Canyon; Rosebud County, Montana
* Devil's Canyon; Brown County, Nebraska
* Devil's Canyon; Catron County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Dona Ana County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Lincoln County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Mora County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Otero County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; San Juan County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; San Miguel County, New Mexico
* Devil's Canyon; Humboldt County, Nevada
* Devil's Canyon; Nye County, Nevada
* Devil's Canyon; Caddo County, Oklahoma
* Devil's Canyon; Kiowa County, Oklahoma
* Devil's Canyon; Baker County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Crook County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Douglas County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Gilliam County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Harney County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Jefferson County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Lane County, Oregon
* Devil's Canyon; Harding County, South Dakota
* Devil's Canyon; Cottle County, Texas
* Devil's Canyon; Jeff Davis County, Texas
* Devil's Canyon; Potter County, Texas
* Devil's Canyon; Real County, Texas
* Devil's Canyon; Stonewall County, Texas
* Devil's Canyon; Carbon County, Utah
* Devil's Canyon; Emery County, Utah
* Devil's Canyon; Millard County, Utah
* Devil's Canyon; San Juan County, Utah
* Devil's Canyon; Asotin County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Franklin County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; King County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Klickitat County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Okanogan County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Stevens County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Yakima County, Washington
* Devil's Canyon; Carbon County, Wyoming
* Devil's Canyon; Fremont County, Wyoming