Devil's Hopyard State Park

This state park has borne its ominous name since colonial times when Puritans believed it was Satan's hiding place. The park features Chapman Falls and unusual potholes in the rocks that legends claim were made by the devil.

Deep in the forests of East Haddam, Connecticut, lies Devil's Hopyard State Park, an 860-acre wilderness that has terrified visitors for over three centuries. The park's centerpiece, Chapman Falls, drops more than 60 feet over ancient Scotland schist stone formations, but it is the perfectly cylindrical potholes carved into the rocks below that spawned legends so dark that some locals still refuse to visit after nightfall.

The name "Devil's Hopyard" first appears in connection with Devil's Kettle, a large circular hole on Kettle Hill, and Devil's Oven (or Devil's Cave), a large cavelike opening in a ledge across the river. According to author David Phillips of Legendary Connecticut, the Puritans who settled this region were "inordinately obsessed with the Devil," creating some 34 places in the state whose names reference Satan, including five Devil's Dens, four Backbones, two Kitchens, a Hell Hole, and two Satan's Kingdoms.

The most widely-circulated legend describes Satan himself sitting atop a huge boulder near the top of Chapman Falls, playing his violin while the evil witches of Haddam stirred a "hell broth for a charm of powerful trouble" in the cauldron-like potholes below. According to local lore, the Devil used these falls as his personal concert hall, performing for the Black Witches of Haddam during their sabbat gatherings. When he accidentally got his tail wet, the Devil became so furious that he bounded away, his flaming hooves burning the mysterious holes into the stone as he leapt from rock to rock.

The potholes that inspired these legends are among the finest examples of such formations in the region, ranging from a few inches to over six feet in diameter and up to 25 feet deep. University of Connecticut geology professor Norman Gray determined that the formations were created by grains of sand caught in swirling water eddies, comparing the water currents to the air currents within a tornado. But to the early settlers, the perfectly cylindrical symmetry of these holes defied natural explanation.

The Puritans' fear may have been deepened by what they witnessed at the falls. For centuries before European settlement, Native Americans used this land as a sacred meeting and gathering place, performing rituals along the cascading waters. The sight of these ceremonies likely terrified the superstitious newcomers, who interpreted the indigenous practices as evidence of satanic worship.

Adding to the region's sinister reputation are the infamous Moodus Noises, mysterious rumblings that have echoed through these hills since before colonial times. The native Wangunk people called the area "Machimoodus" -- literally "the place of bad noises" -- and believed the sounds emanated from the god Hobomoko, who sat upon a sapphire throne beneath nearby Mt. Tom. When Puritan settlers first recorded hearing the noises in 1702, they attributed them to either their angry God or to the Devil himself. In 1729, Reverend Stephen Hosmer of East Haddam wrote of "fearful and dreadful" sounds that frightened local residents. Scientists have since determined these sounds are caused by micro-earthquakes occurring deep underground, with four separate earthquake swarms consisting of over 100 individual tremors striking the village during the 1980s alone.

The park also carries scars from the Revolutionary War era. In 1775, Sons of Liberty attacked a mill owned by Loyalist Abner Beebe, who had vocally supported the British. The mob tarred Beebe, covered him with pig dung, forced filth down his throat, and threw the mill's grindstone down the falls. In 2002, local historian Louis Sorrentino discovered a portion of that very millstone at the foot of Chapman Falls, leading to a park sign commemorating this violent chapter.

Modern visitors continue to report unsettling experiences. Witnesses describe dark shadows and phantoms moving through the woodland, mysterious orbs and mists, and overwhelming feelings of foreboding. Some have heard demonic voices and maniacal laughter echoing through the trees. One investigator reported capturing EVP recordings of "a human sounding grunt" immediately upon entering the park, describing an intense "feeling of being watched the whole time." Another visitor documented their vehicle mysteriously shutting down at night with no cell service, followed by scratching sounds on the car and eerie laughter throughout the night -- the car started normally at dawn. Paranormal investigators have captured video of what appears to be "a misty figure moving" and "a misty figure running" through the darkness.

The Connecticut Ghost Seekers have investigated the park, joining the many who seek to document the supernatural activity. Some visitors have reported seeing robed figures marching into the camping areas, building large bonfires and chanting in unknown tongues. Others describe feeling crushing chest discomfort and disorientation that mysteriously resolves once inside the park, only to return upon leaving.

Whatever its true nature, Devil's Hopyard remains a place where the boundary between the natural and supernatural feels impossibly thin. As the H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Dunwich Horror" -- which drew inspiration from the Moodus Noises -- suggests, some places seem to exist slightly outside the ordinary rules of the world.