Nestled on the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, Caesars Head State Park is known for its spectacular views of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, and is named for a granitic gneiss rock formation located atop the escarpment. The short path to the viewing area that overlooks the Caesars Head rock passes through another intriguingly named geological curiosity, a narrow passageway between two giant rocks, called "Devils Kitchen". When the trail reaches Devils Kitchen, a set of stairs descends deep down into the rocky gap, which is just wide enough for a person to pass through. The formation was created thousands of years ago, as water on the mountain froze and expanded, causing the rock to crack open from the pressure. The granitic gneiss, a type of metamorphic rock, breaks at a 90-degree angle when it cracks, which formed the narrow passage flanked by tall rock walls. The name of the geological formation is another story. It comes from a myth dating back to the days when the area was settled by Scots-Irish immigrants who enjoyed brewing their own alcohol. According to the story, the Devil himself made a particularly hot brew here, and spilled a drop of it on the rock, splitting the rock open on the spot.
atlasobscura.com/places/devils-kitchen-at-caesars-head
southcarolinaparks.com/caesars-head

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Elevation 940 m

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Saturday 6 December

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Location: Caesars Head, Greenville County, South Carolina, United States

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