Devils Backbone | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 3,829 ft (1,167 m)[1] |
Coordinates | 38°30′50″N 79°31′34″W / 38.51389°N 79.52611°W |
Geography | |
Parent range | Ridge-and-valley Appalachians |
Topo map | USGS Snowy Mountain, Monterey |
Devils Backbone (also Devil's Backbone) is a ridge and rock outcrop located in Highland County, Virginia, United States. The ridge is located approximately 7.6 miles (12.2 km) north-northeast of Monterey, Virginia near the village of Blue Grass.[2]
Along the crest of the ridge line is a near vertical outcrop of Tuscarora Sandstone approximately 84 feet (26 m) thick.[3][4][5] This formation gives the ridge its name of Devils Backbone, as the outcrop has been described "like the vertebrae of some monstrous prehistoric animal".[6] The formation has also been described as resembling that of "the comb on the head of a domestic fowl".[3]