Lakes Region Hiking — A haunting hike to Devil's Den Mountain

Gordon climbing down into the upper room of cave

By Gordon DuBois

I was perusing though our family library, looking for A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, when I came across an interesting book entitled Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire. It was tucked away in a corner of the bookcase and I had forgotten that my son Matthew had given me this book as a Christmas present back in 2009. Written by Marianne O'Connor, educator and writer from Nashua, this small paperback has a number of attention-grabbing stories of hikes that have a unique and fascinating history. The book is filled with stories that will capture your curious mind. As I scanned through the table of contents one particular hike caught my attention, "Devil's Den, Chasing Satan." Halloween was approaching and it seemed that this would be a fitting hike for the season of ghouls, ghosts and goblins,

I called my friend Steve Zimmer to see if he wanted to find the "Den of the Devil" with me. He jumped at the opportunity to hike into this mysterious area in New Durham, near Merrymeeting Lake. We began the day by driving along Route 11 to the rotary in Alton, where Route 11 and 28 merge. At the rotary we turned onto New Durham Rd. and drove a few miles to Merrymeeting Lake Road, turned left, following the sign for the state's fish hatchery. We continued on this road until we reached a sharp turn where North Shore Road made a sharp turn to the right and Devil's Den Mountain Road swung to the left. At this point we needed to make a decision. The road from this point forward is a class 6 road that's heavily rutted and filled with rocks and large boulders. Since I have a four-wheel drive, high clearance pickup we decided to drive the road. However, it's advisable that you park your car at this road junction. There is plenty of room for several parked cars. After a rough and tumble ride of about a mile, we found a large clearing to park the truck. If you choose to walk the road it is a pleasant hike through beautiful stands of hardwood. There's a large cellar hole you can explore as you make your way up the road to the trail head, which is about 1.5 miles from the North Shore Road parking area. Be on the lookout for ATVs, as the road is frequented by thrill-seeking riders.

After parking the truck we headed up the road to the beginning of the Devil's Den Mountain Trail. We passed a beaver bog that had long been forgotten by beavers, but provided us with a beautiful interlude to our walk in the woods. Shortly after passing the bog we found the trail head on the left marked with a "T" painted on a rock. It's here where we began our journey to find the cave. We continued on this well-defined trail until we eyed the steep rock face of the mountain. We noticed many side paths as we climbed toward the mountain, but we found the trail to be well-marked with frequent red blazes painted on trees. The trail then swung to the right and we began our final short assent to the summit. The barren rock face provided a few semi-obstructed views of Lake Winnipesaukee and Merrymeeting Lake. Here is a good example of where the ancient glaciers of 10,000 years ago scoured the mountain, leaving behind this bare granite mound of rock high above the forest floor. After taking in the views and peering over the side of the precipitous cliffs, we began our excursion to the other side of the mountain to find the den of the devil. The red blazed trail led us down the mountain, over several rock scrambles to a split in the trail.

Now the real fun began! We turned left, climbing over large boulders that had fallen from the cliffs above. Noticing a red blaze on a large boulder we hoisted ourselves and Reuben onto a rock ledge where we encountered the entrance to the cave. No doubt this was the Devil's Den. We dropped our packs, hiking poles and strapped on our head lamps. Steve entered the cave first. I hung back, playing "chicken", not wanting to stir up the spirits of those who were buried in the deep recesses of the mountain. There are many tales and legends of the cave. Some say it was used as a burial site for native peoples. Others have claimed that the cave was once used by early explorers in the area as shelter from winter storms and some died in the cave, trapped by winter-long snow storms. I noticed iron hinges on the rock at the entrance to the cave that once housed an iron gate. Legend has it that the cave was used in early colonial days to imprison witches who lived in settlements across the region. People say you can hear the voices of the dead as you enter the cave. Reuben sniffed around the entrance not wanting to go in. Steve tried to coax him but he staunchly refused, stiffening up his back, hair standing on end, tail between his legs and whining softly. Did Reuben sense something foreboding and sinister inside the cave?

After calling out to Steve I heard his faint voice respond, "It's OK, come on in." I attached my head lamp to my head and began to carefully enter the cave. I had to crouch low and wiggle through the entrance. The air felt cold and damp. I thought to myself, "This is not a place for anyone who is claustrophobic". Once inside the cavern it opened into a narrow room, with what looked like ancient writings on the wall. I also noticed streaks of red. Could this be dried blood? I met up with Steve after my carefully and cautiously placed feet led me to the end the cavern deep inside the mountain. Here we found a ladder that led to another entrance to the cave from the cliffs above. We dared not climb the ladder as it was wobbly and several rungs were missing. Having satisfied our curiosity, we turned around and made our way back to the entrance where Reuben was anxiously waiting our exit. Thank goodness we heard no strange noises or felt any boney fingers poking us in the back.

We finished our exploration of the cave and began our hike back around the mountain. We scrambled along the cliffs on the south side of the mountain. We looked up and saw rope anchors that indicated the mountain is a popular destination for rock climbers. We found our way back to where the truck was parked and headed home. When I returned home and unpacked my gear I found my camera was missing. It strangely disappeared from my pack and I didn't know how. The next day I raced back to the trail and cave to see if I dropped it along our route. The camera was gone, nowhere to be found. It simply disappeared. How could this be? I wondered, "Was this the work of some imp or mysterious spirit lurking in the den and taking revenge for entering their home, Devil's Den?" I considered my camera lost forever.

About a week later I received a phone call from a jogger who was running in the area of Devil's Den Mountain. He found my camera laying in the road, the road I had walked several times searching for my lost camera. How come I didn't notice it earlier? My explanation: some ghoulish creature was playing tricks on me by stealing the camera from my pack. He was letting me know not to tread into the cave again. This Halloween season maybe a good time to hike into Devil's Den Mountain and find the cave, if you dare. It is a four-mile round trip of about two or three hours. However, you may like to leave yourself more time to explore the cave. Remember to keep a close eye on your possessions, as there may be some ghostly creature waiting to play a trick or two on you.

Gordon has hiked extensively in Northern New England and the Adirondacks of New York State. In 2011 he completed the Appalachian Trail (2,285 miles). He has also hiked the Long Trail in Vermont, The International AT in Quebec, Canada, Cohos Trail in northern New Hampshire and the John Muir Trail in California. Gordon has summited the New Hampshire Hundred Highest peaks, and the New England Hundred Highest in winter. He spends much of his time hiking locally and in the White Mountains with his dog Reuben and especially enjoys hiking in the Lakes Region due to the proximity to his home in New Hampton. He is also a trail maintainer for the Belknap Range Trail Tenders and can be found often exploring the many hiking trails in the area. He can be reached at forestpd@metrocast.net

Steve exploring inner room of the cave