Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven

Grand Tower, IL · Miscellaneous

The Devil's Backbone, a rocky ridge about a half mile long, sits adjacent to the Devil's Bake Oven, a larger rock about 100 feet tall near the river's edge. The formations have been used as landmarks, lookout points and hiding places throughout history. River pirates used it as a hideout in the 1700s and early 1800s. Later, the Bake Oven was the site of an iron works and the homes of its officials, and the setting for a ghost story. The superintendent's daughter fell in love with a man of whom her father disapproved, and he forbade her to see him and confined her to the house. She pined away for weeks and finally died of despair. Her spirit is said to linger at the site of her house. Witnesses have seen her misty apparition and heard moans, wails and screams. Their house was demolished and its wood was used to build a railway station, but afterward her ghost continued to appear.

Geographic Information

Address
Brunkhorst Ave
Grand Tower, IL 62942
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GPS
37.64210765, -89.5145359
County
Jackson County County, Illinois
Nearest Towns

Quick Answers

Is Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven really haunted?
Visitors rate Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven at 74.3 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 2 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven located?
The address is Brunkhorst Ave, Grand Tower, IL 62942. GPS coordinates: 37.64210765, -89.5145359.
What kind of haunted place is Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven?
Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven is listed under Miscellaneous in our Illinois section.
What is the nearest town to Devil's Backbone and Bake Oven?
Grand Tower, IL is the closest town, about 1.4 miles away, with Altenburg (4.0 mi.) and Gorham (5.5 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

Share Your Experiences

Comments (2)

  • Patrick Harris |

    Live nearby and end up there at least once a year and have slept there. A wonderful area to camp or picnic. Never heard or saw anything unusual.

  • MaryJWanna2 |

    Moved nearby just over a year ago. The first trip to Devil's Backbone park I made was in broad daylight but I was overwhelmed with a spooky sensation. Hairs on my arms n neck stood up and I experienced periodic chills. Later when I told a long time resident about my trip I finished my tale saying I felt some thing or things maybe there. He very seriously said u bet they r and they have been a long time now. He went onto explain that castle rock, used by lewis& clark wasn't the only one of its kind. There used to be a few of the rock formations across the river. He told us that when the explorer ships slowed to pass between those rocks, the Indians/pirates lay in wait on top and ambushed, robbing, killing many innocent people there. I believe it as the energy here is so strong.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.