HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A solitary Somerset County oak fenced off after vandalism in 2007, where local lore claims the ground never accumulates snow and a nearby boulder stays warm year-round
Mountain Rd, Martinsville, NJ 08836
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public road; no admission charge
Access
Limited Access
Roadside field off rural two-lane road; unpaved shoulder
Equipment
Photos OK
Bernards Township preservation decision · New Jersey dark tourism landmark
The Devil's Tree is a solitary oak growing in an undeveloped field on Mountain Road in the Martinsville section of Bernards Township, Somerset County. When residential development spread through the surrounding area, the township made a deliberate decision to leave the field around the tree undisturbed rather than incorporate it into the new housing footprint.
Bernards Township is documented as having had an active Ku Klux Klan presence in the early 20th century, which features centrally in the most common local legend — that the tree was used for lynchings. Researchers and the Wikipedia article on the tree note explicitly that no historical records support this claim; no documented hanging at this specific location has been substantiated. The KKK's documented local presence is real; its connection to this specific tree is not established by evidence.
Vandalism became a recurring problem as the tree drew visitors drawn by its dark reputation. In 2007 Bernards Township installed a chain-link fence around the trunk. A local family's habit of driving their pickup to the site to discourage trespassers inadvertently gave rise to the legend of a ghostly black truck that guards the tree — a documented folkloric feedback loop where real activity generated supernatural narrative.
Sources
The most cited physical anomalies at the Devil's Tree involve two adjacent phenomena: the ground directly beneath the tree reportedly never holds snow, even when surrounding fields are blanketed, and a boulder near the base — locally called Heat Rock — is said to remain warm to the touch no matter the season. Visitors have documented these claims for decades; no scientific investigation of either phenomenon has been published.
The curse is specifically connected to disrespect or damage. According to the dominant version of the legend, urinating on the tree or making disparaging remarks in its presence leads to vehicle trouble or an accident on the drive home. This curse framing has made the tree a consistent dark-tourism draw — visitors come to test the legend or simply to see the site firsthand.
The ghost truck legend has an unusually clean origin story. A local family, frustrated by trespassers and vandals, began driving their pickup to Mountain Road to confront visitors and chase them away. The story of an aggressive pickup that appeared without warning and pursued vehicles eventually detached from its mundane source and became a fixture of regional paranormal lore — sometimes described as a spectral black Ford pursuing cars that leave the tree.
The Devil's Tree sits in an undeveloped field on Mountain Road, visible from the road. The tree is fenced with chain-link following vandalism in 2007. Visitors pull off the road to view it and photograph it. Bernards Township preserves the tree; respect the fence and surrounding private property.
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