Smoke Hole Canyon

Created by millions of years of erosion by the South Branch of the Potomac River, Smoke Hole Canyon is a geographically distinct area of Pendleton County. The area was also one of the bases of the "Swamp Dragons" - an offshoot of the Union sympathizing militia active in Pendleton County, otherwise known as the Home Guard.

Smoke Hole Canyon was formed by the path of the South Branch of the Potomac River. The area has few residences, however, the canyon has been settled since at least the early 19th century. These early colonists may have displaced an indigenous population that resided in nearby caves. Because the rocky formations prevented large-scale agriculture, the area has been economically isolated from the rest of the county. The area is home to St. George's Church, one of the oldest still-standing log churches that were common throughout Pendleton County in the early 1800's.

Smoke Hole receives its name from the smokey mist emanates from the low-lying South Branch. The name could also come from the belief that indigenous people smoked meat inside the canyon's cavern system. Some cave formations contained saltpeter which was mined for the war effort.

During the Civil War, the local Union-sympathizing militia known as the Home Guards were called the Swamp Dragons, most likely because of their base in the secure canyon. The Swamp Dragons raided the southern part of the county which mostly sided with the Confederacy during the war.

Today, Smoke Hole Canyon is a tourist destination with campsites along the river.

Smoke Hole Canyon, Forest Service. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recarea/?recid=9916.

Bond Cemetery, Landes Family. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://www.landesfamily.org/bondcemetery.html.