The town, which is located in the Appalachian Mountains, is best known as the site of a popular wintertime tubing resort known as Hawksnest,[5] which claims it has the largest tubing facility on the East Coast, and some of the town's year round residents earn their living at the resort.

In the mid-1960s, seven men from the Winston-Salem area established the unincorporated community of Seven Devils with the vision of creating a recreational resort.

They wanted a unique name to attract visitors and decided upon Seven Devils based on a combination of factors.

In its early days, Seven Devils featured a campground, swimming lake, horseback riding trails and stables, rental cottages and a general store.

The resort soon became a favorite among locals and college students, offering low ticket prices, a bar with live music, and a weekend night skiing session called "Nighthawk" that ran from 10pm to 4am.

In 2008, under the ownership of Lenny Cottom, Hawksnest closed for skiing to focus on snow tubing and ziplining.