▁one ▁of ▁eight ▁w ilder ness ▁areas ▁protected ▁and ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁State ▁of ▁Missouri . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁designated ▁the ▁w ilder ness ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁and ▁it ▁now ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 6 , 5 9 5 ▁acres ▁( 2 6   km 2 ). ▁ ▁Dev il ' s ▁Back bone ▁is ▁located ▁within ▁the ▁Will ow ▁Spr ings ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁A va - C ass ville - Will ow ▁Spr ings ▁R anger ▁District , ▁of ▁the ▁Mark ▁Tw ain ▁National ▁Forest , ▁near ▁Will ow ▁Spr ings , ▁Missouri . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁a ▁prominent ▁r idge ▁down ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁Hor se back ▁r iding ▁is ▁popular ▁on ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁tra ils ▁in ▁the ▁w ilder ness . ▁ ▁Dev ils ▁Back bone ▁offers ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁recre ational ▁activities ▁for ▁visitors . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁season , ▁dog wood , ▁re db ud , ▁and ▁service berry ▁trees ▁are ▁flow ering ▁in ▁full ▁force . ▁Then , ▁in ▁fall ▁the ▁fol i age ▁of ▁the ▁o aks , ▁s assa fr as , ▁and ▁red ▁map les ▁begin ▁to ▁turn ▁a ▁vast ▁array ▁of ▁red s , ▁y ell ows , ▁and ▁or anges . ▁ ▁The ▁North ▁F ork ▁River ▁is ▁also ▁main ▁att raction ▁for ▁visitors ▁to ▁the ▁area . ▁There ▁are ▁three ▁spr ings ▁within ▁Dev ils ▁Back bone ▁that ▁feed ▁the ▁North ▁F ork ▁(