SPOOK HILL--

A mystery in Lake Wales, FL; well, sort'a

Here's the story:  When visitors drive down a residential road in Lake Wales they actually are driving in a bowl in a geologically significant range of sand and limestone hills, which were islands from two to three million years ago, when sea levels were much higher than at present.

As they approach the white line mentioned in the sign it appears they are traveling downhill.  When the driver stops the car, puts the transmission in neutral and releases the brake, the car will roll backwards--apparently up hill in defiance of the law of gravity.

Local promoters have taken advantage of this phenomena and created an attraction which has enjoyed national media attention.  A local grade school has jumped on the bandwagon, adopted a cute little character known as Casper as their mascot and has been named Spook Hill Elementary.

Here's what really happens as you approach the white line with your car:  A "gravity hill" also known as a "magnetic hill" and sometimes a "mystery hill", a "mystery spot" or a "gravity road" is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope.  Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill in such cases. (1)

...and here's the explanation:   The most important factor contributing to the illusion is a completely or mostly obstructed horizon; without a horizon, judging the slope of a surface is difficult as a reliable reference is missing. Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual reference.

While it appears you are traveling downhill approaching the white line in this instance, you actually have bottomed out in your approach and have, unnoticed, begun to travel slightly uphill.

So, when you reach the line, neutralize the transmission and release the brakes you will roll backwards because you actually are facing up hill...not downhill as it appears.

Actually there are hundreds of gravity hill locations around the world.

As you ponder this remember, optical illusions can be powerfully deceptive.  Stand between two railroad rails and look toward the horizon for example.  The rails will appear to converge.  So, our eye is telling us one thing while our brain knows the rails are parallel and always will remain apart.

In the case of our spooky hill our eyes are telling us one thing while the experience of rolling backward is proving what you "see" is not necessarily true.

As for the tale of the 'gator and the Indian chief mentioned in the sign, you'll have to take that up with the town's story tellers.

(1) Another explanation.