The Strange Spot in Wisconsin Where Gravity Pulls Uphill

by Abigail Gezae, age 13

In the southwest corner of Wisconsin, there are two white letters painted on a country road: "GH." If you stop your car on these letters and put it into neutral, your car will start slowly moving backward up the hill.

GH stands for Gravity Hill, which is an optical illusion, a trick of the eye played by the surrounding elements in the area. The Gravity Hill appears to be slanted downhill, yet the scenery appears to be moving upward. While driving on the hill, if you put the car in neutral, you can travel about 20 miles per hour. When driving, you are experiencing the thrill of going uphill while gaining speed.

The scenery of the Gravity Hill is what causes these illusions and changes someone’s perspective. There are trees covering the hill, blocking the horizon, which is the key frame of the distorting scene. The ridge of the top also adds to the illusion. The dip to the north makes the hill appear upward.

Gravity Hill is located in the heart of Shullsburg. You can get there by taking County Highway U south out of town. Most people believe and understand it after experiencing it. If you want to see something creepy, haunted, and weird, this is exactly the place for you to go.

[Sources: Wisconsin Historical Society; UW-Madison; Weird Wisconsin]