Spook Hill: Interesting Natural Wonder or Scary Paranormal Phenomenon??
Come closer, my little darlings, and let me tell you about the mystery of Spook Hill…
You see, there is a mysterious hill nestled in the sleepy little Florida town of Lake Wales. Picturesque oaks, dripping with the sash of old Spanish moss, line the way there. But don’t be fooled by their natural beauty – this is a place where all is not necessarily as it seems. For those brave souls with enough courage to stop and discover for themselves, the hill will soon reveal the unnatural secrets it holds.
Once you have arrived at your destination, stop your motor carriage near the white line and place the vehicle in neutral. Look forward toward the horizon and wait. Slowly and creepily, your vehicle will begin to move.
Oh, there’s just one teensy little thing I forgot to mention, darling. You will find yourself rolling uphill.
That’s right, you are defying gravity. Pushed along by an unknown force. The devil himself? The ghost of a bloodthirsty pirate? Or perhaps the spirit of a Seminole warrior who died wrestling a monstrous gator more than two hundred years ago.
Whoever they are, the spirits are waiting for you… Come and visit if you dare! (Mwahaha!)
The Legend of Spook Hill
Spook Hill is very legitimate. In fact, it was listed on the national register of historic places in 2018! Near Bok Tower, it stands today as one of the last free roadside attractions from the pre-Disney era. The first recorded road sign for Spook Hill was recorded in 1953, and its legend has been embraced by the locals ever since. However, there’s not just one legend – there are two!
The first legend states that a fierce alligator began harassing a local Seminole village. One day the village chief, who was a great warrior, went out to find and destroy the animal. The two engaged in a great conflict which lasted until they had killed each other, ultimately dying from exhaustion. Today, they still continue their fight in the spirit world, and the energy from their battle causes the strange phenomenon.1
The second legend tells the story of the bloody Pirate Captain Gimme Sparilla, who retired from a life of piracy to settle down in Lake Wales. When he passed from this world, he was laid to rest inside Davey Jone’s locker at the bottom of nearby North Lake Wales. His friend and fellow pirate Teniente Vanilla was also laid to rest in Lake Wales at Spook Hill. As the story goes, when anyone stops their car on Spook Hill, Captain Sasparilla pushes their car to keep them from rolling over and disrespecting the grave of his dear friend.2 Now, you wouldn’t want to make him angry, would you?
The Mystery of Spook Hill Explained
Not everyone believes in the legends, of course. In fact, plenty of folks wonder: is Spook Hill real at all?
Well, my darlings, there are fools like the National Geographic Survey who explain the mystery of Spook Hill with some mumbo jumbo about a “gravity hill.”3 (Now that sounds hard to believe.) Apparently, it’s a simple optical illusion formed by the intersection of two opposing slopes at a specific angle, meeting at the center range of one single hill. Hm. Really, now? But where is the fun in that??
Either way, if you find yourself in the Orlando Metropolitan area, we definitely recommend you take the short 50-minute trip down Interstate 4 and west on US 27 to the city of Lake Wales. Then you can find out for yourself! For a super spooky time, we also recommend you experience it at night. That is if you don’t die of fright! Mwahahaha! Happy spooks, darlings!
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Photo: Unsplash
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