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Burkittsville, Maryland: Spook Hill

Defying the laws of gravity and common sense, vehicles appear to roll backwards up a hill.

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Gravity Hill aka Spook Hill

Point your car towards town and the red barn at the intersection of Gapland and Mountain Church Road and put your car in neutral. You definitely feel as if the car is being pulled uphill! Fun!

[Kelly, 07/07/2010]
Spook Hill

I live in Baltimore -- I had to go to Spook Hill after reading the other posts here. I found it easily....no GPS. I put my Jeep in park to completely stop it at the bottom of the hill. Then putting it in neutral, it did begin to move up the hill. I was surprised, as I was skeptical, but it did happen.

[Kathy, 06/08/2010]
Gravity Hill aka Spook Hill

I lived in Burkittsville most of my life and every Sunday we would go to my grandparents in Boonsboro MD, so we had to cross over South Mountain. I used to beg my parents to stop on Spook Hill and put the car in neutral so the car would roll up the hill. The history behind this is it's the ghosts of the battle in Burkittsville of the Civil War and they are pushing your car up the hill and they think it's their cannon their pushing...if you do this at midnight supposedly you can hear their footsteps pushing you up the hill. I investigated this further when i was older I took a 4 foot level and checked to see if the grade of the road was going up hill.....and it is! People think its an optical illusion. You be the judge. And there's no Blair Witch in Burkittsville. I used to camp in the woods all the time and never had a problem.

[Earle G., 09/03/2009]

Ghosts -- they're just so confused.

Spook Hill

There have been skeptical remarks made that cars only appear to roll uphill. I am not a surveyor, but was told by a surveyor that all one need do is take a small stool or chair and arrange a carpenter's "level" on the chair (so that it is level) and place it far enough away from the bottom of the "alleged" hill that the instrument itself is not affected by the strange gravity. Use your eye to sight along the top edge of the level and anything that appears to be below that imaginary line is down and whatever appears above is "up."

Of course, the gravity vortex may also affect the level.

[Bill Heinrich, 02/28/2007]

And at the same time, it may be exerting uneven pressure on your eyes....and your brain.

Gravity Hill.

Gravity Hill aka Spook Hill

Spook Hill is located just outside of Burkittsville, Maryland. Drive to the bottom of the hill and put your car in neutral. At the square in Burkittsville, turn left and drive about 1/2 mile and you will see a red barn on the left. We turned around and faced the barn at the bottom of the hill. After putting the car in neutral we moved UP the hill. We stopped the car just past the 25 mile an hour sign to begin the ascent!

[Larry Brozowski, 07/18/2006]

Spook Hill

Address:
Gapland Rd, Burkittsville, MD
Directions:
From the downtown square in Burkittsville, drive northwest on W. Main St./Gapland Rd. You'll head uphill and see a large red barn on the left. Drive past the barn, over the crest of the hill, and almost to the bottom of the hill on the other side. Stop, put your car in neutral, and coast backward uphill. Watch out for cars coming over the hill behind you!
Hours:
Public road. Hazard flashers recommended. Use at your own risk. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

First Washington MonumentFirst Washington Monument, Middletown, MD - 7 mi.
Doug Bast's House of HistoryDoug Bast's House of History, Boonsboro, MD - 8 mi.
Official William McKinley Coffee Break MonumentOfficial William McKinley Coffee Break Monument, Sharpsburg, MD - 6 mi.
In the region:
Flying Circus Airshow, Bealeton, VA - 59 mi.

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