Many decades ago, members of the Seminole tribe left their home in the Cherokee nation, slowly travelling south until they came upon Lake Wales in south-central Florida. The small group found a high campsite (for Florida) with excellent fishing in the unspoiled waters of the lake. Nearby was Iron Mountain, the highest point in Florida, believed to be the home of the Indians’ god of the Sun. For several years, they enjoyed a peaceful existence. They were well fed with local game and plentiful fish from the lake. But from the placid lake waters arose a great danger in the form of a gigantic bull alligator, a ravening beast that would drag members of the tribe away and devour them. Chief Cufcowellax was a fearless warrior, viewed by the tribe as a courageous and protective leader who would save his people from this marauding killer. The tribe held a ceremony in which the shaman gave their leader the strength and spiritual protection to conquer the monster.

Many days passed, with more of the tribe falling victim to the reptile. One dawn, Cufcowellax spied the great ’gator with yet another human meal in his vicious jaws. With a large stone knife in each hand, the chief dived and swam after the killer before he could reach his underwater lair. On land and in the lake, the legendary battle raged for 30 days and 30 nights. Finally, the waters of Lake Wales became still and changed to the colour of blood. The anxious tribe saw their hero emerge from the crimson lake unscathed. The elated Seminoles also saw that the fierce conflict had created a depression in the ground that quickly filled with water to become another lake. This smaller pond, Ticowa, was considered a holy place and, many years later, Chief Cufcowellax was buried on its shore.

The influx of white settlers eventually pushed the Indians away from their home. The pine, cedar, and cypress trees were harvested and the swamps filled in; the land around Lake Ticowa was developed as citrus farms. Early mail haulers used the old Lake Ticowa trail carrying communications from coast to coast. They were the first to notice that their horses were straining harder than they should while going down the hill – in fact, they seemed to be working as hard as if they were trotting uphill. It was these postal agents who, as a consequence, first christened the spot ‘Spook Hill’.

Teamsters driving their mule-drawn wagons loaded with lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruit were equally amazed as their teams struggled to get downhill. Later, the rutted, muddy road was paved over. The locals noticed that their cars appeared to roll up the hill when they put their transmission in neutral. Word spread, and even today thousands of tourists come to test the phenomenon for themselves. It has become one of Florida’s best known roadside attractions, and best of all, it’s free!

Is it an optical illusion? The revenge of the great ’gator? Or is it the spirit of the chief giving the white man a hard time?

Bring your carpenters’ level, or, more aptly, spirit level, to North Wales Drive (Fifth St) in the town of Lake Wales and break the laws of gravity for yourself. Pull your auto up to the painted white line on the street, place the transmission in neutral and you will begin to roll backwards.

There are at least a dozen similar spots in the US; places where this type of optical illusion is particularly noticeable often become tourist attractions. Locals may claim a paranormal explanation or a variance of gravity and magnetic attraction. These variances can be detected with the proper equipment, but don’t account for the phenomenon.

Optical illusions such as these can easily be explained when the level horizon isn’t visible and visual perspective clues aren’t really 90 degrees vertical. Trees and walls that are off the vertical plane can cause a descending slope to appear to ascend instead. Our eyes may fool us with a false perspective, producing a mistaken estimation of the slope’s angle. The best way to determine whether a road is level is with surveying equipment. Checking a reliable topographical map of the area would also be helpful. This approach may not go down well with the local tourist industry though – today, in Lake Wales, there is the ‘Spook Hill Elementary School’ which supports student fund-gathering by selling T-shirts adorned with the image of Casper the Friendly Ghost, and on ‘Casper’s birthday’ a celebration is held, complete with a treasure hunt, parade, and carnival.