Listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a Polk County topographical optical illusion called Spook Hill.
Pioneer mail riders discovered that their horses were laboring downhill, thus resulting in the name “Spook Hill.” The spot gained popularity when cars took over the roads and the stretch was eventually paved — then it would appear to drivers that their cars were pushed uphill.
Local legends will tell you that the area is haunted by the ghost of a bygone pirate or a giant alligator of old, but it’s really just a trick of the eye.
If you drive over to Spook Hill, you’ll be able to experience it for yourself. There’s a sign marking the starting point with the following instructions: “Stop on the white line, take your car out of gear, and let it roll back.” The result? Cars appear to roll up rather than down the hill.
