This Strange Phenomenon In Idaho Is Too Weird For Words

With the advent of air and space travel, mankind has been seemingly defying gravity for years, which is rather marvelous when you stop and think about it. But not many people know that there are also places across the globe where, on any given day, you can go and defy physics for yourself — albeit not quite in the same way.

I’m talking about gravity hills. Also called “magnetic hills” or “mystery spots,” these are awesome areas where water, objects, and even cars will roll uphill. Just outside the small town of Grangeville, Idaho, we have one of our very own — because Idaho never ceases to amaze.

J.Stephen Conn/Flickr

Grangeville is a cozy town in North-Central Idaho with a strange, but well-kept secret.

Orin Bloomberg/Flickr

Here, you can put your car into neutral and roll uphill...against gravity, and picking up speed as you go.

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Spoiler alert: the eerie sensation is actually an optical illusion. But the whole experience is trippy from start to finish, and can be observed with any free-moving object,

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The phenomenon has sparked a number of ghost stories and urban legends, but research suggests that gravity hills are merely a product of glitches in the human perception. People tend to see uphill inclines more than they perceive those tiled downward, which makes this simple venture a perfect way to wow on a first date.

Orin Bloomberg/Flickr

Ask any local and they'll direct you to the perfect place to switch gears and let anti-gravity do its thing. If you'd like to find this magnetic hill on your own, simply follow Mount Idaho Grade Road, heading North. When the trees obscure the horizon, you've found your starting point.

Because Idahoans are rather used to winding roads and steep grades, our inner ears have adjusted accordingly and it’s possible that Grangeville’s gravity hill point won’t be as radical as you would like. If that’s the case, you can also check out the more widely publicized gravity hill in Post Falls. Equally fascinating is the opposite phenomenon: uphill roads that appear flat, of which Idaho has plenty.

What do you think — optical illusion, or are there outside forces at work? Have you ever checked out any of Idaho’s gravity hills? Take a photo or video of your experience and share it with us!