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All the United States Wisconsin Shullsburg Gravity Hill in Wisconsin

Gravity Hill in Wisconsin

A remote hill on a stretch of country road where the laws of physics are defied... or so it seems.

Shullsburg, Wisconsin

Added By
Lew Blank
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Gravity Hill in Shullsburg   Lew Blank (Atlas Obscura user)
Gravity Hill in Shullsburg   Lew Blank (Atlas Obscura user)
The car appears to roll uphill at nearly 20mph.   Lew Blank (Atlas Obscura user)
“GH” marks the spot   Lew Blank (Atlas Obscura user)
Gravity Hill is on a remote stretch of County Road U.   Lew Blank (Atlas Obscura user)
Just look for the GH…   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Driving down a remote stretch of County Road U in Wisconsin, you’ll come across two white letters painted in the middle of the road: GH. If you stop your car while pondering the meaning of these seemingly random two letters, your vehicle will begin to slowly move backwards up the hill behind you, and soon enough, the meaning of the “GH” will become quite apparent.

Gravity Hill in southwestern Wisconsin appears to defy gravity by seeming to pull cars left in neutral uphill. As your car "ascends" to the "top" of Gravity Hill, you will be traveling uphill at nearly 20 miles per hour, leaving you only to scratch your head in disbelief.

What trick of gravity is going on here? Something alien? A supernatural occurrence? Perhaps Newton was wrong all along? Actually, Gravity Hill is an optical illusion, a trick of the eye perfected by a slew of topographical elements in the area. Although the road at Gravity Hill is actually slanted downwards, visual cues in the surrounding region make it appear to be an incline.

The steep, tree-covered hill to the south of Gravity Hill blocks the horizon, removing key frames of reference and distorting the scene. The ridge at the "top" adds to the illusion, as the dip north of the ridge makes Gravity Hill appear to point upwards in comparison. Just when we think we know it all, Gravity Hill reminds us that perception is not always reality.

Related Tags

Gravity Hill Roads Science Optical Illusions Transportation

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, Meg

  • Collector of Experiences
  • Meg

Published

June 8, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.travelwisconsin.com/natural-attractions-and-parks/gravity-hill-194388
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_hill
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/10634
  • http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/gravity-hill-wi/
Gravity Hill in Wisconsin
Country Road U
Shullsburg, Wisconsin
United States
42.546976, -90.233297
Get Directions

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Photo of Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

United States

Places 182
Stories 29

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