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All the United States Maryland Burkittsville Spook Hill
AO Edited Sponsored by Visit Maryland

Spook Hill

Near the state border, cars seem to defy the laws of physics by rolling uphill.

Burkittsville, Maryland

Added By
Blythe Roberson
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Once you pass the red barn, you’re almost to Spook Hill.   lcm1863 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Once you pass the red barn, you’re almost to Spook Hill.   lcm1863 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Burkittsville, MD is also the setting of The Blair Witch Project.   fauxto_digit / CC BY-ND 2.0
Burkittsville’s Union Cemetery.   Acroterion / CC BY-SA 4.0
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About

In far western Maryland lies the town of Burkittsville, home to fewer than 150 people. To some, it’s famous as the town where The Blair Witch Project takes place. To others, it’s known for a more enduring, but equally eerie fact: there is a place in town where your car will roll uphill.

Known as Spook Hill, the gravity-defying hill has been delighting and flummoxing locals and visitors alike for decades. No one can agree what’s behind this strange phenomenon. Is it magnets? Is it an optical illusion? Some say the answer is more paranormal; legend has it that the cars are being pushed by the ghosts of soldiers who died at a Civil War battle in Burkittsville. It’s not your car they think they’re pushing, but their cannon. As the story goes, if you try this at midnight, not only will the soldiers push your car uphill, but you’ll hear their footsteps as they do it.

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Paranormal Civil War Ghost Stories Ghosts

Know Before You Go

To find it, start in the charming Burkittsville Historic District and drive northwest on Main Street / Gapland Road. You’ll see a big red barn on your left. Pass it, drive over the hill, and drive almost to the hill’s bottom. If you put your car in neutral, you’ll roll backwards — up the hill you just came down.

Keep in mind Spook Hill is on a public road, so only attempt this experience at your own risk. If you do, turn on your hazard flashers.

Sponsored by Visit Maryland.

Community Contributors

Added By

blytheroberson

Edited By

traceywilson

  • traceywilson

Published

March 12, 2025

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  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/600
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkittsville,_Maryland
Spook Hill
Gapland Road
Burkittsville, Maryland, 21718
United States
39.39783, -77.637299
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Nearby Places

War Correspondents Memorial

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Nearby Places

War Correspondents Memorial

Jefferson, Maryland

miles away

Kennedy Farm

Sharpsburg, Maryland

miles away

The Sign Above the Tunnel

Knoxville, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

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