There is more to the road then just an optical illusion there is a legend and some history to the hill itself. That perhaps is what has stuck around for over a century to the locals. 

After the Seminoles left the Cherokee nation further up north they had settled mainly in Central Florida. We know this based on alot of the investigations we have done in the area that pertained to this. A chief named Cufowellax settled on the lake which is also known today as Lake Wales. It was close to Iron Mountain which is the highest point in all of Florida and was sacred to the Indians Sun God. I been there remember Bok Tower Gardens where 3 giant hogzilla boars almost trampled me??

The tribe lived peacefully for many years until a bull alligator started causing the tribe many problems and raided the village. The tribe began to fear this alligator.

The chief had set out to conquer this evil spirit and when he did the tribe noticed a small lake had formed near Lake Wales. They named it Lake Ticowa. It was not uncommon for new lakes to form in Florida even today water retention ponds in the summer can get very deep with a few good rains. 

The chief is buried near the hill or at least in the general area. Some say he was killed....others say he was victorious against this giant alligator after many days of battle. The lake was said to have filled with blood from this battle.  I know for a fact a century or two ago alligators were not under state control and some were growing easily to 18 feet and some of them were eating the local Indians. None the less the spot became very sacred to the native American people.

 I do see an impression near the hill which use to be the lake apparently it was dredged for housing.  Alot of Florida was swampy and was amazingly transformed into livable areas. 

Near the lake the Indians lost their camping grounds to the white settlers in the area. Unfortunately the white man was greedy and took many beautiful lands away from the native American people. Circuit riders carrying mail between the coast used the old trail surrounding Lake Ticowa until they noticed their horses laboring downhill. The circuit riders called it spook hill apparently the horses became quite startled/spooked in this area. 

The area eventually became the site of the citrus industry and those hills surrounding the lake were covered with citrus trees. Workers would drive their wagons around the lake and would find the mules struggling downhill with the load. Eventually when the road was paved for the local residents people noticed their cars would roll up hill by themselves. When one persons word spread it was passed on and soon became a major attraction. 

The sign at the beginning of the hill states this which we have a photo of.... "Many years ago an Indian village on Lake Wales was plagued by raids of a huge gator. The Chief, a great warrior, killed the gator in a battle that created a small lake. The chief was buried on the north side. Pioneer mail riders first discovered their horses laboring down hill, thus naming it "Spook Hill." When the road was paved, cars coasted up hill. Is this the gator seeking revenge, or the chief still trying to protect his land?"

The orange groves surrounding the hill are now gone their is a school and many homes surrounding it. Although many years ago many locals and visitors would park and line up for there turn. Some say the area is haunted...others say its an optical illusion...while others state its magnetic pulls. Based on my observation its none of the above the hill is just formed a certain way where your vehicle rolls back at the base its a very slight descent at the bottom of the hill which causes this. It looks like your car is rolling uphill but its not.

Despite all the books...news articles...and thousands of visitors each year Spook Hill does live up to its name because its an area that keeps you guess. Even the school emblem is a ghost right next to the hill! The trail and lake are gone consumed by the school and housing. However one can only imagine how eerie it looked a couple hundred years ago.  But nonetheless its an area that has had Ponce De Leon pass through it...just as much as pirates. and Native American Tribes Living off the land...all the way to the white settlers claiming the hill as there own the legend lives on!

© By

Lord Rick