At first glance, the stretch of highway north of Pasadena looks like any other mountain road.
But locals and thrill-seekers alike know better — this is Gravity Hill, where cars appear to roll uphill against the force of gravity, creating a strange and spooky spectacle.
Ghost Stories That Keep the Legends Alive
Tok Thompson, an anthropology professor and folklore researcher at the University of Southern California, has spent years collecting stories from locals.
He told the Daily Mail that the legends surrounding the hill are numerous, sometimes overlapping, and always a little eerie.
The most famous tale involves a school bus full of children.
According to legend, the bus crashed, killing everyone inside.
Their spirits now haunt the road, gently nudging cars uphill to spare others from the same fate.
Another story tells of a high school girl who took her parents’ car out for a joyride with friends.
The vehicle spun out, crashed, and allegedly claimed their lives, leaving the spirits of the girl and her friends to linger on the hill.
“There is no one set story,” Thompson explained.
“All these stories bleed into each other, and no version is considered the ‘correct’ one.”
Variations on the Bus Legend
Even the school bus story comes in multiple forms.
In one, the driver was rushing home and swerved at a bend, causing the bus to tip over and hit trees.
In another, the bus stalled, and when students tried to push it, it rolled backward and ran them over.
Some locals add that sprinkling baby powder on a car’s back can reveal ghostly handprints, though these claims are rarely verified.
Thompson acknowledged the uncertainty of such tales. “Maybe they’re true.
I’m not going to say ghosts aren’t real. Science has never disproved ghosts.
Part of being a folklorist is suspending judgment and letting the stories speak for themselves.”
The Science Behind the Illusion
Skeptics, however, have a simpler explanation. Gravity Hill is not defying physics; it’s an optical illusion.
The road seems to slope downward, but a combination of angles and perspectives tricks the eye into thinking cars roll uphill.
The trick happens because the hill’s crest subtly shifts the incline.
As vehicles roll past the top, the slope actually descends, but the surrounding terrain and lack of a visible horizon make the incline appear reversed.
Even when viewers know the illusion exists, it can be hard to wrap one’s head around.
A Worldwide Phenomenon
Altadena isn’t alone in having a gravity hill. California itself boasts at least eight such spots, and similar locations exist worldwide.
Thompson noted that most students in his folklore classes have at least heard of one near their hometown, proving the widespread fascination with these quirky roads.
Haunted or Hypnotic, It Draws Crowds
Whether you believe in ghosts or just enjoy mind-bending illusions, Gravity Hill holds a special appeal.
YouTube and TikTok are full of videos of people experimenting with the hill, some even sprinkling baby powder on their cars in hopes of revealing ghostly prints — often to no avail.
Thompson says the hill’s allure is about more than a spooky story or a viral video.
“These legends help people connect to a place.
To truly feel like a local, you need to know the folklore — the haunted house, the local monster, the gravity hill.”
Folklore That Shapes Community Identity
For many, these tales serve a social purpose. They create shared experiences, spark curiosity, and reinforce a sense of belonging.
Learning about the local legends is almost a rite of passage for newcomers, giving them a connection to the area’s culture and history.
In Altadena, the mystery of Gravity Hill is part science, part storytelling, and all part of what makes the region’s mountains so captivating.
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