Passing through Altadena, CA? Here’s a trick for you.
Drive to this hill in this idyllic little town, and stop the car right up on the slope.
Now gather your thoughts for a moment, take a breath, and put the car in neutral.
What the hell?
Is the car rolling forward, up the hill?
Photo credit: youtube/holdon4j
Table of Contents
The Gravity Hill Phenomenon
Updated 2/10/2020 – Altadena is home to a phenomenon known as a gravity hill.
There are hundreds of them around the world, and the physics of them are widely debated.
Some say it’s a mere optical illusion.
Others insist it’s a quirk of the Earth’s magnetic field.
Of course, another theory is the ghosts with whom we share our world are exerting a physical influence.
That one’s our favorite.
We like that theory.
This particular hill has a sad story attached to it.
The Tragedy of Altadena’s Gravity Hill
Many years ago, a school bus packed with kids was driving down the road, as it did most days.
The bus was an old rickety thing, and it broke down trying to make it up that hill.
While the driver was walking around, kicking the tires and tinkering with the engine, worried about keeping his schedule, the kids got bored.
One by one, and then in pairs or groups, the children exited the bus.
Milling around, playing, goofing around, and doing all the things kids do.
They were nice boys and girls, and they didn’t deserve what came next.
Distracted by his frustration, the bus driver didn’t notice the car zooming up the road, far too fast.
Distracted by their games and flush with the supposed immortality of youth, neither did the children.
Photo credit: flickr/27147
That car ripped right through the crowd, killing most of the kids instantly.
The driver finally reacted and tried to dive to their rescue.
His only reward for heroism was to share the fate of his precious cargo.
The town of Altadena reacted as you would expect, with horror and heartfelt vows to improve the safety of that dark road.
Today, it’s well-lit at night and dotted with signage warning drivers to take it slow.
The spooky thing is, it seems that there’s another safety measure in place.
The gravity hill developed immediately following the horrific accident.
The legend goes, the ghosts of the children still inhabit the place of their cruel death…
Children of The Hill
Photo credit: flickr/macpupu
Tales say the dead children of the hill band together, pool their strength, and push back cars driving up the hill.
The kids don’t like cars anymore.
Cars are scary, and lead to bad things.
Of course, all of this happened years and years ago, long enough for the grief and horror to fade.
The Altadena Gravity Hill is an urban legend now, a story told by the inhabitants of the sleepy rural town.
It’s just a fun place to visit, to stop your car and marvel at what comes next.
There’s nothing mystical or supernatural about it.
It’s just one of those things.
At least, that’s what people tell themselves so they can sleep at night.
Drive slow and keep your lights on.
You never know what you might find standing in the road.
Directions To The Altadena Gravity Hill
First, Click Here To Get The Directions To The Altadena Gravity Hill.
Next, gather your courage – you’ll need it.
And lastly, click the Share button below to share this with your friends.
That way you can all go together to check this crazy hill out for yourselves.
