Spook Hill is a unique hill on a regular neighborhood street in Lake Wales, Florida. For generations, local lore has told of a Native American village that had supposedly been antagonized for quite a while by a giant alligator. If tales are to believed, the chief of the tribe was able to slay the monstrous beast after a fierce struggle. Then, early settlers in the area noticed hesitation by their horses, as if either unable to carry the heavy loads or maybe the pack animals felt a sense of unease in the area. This led many people to feel like the location may be haunted by the spirit of the fallen alligator. Another possibility states that the tribal chief may even remain watching over the land after his own demise. The reality of the scenario is that it’s just a compelling optical illusion caused by the unnatural slopes and angles of the foliage and terrain surrounding the road. What is true is that a school sits literally feet from the very spot where many vehicles are stopped, as if they can’t go up the steep hill. However, what appears to go upward is actually a downward slope in the road. The tricks of nature are enough to fool the eyes and the brain into seeing what’s not even there in the first place.
Spook Hill, Lake Wales
