Defy Physics on Mooresville’s Gravity Hill

A mile before a dead end on Keller Hill Road, just off Highway 42 in Mooresville, Ind., there is a hill…

No signs or postings are there to guide you.  Its title ‘Gravity Hill’ started as an unofficial nickname, but time and rumor officially cemented it. What happens on Gravity Hill? First, let me toss out my safety disclaimer.

Remember that this is a public road, so other drivers may be coming along. Be mindful, put on your hazards and, if you’re the driver, don’t even think about filming and steering at the same time.

On Gravity Hill in Mooresville, if you place your car in neutral at the correct point, you’ll begin coasting uphill for over a mile, almost the entire way back to Highway 42.  Within minutes, you’ll see the road wooshing by as you make your way UP hill. 

Some drivers have been so disoriented with the experience they became car sick. If that’s the case, you can always use the brake. Some locals dismiss it as a simple optical illusion, but if so, the hill’s optical illusion has attracted thousands of wandering Hoosiers for decades. That’s an impressive illusion in itself. But…

…Others have a more enthusiastic (and darker) story to share about Mooresville’s Gravity Hill: a story involving a stalled school bus, a barreling train and the ghosts of children pulling vehicles up the hill to help drivers escape the same fate. Although the more mundane origin is without a doubt true, believe whichever story makes your Indiana explorations more interesting. 

Finding the hill is the first challenge.  Geological processes thousands of years ago made anything south of Indianapolis a rocking and rolling stretch of hills. Mooresville is no exception.  Go in blind, and it will be next to impossible to find it.  Luckily, yours truly has included a map and the GPS coordinates below, along with other fascinating links associated with this landmark of Hoosier lore. 

Here’s some homework: Sometimes you’ll see superstitious visitors cart bags of flour to Gravity Hill. Try to find out why.

Want to Know More?

Sometimes finding it on your own is half the fun, but for those who want to cut to the chase, HERE are Gravity Hill’s GPS coordinates. 

The Mooresville Chamber of Commerce put together THIS PDF HANDOUT for inquisitive visitors.  Whether you’re a historian, ghost hunter or just into regional folklore, this handout is a treasure. 

HERE’s a similar gravity hill, located just over the Indiana border in Covington, Kentucky. Worth checking out if you’re in the mood.

If you enjoy this article, try Hoosier Tales, a collection of the 50 most popular stories from Orangebeanindiana.com