Natural Wyoming Landmarks Create Gravity Defying Illusions

Most states have a place that seems to defy gravity.

Usually, they are called SPOOK HILL or GRAVITY HILL to the locals.

Wyoming has at least 2 such places.

The first is Gravity Hill in Casper.

Located on Garden Creek Road near the entrance to Rotary Park.

Drive south towards Casper Mountain Road, just past the Rotary Park entrance, and stop at the first tree on the right.

In Wyoming, everybody knows what you mean by STOP AT THE FIST TREE. We don't have many of those things out here.

Put your vehicle in neutral and watch yourself get "pulled uphill."

Impressed?

There is another MUCH BIGGER Place in Wyoming that will BLOW YOU AWAY!

Drive from Thermopolis Wyoming toward Wind River Canyon.

As you approach the canyon keep an eye on the river.

From that perspective, the landscape slopes sharply down toward you.

From there there are two gravity illusions happening at once.

The river is flowing toward you.

This gives the impression that the river is flowing UPHILL!

The river is actually flowing downhill from the Shashoni Reservoir.

The town of Thermopolis is lower in elevation than the reservoir on the other side.

The second illusion is that you are driving downhill. In a few places you are, for a short while. But mostly you are not.

The slope of the land will give you the impression that you are driving down into the canyon, but you are actually driving slightly up.

So the two illusions are:

1. You appear to be driving downhill when you are actually going up.

2. The river looks to be flowing uphill.

As you continue to drive south through the canyon, you'll continue to have the impression that you are driving down, deeper into the canyon.

But your uphill climb continues, almost all the way.