Pour a cup of Dunkin’ on this downhill road and it’ll flow uphill.
Just kidding! You seriously think we’d advise you to pour out your iced caramel mocha? But the laws of gravity here do joke. Your mind will be blown at Greenfield Massachusetts’ “Gravity Hill.” The name for the hill stems from it’s anti-gravity laws, where things move uphill on a downhill road.
Park your car in neutral and it’ll travel up the hill. While there’s all sorts of theories for why this hill defies gravity-ranging from ghost stories to the earth’s magnetic field-Gravity Hill is simply an optical illusion.
The lay of the land makes Gravity Hill appear uphill to the eye, but the actual progression of the road is downhill. Which explains why you can ride a bike “up this hill” without pedaling, or a runner might notice an unexpected ease going up the hill.
While among the most well-known anti-gravity hills in Massachusetts, there’s dozens of them around New England! Here are few other towns with optical illusion roads near Boston:
- Magnetic Hill-Mashpee, MA
- Magnetic Hill-Harvard, MA
- Gravity Hill-Sterling, CT
Where to find Gravity Hill in Greenfield, Massachusetts
If you’re curious to experience this phenomenon for yourself, you’ll find Greenfield’s Gravity Hill at the intersection of Shelburne Road and Mohawk Trail. The anti-gravity point is denoted by a yellow marker. It is a road though, so obviously make sure to be aware of your surroundings!
Plus, you simply can’t drive 2 hours to Western Massachusetts to watch water float up a hill. Make a trip out of it and check out our guide of the best things to do in the Berkshires and beyond!