There is a magic road tucked away in a rural pocket of Burlington.
Well, not really tucked away – it’s right out in the open – but the King Road magnetic hill is certainly not well promoted. (It’s also not really magic, but we’ll get to that later.)
Although Mysteries of Canada lists it as one of just 15 sites in Canada where vehicles appear to defy gravity by coasting up a grade in the road, the local phenomenon is not identified. There are no markers or signage, no tourist guides or pamphlets, it’s not on any official map. Drivers who don’t know exactly where to start may never find it.
In contrast, Moncton’s Magnetic Hill benefits from some great PR. It features an elaborate garden and a slick page on New Brunswick’s tourism website. It has also inspired several nearby attractions, such as Magnetic Hill Wharf Village (complete with souvenir shop), an amusement park and a winery, to name a few.
But back to Burlington. An internet search uncovers a webpage dedicated to our hill, which lies on a quiet, narrow stretch of road between Waterdown and Aldershot. Established back at the turn of the century by local resident Mark Visser, the site offers background information, links to news articles and even instructions on how to defy gravity while behind the wheel of your car.
Of course, there are also websites offering up anecdotal evidence – it is the internet, after all – with many posts of the urban legend variety.
One blogger contends that the gravity-defying movement is due to the ghosts of children who died in a school bus accident (or of a man who died in a crash) at the site pulling motorists to safety. Kindly spirits aside, they add, it’s “also a great spot for UFO sightings.”
Burlington Ghost Walks, which calls the area the "Official Ghost UFO Site for Burlington," alleges that people have experienced strange "electrical pulses," heard strange noises and felt otherworldly sensations while on the hill, which is very eerie indeed.
But for those not inclined to believe in wraiths, magnetic vortexes or gravity-defying properties, there is a more earth-bound explanation. The whole experience, according to Mysteries Canada, is an optical illusion. Thanks to the landscape along the side of the road, including trees and other objects, our brain is tricked into thinking the road is going uphill when, in fact, it is sloping downhill.
Even when you do find it – and this reporter has – don’t expect a wild midway ride; it’s more of a gentle, rolling reminder that sometimes, things aren’t always what they seem to be.
However it works, exploring one of Burlington’s beautiful back roads – and maybe experiencing a little magic along the way – is a great way to spend an hour or two getting to know more about the wonders of our city.
