Roadside Attraction: Magnetic Hill, Moncton NB
Source: By JENNIFER KENT
Posted: 09/01/09 3:20PM
Filed Under: Canada Travel Guide
On the northern outskirts of the City of Moncton, a giant magnet inevitably pulls tourists off the road for a fun photo opportunity...and a rare chance to bend the rules of gravity.
Welcome to Magnetic Hill, the place where streams flow uphill, and cars and bikes coast up an incline grade. This geographical oddity was first noticed in the 1930’s when early motorists found that when descending the apparent incline, they had to push on the accelerator to prevent their car from rolling backwards...uphill.
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This quirky phenomenon is actually an optical illusion created by rising and descending terrain. Now a popular tourist destination, Magnetic Hill has expanded to include a zoo, a water park, mini-golf course and several other attractions.
To experience Magnetic Hill, visitors pay a small fee to drive their cars to the end of the original road. They are then instructed to put their cars in neutral, at which point as their vehicle begins to roll backwards, uphill.
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