Everything OddWay knows about. Narrow it down by what you're after, or where you're going.
Stories a place tells about itself, passed down and still repeated.
Princeton, KY
Stop on KY 2618, under the Western Kentucky Parkway bridge, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Portville, NY
Stop on Promised Land Road, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Lānaʻi City, HI
A sea stack between Mānele and Hulopoʻe is associated with a well-known tragic Hawaiian legend about Pehe and her lover Makakehau. The view is reached by a short coastal trail, but cliff edges and waves require caution; the offshore archaeological platform itself is not a casual climbing destination.
Lyndeborough, NH
Local folklore says the Devil once tried to cook beans beside the falls and left behind a large pothole known as the Devil's Bean Pot along with a nearby footprint-like impression in the rock. The actual landscape is a series of waterfalls and sculpted bedrock reached by hiking trails. The folklore gives an already unusual natural site a distinctly OddWay story.
Blaine Township, MI
Stop on Putney Road, south of Joyfield Road, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Hilo, HI
The Wailuku River drops over a broad lava ledge into a large plunge pool and cave traditionally associated with Hina, mother of the demigod Māui. The falls are easily viewed from a county park overlook, but river flow can become dangerous after heavy rain.
Rose City, MI
Stop on the end of Reasner Road, past Heath Road, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Boston, MA
A shamrock-shaped plaque inside North Station invites travelers to touch it for good luck in honor of legendary Celtics coach and executive Red Auerbach. Years of hands have turned an ordinary commemorative plaque into an interactive sports ritual.
Marlow, OK
A small cave in Redbud Park is tied by local tradition to Marlow-area outlaw stories and the Marlow brothers. The public park gives travelers a concrete, accessible anchor for legends that otherwise blur into regional folklore.
Richfield, NC
Stop on Richfield Road, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Wilburton, OK
Caves and rugged sandstone terrain in the Sans Bois Mountains are traditionally associated with outlaws including Jesse James and Belle Starr. The park gives that legend a safe, public landscape rather than directing travelers toward vague private hideout claims.
Topeka, KS
Rochester Cemetery is attached to a long-running Topeka legend about an 'Albino Lady' said to appear among the graves. Treat the story as local folklore rather than fact, visit only during lawful cemetery hours, and do not disturb graves or residents nearby.
Eatonton, GA
Thousands of stones form a giant bird-shaped effigy on the ground, one of only a small number of large stone effigy mounds known in the region. Its exact age and purpose are not completely resolved, making Rock Eagle a genuine archaeological mystery rather than a modern roadside sculpture.
Eatonton, GA
Another large stone bird effigy lies east of Eatonton, surrounded by trails and interpretive displays. Like Rock Eagle, the original context of the stone figure is uncertain, but the preserved form is clearly distinct enough to justify its own OddWay route point.
Meridian, MS
A historic cemetery best known to odd-history travelers for the ornate grave of Kelly Mitchell, often called the "Gypsy Queen." The site has accumulated legends and offerings over time; visit as a cemetery and do not disturb memorial items or graves.
San Elizario, TX
A historic adobe church tied to the Spanish presidio settlement and the long-lived religious traditions of the El Paso valley.
Exeter, RI
Local tradition connects this small family cemetery with Sarah Tillinghast, whose father reportedly became convinced that she was returning from the grave while tuberculosis spread through the family. The story became one of Rhode Island's lesser-known vampire legends, although the surviving historical record is less certain than the Mercy Brown case. The cemetery is a sensitive historic burial ground and should be visited respectfully in daylight. Secondary source: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grave-mercy-brown
New Hartford, CT
Despite the ominous name, Satan's Kingdom is now a popular river recreation area. Competing stories have tried to explain the name through rough terrain, outlaw hideouts and local folklore, giving an otherwise scenic park one of Connecticut's best place names.
Easton, MA
A historical marker identifies the site of an eighteenth-century sawmill linked by later folklore to owner Israel Selee, who was said to be a wizard assisted by Satanic imps. The mill history is real; the demonic workforce belongs firmly to local legend.
Hellam Township, PA
York County's Seven Gates of Hell legend claims that a chain of gates hidden around Hellam Township leads eventually to an entrance to hell, with versions involving either a burned asylum or an eccentric doctor. The alleged asylum never existed and the land connected to the story is private property; this is strictly a **public-road folklore stop, not an invitation to search the woods**.
Washington, DC
A small marker near the former Walter Reed grounds recalls the Confederate sharpshooter said to have fired toward Abraham Lincoln during the Battle of Fort Stevens; access can be controlled.
Greenfield, MA
Stop on Shelburne Road, facing east just past the Route 2 overpass, put the car in neutral, and it appears to roll uphill. The slope is an illusion — the surrounding land hides the true horizon, so a gentle descent reads as a climb — which has never once stopped anyone trying it with a bottle of water. A public road, so pull over sensibly and watch for traffic.
Fort Benton, MT
A statue and gravesite memorializing Shep, the sheepdog famous for waiting at the Fort Benton rail station for years after his owner’s coffin departed by train.
Alamogordo, NM
This unusual museum examines the Shroud of Turin through a life-size research photograph, historical material and a VP-8 image-analysis display. The original shroud is not here; the attraction focuses on the scientific and religious mystery surrounding it.
