THE 20 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFUSION HILL
1. DID WE BUILD IT?
No. My wife Carol and I along with my brother Don Campbell bought it in Dec.1999; it's now called Campbell Bros. Confusion Hill. It was built by George Hudson in 1949. After WWII he started a search for a spot similar to the Oregon Vortex and the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. He was intrigued with the idea of finding his own "special" place. He believed that there were more than just a few places in NATURE that defied its own LAWS. For centuries people have called such things as magnetism and gravity LAWS of NATURE. He felt that at specific locations these two forces can combine in a way that alters our perception of the world around us. By building THE GRAVITY HOUSE and the other exhibits he structurally enhanced this phenomenon. No one has ever spent the money it would take to do a truly scientific study but people have come up with a variety of THEORIES over the years.
2. IT"S JUST A BIG HOAX, RIGHT?
It's up to each and every one of you to decide for yourselves. There are no RIGHT or WRONG answers here at Confusion Hill!
3. WHAT'S SO CONFUSING HERE?
There are several things besides all of us that work here and try to answer all the questions folks have! George did a great job as you will see in making Confusion Hill the HOME of MYSTERY and FUN in the REDWOODS since 1949! There are height variations where you seem to shrink at one end and then grow taller at the other end! There is a small trough with water in it that sure seems to be flowing uphill! You can roll golf balls out the window and they come back to you! Have FUN standing on the walls, trying to get out of the GRAVITY CHAIR or just hanging around on the BAR! Just before you get to the GRAVITY HOUSE entrance we have a FREE EXHIBIT which is a metal rod on a pivot that George set up. It's FREE because it doesn't work all the time. You will find directions posted there. Some days the rod has a MAGNETIC ability and on other days it doesn't! We made it a FREE EXHIBIT because we got tired of people coming in and complaining that it was BROKEN!
4. WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME IT WAS FREE, RIGHT?
Wrong. I don't know where you might have been but it wasn't here! There have been admission fees for the attractions ever since the GRAVITY HOUSE first opened in 1949!
The ADMISSION FEES ARE NOW:
GRAVITY HOUSE: ADULTS = $5.00, CHILD 12 to 4 yrs. old = $4.00
THE MOUNTAIN TRAIN RIDE: ADULTS = $10, CHILD 12 to 4yrs. old = $7.50
CHILDREN UNDER 3 yrs. old are FREE to BOTH ATTRACTIONS
5. WILL I EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN?
Gosh, I don't know were you this CONFUSED before you went up there?
6. DO PEOPLE LIVE IN THE GRAVITY HOUSE?
No. Some folks believe that "SPIRITS" gather at special spots like CONFUSION HILL. The only "spirit" or GHOST that we are aware of is my brother "ENGINEER DON" who died in 2002. There's been a couple of occasions when the TRAIN hasn't been where I parked it the night before. Other times I have found tools out by the TRAIN just like someone was working on it in the dead of night. The weirdest is that we have also heard the TRAIN WHISTLE blow in the middle of the night! Nothing like this went on when my brother was alive so I figure that he's still out there checking on the TRAIN for us. He took loving care of the Train and truly enjoyed giving folks a ride in it. I believe he just decided that this was where he wanted to stay and he was naturally just ornery enough that he did!
7. IS IT A REAL TRAIN?
Yes. It was never used in logging or freight hauling but it's carried thousands of people up the hill and back since it started running in 1954. It has a small diesel engine and it travels on 1 ¼ miles of 20 gauge track. The TRAIN uses a UNIQUE ALPINE SWITCHBACK SYSTEM to ascend the hill. You travel through second and old growth REDWOODS on your way to the hilltop. You then make the loop around the top seeing HISTORICAL LOGGING EQUIPMENT and learning about some of the unique characteristics of the COASTAL REDWOOD. It's a FULL 30 MINUTES trip that is both FUN and INFORMATIVE! The TRAIN runs 10am to 5pm everyday MEMORIAL DAY to LABOR DAY.
8. DO YOU TAKE THE TRAIN TO THE GRAVITY HOUSE?
No. We have two separate attractions here at CAMPBELL BROS. CONFUSION HILL.
9. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY TWO?
Well I always mean 1 more than 1. I'm not sure how others may figure it but it's added up to 2 every time for me. THE GRAVITY HOUSE is one of the attractions you pay to go see. The second attraction is the MOUNTAIN TRAIN RIDE that you pay to go on.
10. DO YOU FLOAT?
No you don't. This isn't like zero gravity in outer space. Many people feel an unexplainable force pulling them downhill. Others come back down from the GRAVITY HOUSE complaining that it made them feel "sick"! Well everyone is different but once you have experienced it you won't soon forget it!
11. DO WE MAKE ALL THE CARVINGS?
No. there are more than half a dozen local craftsmen that create all the unique REDWOOD items that we have for sale in the GIFT SHOP. Besides the GIFT SHOP that has SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE we also have the SNACK BAR. The SNACK BAR is OPEN 10am to 5pm everyday MEMORIAL DAY to LABOR DAY. Get yourself some FOOD and go ENJOY a PICNIC out back beneath the MAJESTIC REDWOODS! The GIFT SHOP and GRAVITY HOUSE are OPEN ALL YEAR!
12. WHERE'S THE WORLDS LARGEST CHAINSAW?
Well I know that it isn't here and I have no idea where it might be. Here we do have what is considered to be the WORLDS LARGEST FREESTANDING REDWOOD CHAINSAW CARVING, its right out there in the middle of the parking lot. A man built scaffolding around what was an over 40' tall dead REDWOOD and it took him 3 months to carve it. There are much taller totem poles but they were laid down then carved and raised back up. McKinnleyville north of here has The Guinness Book of World Record tallest totem pole at over 160 feet in height. Out in front you will also find THE REDWOOD SHOEHOUSE which is a favorite of KIDS OF ALL AGES!!
13. ARE CHIPALOPES REAL?
The story about them has been all around because I've even heard people talking about them in ARIZONA which to the best of my knowledge is JACKALOPE country. I myself have never seen a CHIPALOPE out in the WILD but since this is their HOME and they are known to be RARE and ELUSIVE it's just possible that they might maybe be out there somewhere. Read the "CHIPALOPE'S TALE" and see what you think!
14. WHERE'S THE RESTROOMS?
The restrooms are for our CUSTOMERS ONLY. They are located through the GIFT SHOP and out the side glass door then up the path to the right.
15. WHERE'S THE BIG TREES?
Go back outside and then look UP! We have several old growth REDWOODS which are 700 to 1000 years old and over 250' tall. Out in the back both of the TWIN TOWERS MEMORIAL TREES are over 300' tall. The COASTAL REDWOOD can reach heights of 360' and are the TALLEST LIVING THINGS on the PLANET! Its cousin the GIANT SEQUOIA is the LARGEST LIVING THING on the PLANET and is found inland in the SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. These trees are much more massive and bigger around than the COASTAL SEQUOIA but not as tall.
16. WHO DID THE TWIN TOWERS DEDICATION?
Not long after that terrible attack on 9/11 my brother Don and I were out setting up the ROCK BALANCING AREA when I just happened to look up. I said "Wow Don look at those two trees, I see the TWIN TOWERS!" He agreed with me that we should do something. I started to write the dedication and with his and my wife Carol's input we wrote it. If you look at the large tree by the PLAYGROUND AREA you will see that we have named it "BIG BROTHER" in loving memory of my brother Don.
17. WHERE'S BIGFOOT?
Bigfoot isn't known to inhabit this coastal area. They are thought to range further inland. Willow Creek on Hwy 299 is where they have the BIGFOOT FESTIVAL and all that stuff. I was given a picture of a possible footprint from the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park but almost all the sightings have been reported much further NORTH and INLAND from here. We do have BLACK BEAR, COUGARS, DEER, RACCOONS, SKUNKS, TREE SQUIRRELS, COYOTES, FOXES, CHIPMUNKS, and lots of other wildlife in the REDWOODS. A stop at the HUMBOLT REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK visitor's center is a great way to learn about the REDWOODS and all the flora and fauna associated with them. Confusion Hill is known to be the Home of the Rare and Elusive CHIPALOPE but I've yet to meet someone that's seen one in the WILD.
18. WHERE"S THE OCEAN?
It's only about 8 miles due WEST as a crow flies. There are only two ways to get there from here. Either go SOUTH 10 miles to where Hwy 1 intersects Hwy 101at LEGGET and head for Ft. BRAGG or go NORTH 15 miles to the SHELTER COVE Exit at GARBERVILLE.
19. DOES IT SNOW HERE?
We get a little dusting of snow some winters but it never sticks and stays for too long. The elevation right here is only 872' but they can get quite a bit of snow a little higher up. Rain is what we get a bunch of, 80 inches a year is not uncommon.
20. HOW'S THE FISHING?
It's all catch and release on the S. Fork of the Eel River. Browns Sporting on Garberville's main street is the place to go for more information.
We believe that you will enjoy the MYSTERY and FUN to be found here at CAMPBELL BROS. CONFUSION HILL!! We also all hope to see you again real soon!! DRIVE CAREFULLY and have a GREAT TIME on your visit to REDWOOD COUNTRY!!!
Thanks for making us a part of your trip,
Doug & Carol Campbell
Phone: 707-925-6456
E-mail: confusion@asis.com