Confusion Hill, Piercy California

Since 1949, Confusion Hill has been the home of mystery, fun, and family entertainment in the beautiful Northern California Redwoods.  In January 2010, Confusion Hill was recognized as a California State Point of Historical Interest. They are home to the World-Famous Gravity House, the Redwood Shoe House, Ripley's Believe It or Not, "World's Tallest Free Standing Redwood Chainsaw Carving," and the unique Mountain Train Ride.

Confusion Hill was built by George Hudson in 1949. After WWII, George was intrigued by finding his own "special" place, similar to the Oregon Vortex and the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. He believed that more than just a few places in nature defied their laws.

When you first enter in the middle of the parking lot, the world’s tallest freestanding redwood chainsaw carving is featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This totem of stacked bears started as a more than 40-foot-tall dead redwood. Scaffolding was erected around it, and an artist spent three months carving it. While there are larger totem poles, they were laid down to carve and then raised back up.

After you park, you must go to the gift shop, where you can purchase tickets. Two ticket options are available: the Gravity House and the Mountain Train Ride.

The minute you step inside the door to the Gravity House, everything feels different. The structure is built to give interior visitors tilt-induced optical illusions, and when inside, you’ll experience the need to stand upright when you already are.

The sensation of standing inside the Gravity House was pretty weird. It felt like I was about to fall over, but I stood straight. I had fun exploring the Gravity House and the different “experiments” you can do to see defying gravity in action.

I was trying to take a picture without falling over inside the Gravity House. You can tell by the look on my face that it was a weird experience.

The Mountain Train Ride passes towering redwoods, oaks, firs, and madrone trees. As you travel through a redwood tree and around the hilltop, the train engineer will discuss the characteristics of coastal redwood trees and the historical logging equipment on display. The ride closes during the wintertime.

There are also other things to explore here, like the redwood trees, the water that runs uphill, a picnic area for lunch, and the Red Shoe. A snack bar is also available but closed during the winter months.

When you are done exploring and if you want to see something interesting, head back to the parking lot. Once in the parking lot, look across the road and to the left. You will see a beaten path. In the woods across the road lies the mausoleum of Minnie Stoddard Lilley, a homesteader, pioneer, and teacher of early Mendocino County. From 1904 to 1936, Stoddard taught in a one-room schoolhouse in the Andersonia/Percy area. She used a horse-drawn buggy for many years to pick up some of her students and bring them to school. There is a memorial near her grave, which talks about her history in this area.

Confusion Hill has a long history of association with the television series Gravity Falls. During the show's development, Confusion Hill heavily inspired early designs of the Mystery Shack. The crew would eventually visit the roadside attraction in 2013 during Mystery Tour, a four-day road trip taken between the production of seasons 1 and 2 that helped the crew with backgrounds and design ideas for season 2. Following their visit, the crew left a signed season 1 poster, group photo, and Dipper hat, which remain up.

In 2020, after facing several major financial hurdles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Confusion Hill was at risk of closing down. To help save the business, Alex Hirsch and Gravity Falls fans helped set up a GoFundMe. The target goal was raised and exceeded. Confusion Hill continues to celebrate its association to Gravity Falls and regularly refers to it and the statue on their social medias.

NOTE:

The Confusion Hill Gift Shop and Gravity House are open 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the summer and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the winter.

• The Gravity House costs $5.00 per adult, $4.00 per child ages 4-12, and free for children ages three and under.

• The Train and Snack Bar are seasonal and open on Memorial Day through Labor Day.

• The cost for Train Rides is $10.00 per adult, $7.50 per child ages 4-12, and free for children ages three and under. The train requires a minimum of four paying customers to leave the station.

THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:

Chandelier Tree

• A drive-thru redwood tree. I think these are overrated in terms of price.

• 67402 Drive Thru Tree Rd, Leggett, CA 95585

The Grandfather Tree

• Grandfather Tree Park is the home of the bark teepee. You may even run into one of the master carvers who host carving exhibitions during spring and summer.  Other outdoor activities include a gem mining sluice, a play area for kids with a step-through stump, redwood carvings, and giant stump chairs for the three bears. Don't forget the gift shop.

• 779 N Highway 101, Piercy, CA 95587

Legend of Big Foot

• A Gift Shop with everything Bigfoot.

• 2500 US-101, Garberville, CA 95542