Missouri’s Zombie Road: Lawler Ford Road Ghosts
Just outside of St. Louis, you’ll find Missouri’s Zombie Road.
With a richly spooky history that involves both Indigenous tribes in the area, along with Civil War soldiers, it’s not surprise that its modern-day reputation is filled infamous wonder.
Visitors to the area these days are most often looking to catch a glimpse of a rail ghost or sneak around the sinister (and supposedly haunted) long-abandoned graveyard. All while recounting tales of serial killers that might or might not have been.
But are there zombies roaming around Lawlor Ford Road? Ghosts? Or is just it just the collective imagination running wild?
Lawler Ford Road: a trail for zombies
Unsurprisingly, Zombie Road isn’t the real name of this spooky piece of land. But despite the fact that it’s actual name is Lawler Ford Road or Al Foster Trail, the tickets issued to trespassers by police read “Zombie Road.” It’s a moniker picked up sometime in the 1950s.
This 10-foot wide trail is the perfect location for a spooky story, rumored to be situated on an Indigenous burial mound. The trail winds through beautiful woods, ending abruptly at what used to be a rock quarry that was closed and abandoned in the 1970s.
Having served as the main access point to the rock quarry, the road is technically paved. However, it’s fell into disrepair over the years and is largely impassible via car. Instead, it’s used as a paved biking and hiking path
Though the area had been used as a crossing along the Meramec River for Indigenous tribes historically, Zombie Road wasn’t officially constructed until the 1860s. Its official “road” stat us was most likely prompted by its heavy use by Civil War soliders headed west.
Glencoe: the zombie vacation hot-spot
Zombie Road is located in Wildwood — a small city on St. Louis’ west end.
But before it was Wildwood, it was Glencoe, a thriving resort community that sustained itself on visitors traveling by rail.
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But as cars got hot, the decline of rail travel took Glencoe’s hustle and bustle with it. By the 1940s the population had dwindled.
Many homes in the area were converted for year-round visitors. But others were simply left abandoned. Their decaying structures adding to the eeriness of the area.
These old shacks and abandoned homes that run along the beach at the end of the trail are a hotbed for ghostly sightings. Eerie vibes, strange shadows, and the general feeling of a dark lurking night makes this area an unsettling place.
It’s no surpise that this is listed as one of the most haunted places in Missouri with cisitors report sightings of Zombie road ghosts. Many thought to be former home owners, biding their time in their favorite vacation spots.
In particular, the specter of a mysterious old woman yells at explorers on the bike path from her perch at an old house. But when they go to investigate, she never seems to be home. And there’s the ghost of a young boy wandering around the bluffs from where he fell to his death — his body never found. Indigenous travelers, confederate soliders, school children and quarry workers maimed by machines on the job are all said to be still lurking in the area.
Just like many other haunted places, hikers along zombie trail report unsettled feelings and sensations of being watched. Not to mention eerie sounds, unexplainable noises and disembodied footsteps.
The unknown serial killer “zombie”
During the 1950s, Lawler Ford Road was a local hotspot for teen couples looking to get some necking time in away from the prying eyes of their parents. By this time, Glencoe was over a decade closed and the road was already falling into disrepair. Coupled with the road’s winding curves, it was a recepie for automobile accidents.
But the name “zombie road” didn’t come from the accidents or the eerie abandoned road. Instead, it was adopted from the legend of “Zombie” a serial killer. He was rumoured to live in one of the worn down shacks long the neglected gravel road.
As the legend goes, “Zombie” AKA the “Zombie Killer” escaped from a nearby hospital and disappeared somewhere along Lawler Ford Road.
Before vanishing into the woods, he left his blood-soaked clothing on the side of the road. He lived out his days in one of the disrepaired homes sitting along the abandoned road. But would sneak out into the woods at night to take advantage of the young lovers necking in the woods. Suppsedly, he would murder them.
Unfortunately for you murder buffs (and fortunately for the necking teenagers), this story isn’t true. There is no hospital in the area, nor did any that sat slightly out of the area report losing such a patient. Not to mention, there are no past serial killings reported in the area.
An alternative tale says that that instead of escaping a hospital, Zombie worked at an “orphanage run by sadists.” Supposedly, the area surrounding Zombie trail contains a cemetery of murdered children. But again, there’s no record of an orphanage in the area, and no evidence to back up orphan grave sites.
The Glencoe Marble Company
In 1868, the Glencoe Marbel Company opened. They mined limestone depositions in the area, set up a small railroad, and used trucks to haul stone gravel. That is, until the quarry at the end of the road eventually shut down in the 1970s.
Reminents of the abandoned railroad built by Glencoe Marble Company in the late 1800s, the extend along the river and pass through what would later become Glencoe. Though only a few remnants of the railroad lines can be seen near the dead end of Zombie Road.
But just a hint of railroad is all you need to stir up ghost stories, visitors report seeing a translucent figure in white walking along the abandoned line that simply vanishes leaving a bluish-white light behind, but when they go to investigate it disappears.
Some believe this might be the ghost of Della McCullough.
Della Hamilton McCullough was the wife of a local judge in the area. Sometime in 1876, Della was hit by an oncoming train. We have no details and no records, but local legend says it happened.
Nowadays, Della’s ghost is often touted as one that haunts the area.
Others think these ghostly sightings are actually other restless spirits of rail accident victims. Like the supposed death of a man hit by an oncoming trail in the 1970s that can’t be substantiated by records. Over the years, the sharp bend in the track lead to the area being a site of frequent derailments. Eveneutally, due to the continued losses, this part of the service was discontinued.
Ghosts at Rock Hollow Trail
Zombie Road was re-paved in 2010, and renamed Rock Hollow Trail. Today it’s a popular hiking and biking location just outside of St. Louis.
It’s locally known as one of the most haunted spots in the area, but the jury’s out within the paranormal community.
Ghost hunter, Troy Taylor, dedicated space in one of his books to Zombie Road. He attempted to prove the alleged paranormal activity on the road. However, though he described the area as unsettling, he was unable to confirm the activity.
However, a separate paranormal group did report investigating. As a result, they allegedly took a photo of shadow people lining the trees near the road.
Visiting Zombie Road
Whether you want to relive the ghost stories yourself and catch an image of the shadow people roaming the area or you’re just looking for a good hike, you can visit Zombie Road.
It’s on the outskirts of the city of Wildwood, and surrounding it you’ll find lush woods and apparently broken down railroad tracks.
You’ll want to restrict your visits to day time, as this 2.3-mile trail and the surrounding wilderness park is closed at night. It opens one hour before sunrise and closes an hour after sunset.
Police have written hundreds of tickets for visitors that violate those rules that literally say “Zombie Road” on them and the fines are up to $1,000. So make sure to avoid heading there at night!
