Zombie Road: Missouri’s Most Haunted Path
By Amy Blankenship, Show Me History Podcast
Picture this: an affluent suburb in western St. Louis County. By day, a scenic walking and bike path winds through the woods. But when night falls, it transforms — or so the stories say — into one of Missouri’s most haunted roads.
Welcome to Zombie Road, a place where ghost stories, strange encounters, and tragic history intertwine.
Where Legend Meets Landscape
Officially known as Lawler Ford Road, this path in Glencoe, Missouri, once stretched about two miles through dense woods, steep cliffs, and rocky terrain, ending at the Meramec River. The nearby railroad’s sharp curves caused deadly derailments. The cliffs claimed lives. And the Meramec River still takes the occasional victim today.
Visitors — both past and present — report cold spots, disembodied voices, scratches from unseen hands, and apparitions ranging from Civil War soldiers to ghostly children. At night, the place hums with eerie possibility.
Native Roots and Early Settlers
Long before ghost hunters came with cameras, this route was a Native American trail. Tribes traveled through the bluffs to reach the river, using the area’s flint to craft tools and weapons. Some claim the land is also an ancient burial ground — a familiar origin for many haunted places.
In 1803, settler Ninian Hamilton made his home here, operating a steamboat ferry for travelers. By 1856, prominent St. Louis businessman James E. Yeatman had acquired much of the land and opened a gravel quarry. Later, the Glencoe Marble Company mined limestone, using a narrow-gauge railway to haul stone from the valley.
The Tracks and Their Tragedies
The Pacific Railroad arrived in the 1850s, running along the Meramec River. While many deaths are rumored, only a few are documented:
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1876: Della Hamilton McCullough was struck and killed by a train.
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1970s: Two teenagers were hit and killed; their bodies were reportedly found scattered through the woods.
The name “Lawler Ford Road” first appeared on maps in the mid-1860s, though its origin remains a mystery.
Civil War and Orphans’ Voices
During the Civil War, the road was part of a route moving soldiers from St. Louis to Jefferson County.
In 1872, an orphanage was built in Glencoe, later run by the Christian Brothers as St. Joseph’s Industrial School. A fire destroyed the building in 1885, but it was rebuilt as the La Salle Institute. Perhaps this is why so many visitors hear phantom children crying in the night.
Resorts, Recluses, and the “Zombie Killer”
From the early 1900s until 1945, Glencoe was home to a resort community along the river. After the resorts closed, their buildings decayed. One legend tells of an old woman who emerged from a collapsing house to yell at passersby — then vanished into thin air.
By the 1950s, Lawler Ford Road had become a teenage hangout. Here, the most infamous story took root: a man, allegedly escaped from a nearby mental facility, disappeared into the woods, leaving behind bloody clothes. Dubbed the Zombie Killer, he was said to have taken up residence in an abandoned clubhouse, killing teens who disturbed him — and haunting the woods long after his death.
Modern Ghost Hunting and Media Fame
In November 2005, the Missouri Paranormal Research group investigated. They reported:
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Pale apparitions
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Unseen hands grabbing them
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Voices from nowhere
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Cold patches of air
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Flashes of light in the forest
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Shadowy figures and silent “people” crossing the path
In 2007, Zombie Road appeared in the documentary Children of the Grave, a film exploring haunted places tied to children’s spirits. Interest surged, and crowds of thrill-seekers — and troublemakers — descended on the area at night.
From Road to Trail
Today, Lawler Ford Road is gone. In 2010, it was paved as Rock Hollow Trail, part of the Meramec Greenway and Great Rivers Greenway network. The 2.3-mile path begins near Ridge Elementary School in Wildwood, Missouri.
The city officially denies Zombie Road exists, and the trail closes at sunset. Trespassers risk fines up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail, with police and neighbors keeping watch.
A Short Road, A Long Shadow
Zombie killers, Civil War ghosts, orphaned children’s cries — all on a path less than two and a half miles long. Whether you believe in the legends or not, Rock Hollow Trail holds a place in Missouri’s lore, where history and hauntings walk side by side.
Plan Your Visit (By Day!)
Enjoy the trail’s natural beauty, but respect the rules. This haunting history is best explored with daylight — and maybe a friend or two, just in case.
You can find more at:
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Until next time, I’ll see you in the Lou.