The Rock Hollow Trail is supposedly a haunted trail, although the hidden mysteries make themselves noticed at night. During the day, the trail shows much of the nature along Meramec River.

“The scenery along the trail is just beautiful,” weekly walker Tricia Berry said. “I’ve been coming here to walk with my son since he was two to enjoy the peacefulness and see the beauty of nature.”

The Rock Hollow Trail, also known as Lawler Ford Road, is a hiking trail in Bluff View Park in Wildwood, and was built in the late 1860s, including a railroad that is no longer in use, small caves and different parts of the trail labeled by both letters and numbers, going a-z and one through 100. Many stories have spread, saying many of the workers that helped build the railroad died while in the process; others say people died due to their foot getting stuck in the railroad tracks. These stories have been making people wonder which of those stories are true.

“There are supposedly ghosts there that throw rocks at you and orbs show up in pictures and videos,” new visitor Alyssa Buckley said.

There have been a variety of stories told about the road, most of which were simply spread to scare others. However, one story about the first settler in the area, Ninian Hamilton, has been documented to show it is true. It is said that Hamilton’s sister, Della Hamilton McCullough, was killed by a railroad car on the railroad. People still claim her ghost lingers in the area.

“[The trail] is so sketchy and creepy, but cool at the same time,” Buckley said.

As of today, the road’s name has been changed to Rock Hollow Trail, though the stories still spread and the trail has many visitors. The trail is calm and surrounded by the most recognized sights on the trail, such as the railroad, caves and woods around the area. Although the first railroad is no longer in use, there is a separate railroad for families to ride on for a small tour along the trail. Though the trail may be peaceful and calm when the sun rises, when the sun sets the spirits that are hidden during the day emerge from the shadows to live true to their stories, continuing to spook visitors.

“I don’t necessarily believe in ghosts, but I don’t not believe in ghosts either,” Berry said. “I think it’s fun to believe.”