Lawler Ford “Zombie” Road — featured in the most recent installment of “Trail of the Week,” — is both a nice workout and an area curiosity. Despite the persistent stories — that seem to have no credible origins — it’s by no means haunted by anything other than unforgiving, fed up police keeping kids and rude walkers out of the area at night.

When I was walking the northern part of the road, all I could do was inhale fresh air and hope the plans by Wildwood moved along quickly to turn the 3-mile stretch into the Rock Hollow greenway where you’ll be able to ponder the wildflower fields and wide variety plants rather than what goes bump in the night. Frankly, the true story of Lawler Ford Road is one of the old railroads that once crossed paths at Meramec River, ferry and shallow water crossings. Thus the name Lawler “Ford.” Rather than look for ghosts, ponder the relics that still lay around the area as you walk though.

Still, if you want to believe that a walk down the road when the sun is shining could contaminate you with residue from disembodied spirits, especially considering this is the end game before Halloween, the next “Trail of the Week” will be a three-mile loop around Our Lady of the Snows Shrine north of Belleville, which, with all of its symbols of good and scenes of serenity, would exorcise any dead things that might be hanging on to you.

Frankly, I saw nothing that would say the roadway is anything more or less than a pleasant walking path, and the stories of hauntings are nothing more than what you might step in if someone has been horseback riding there.