The place called Mt. Zion is in the remote southern part of the county, near the Alabama line, in a beautiful clearing beside Sugar Creek. At a hollow between the rugged ridges, in a peaceful place where the woods break, there sit two churches and a sprawling antebellum cemetery at a fork in the road.
The older of those two churches, Mt. Zion Methodist Church (pictured here), is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is believed to be the oldest Protestant church building in Lawrence County. A suspension footbridge crosses Sugar Creek nearby. Locals call this the “Swinging Bridge,” and there has been a variation of that bridge in the same place for over a century.
The cemetery probably has around 500 graves, including a rare grave-house and the final resting places of several of the area’s earliest settlers. It is likely that their slaves are probably buried in unmarked graves toward the back of the cemetery.
Mt. Zion is not far from the site of the Battle of Sugar Creek, which was the last battle of the Civil War fought in Middle Tennessee.
In the spring and summer, Mt. Zion is a lovely place that beckons Sunday afternoon picnickers, hikers, and anyone who wants to dip their toes in the cool water of Sugar Creek.
Perhaps it is because the place is so remote, or perhaps because the cemetery is so old, or perhaps because the surrounding hills make the little valley seem a little darker at night; whatever the reason, Mt. Zion is said to be one of the most haunted places in all of Lawrence County.
Those who are brave enough to go there after dark claim to have seen ghostly figures moving slowly among the gravestones of the old cemetery. Some have felt the Swinging Bridge jerk and sway violently while trying to cross at night. And many folks claim to have heard dreadful moans and screams from the surrounding woods.
One spirited group of paranormal enthusiasts also claim to have recorded what they believe to be the heated cries of a Bigfoot at the place in the spring of 2008.
Have you ever encountered anything spooky at Mt. Zion?
Lawrence County History Trivia 
Nope got nothing the night I went out there
Yep, in 1971, saw a Bigfoot there, no joke.
I want to go.
I have a picture of the old church building after dark and if you zoom in close on the windshield w you’ll see a child’s face. I took another picture of the exact same spot and it wasn’t there in the second picture.
What road is it on and what town ?
Mount Zion Road in Leoma, TN
i seen the same thing
I’ve been to this place so many times in my life time. There were times that I heard screams coming from the nearby woods & a car with bright headlights came along but it stopped a good ways before it made it to where we were & it just sat there with the lights shining so bright toward us that we couldnt even tell what type of vehicle that it was. It sat there until we finally felt uncomfortable about the situation so we started our car & left out in the opposite direction & it began to follow behind slowly we continued on until the headlights disappeared from behind us. There were also times that we went there & nothing happened at all. A friend of mine decided to bring an Ouija board one time & it spelled out “leave now holy place”. Then there’s another instance where a paranormal group called the GHOST HUNTERS. They just so happened to be my sister’s neighbors at the time. They Went there & they claimed that they had detected the GHOST of a little girl & they brought her home with them. after that my niece who was 2 years old at the time began to talk to someone who we could not see. She said her name was Vida & she turned out to be my nieces imaginary friend for many years. I know it sounds crazy but I put this on everything I love that every word of this is true! There is ALOT MORE to this story if you’re interested…
I’m interested in hearing more! I went there with my girlfriend whom I’m still dating now and our good friend. We went in the winter of 2020 and walked around the property. When we were walking back to the church off the bridge I thought I might have saw something in the back of the cemetery but figured at the time I told myself it was in my head. We ended up walking through the cemetery and at the same spot I thought I had seen something earlier appeared a more clear yet still blurred whiteish figure and long story short we left at that moment and it followed us to the point where we were on the edge and I turned around and it closed in from like 200 feet to where I could see that the figures physical appearance was blurry but had defined human features such as extremities. It closed in to what had to be 30-50 feet by the time we reached the truck before it disappeared. There’s more to id like to ask you questions about and you can share some of your experiences by email
Are you a local?
This is the resting place of my relatives. My family members have been buried there from the beginning. My grandfather built that swinging bridge. I’ve heard people say it’s haunted. If it is, it’s my relatives hunting you . You need not worry though, they were good people. I feel spirit when I go there too, but they’re comforting to me.
My fiancé brought someone home with him too, to my cousins when I visited last. He was freaked out, but my cousin and I felt it was probably my grandmother just checking him out.
I’m personally not surprised by the ouija board stating “ leave this is a holy place” The family and its descendants hate how this holy place has become a party ground for the disrespectful. We have discussed it. Not what it’s for now, and not what it was for before. Also, the family is angered we can no longer worship at the church my people built, or have our funerals there anymore due to the committee that now runs it.
I live north and we only get down there occasionally now. The last two times I was down there, I saw people drinking beer, littering, swinging off the bridge, beer cans thrown everywhere, blaring loud music, riding 4 wheelers around the graves, someone set the church on fire… it’s all disgusting. If it were their family would they act like that? I doubt it.
I am doing a book of spooky things, one of which is about New Zion. I’m interested.
My email address is sadiecarmen2@gmail.com
I am not a local, I am from Limestone County, AL. I went one night with my friend and girlfriend. Told many people about that night that I have not & will never forget.
Mt. Zion is not haunted.
oh yes it is honey me and my son went their …that’s where you are absolutely wrong I’m 44 years old and I witnessed it my self
No ghost my daddy all way told me if you went to hell you could not come back if you went to heaven you didn’t want to come back.
MY MY MY DADDY SAID THAT ALLIGATORS IS AWNRY CUZ THEY GOT ALL DEM TEEF BUT NO TOOFBRUSH
I have been to the church a few times at night. Its always very peaceful and quiet except for the sounds of Sugar creek.
I have seen and heard things there that I cannot explain.
Me and some friends were there one night sitting under the covered table area next the old church at the bridge.
We heard someone walk/running across the bridge and saw nothing. We had some bright spotlights and there was nothing on the bridge.
Heard what sounded like children playing and laughing coming from down the creek (3am)
When we went to leave walking beside the old church back to our car, I was walking and saw a womans face looking at me from inside the old church wearing what I can only describe as “Sunday dress clothes”. When I looked back there was nothing there.
I try to say it was just the old glass in the windows causing a funny shape but I know what I saw.
I have never felt like something was going to “get me” while there. Its a beautiful place that everyone should visit, just be respectful of the area.
I just got chills reading what you said I believe you 100% ! I know exactly what you saw I saw it too!
Can anyone give me a phone number or email address for someone at that church? PLEASE!?!?!?!?
I’m not an expert on mount Zion but I know I experienced something when I went that was paranormal , text me if you would like at (256) 947-1513
It’s very haunted went out there at night with a few friends and my friend parked her brand new car facing the bridge and we got out to go across the bridge and a shadow man with glowing red eyes was at the end of the bridge watching us. We were so spooked we ran back to the car and locked the doors and the car wouldn’t start!!! We tried for a good few minutes before it started and we got out of there. That was the most terrifying paranormal encounter I’ve ever had
Been there and not only did we see faces in the church it broke up me and my ex and my now husband and her ex. We also got ran off by someone we only heard. A friend went there after and her car stalled and wouldn’t start back up for 20 minutes. I will never go back at night. We caught figures in pictures also.
Could you show me those pictures?
can I also see those pictures? Anyone I speak to about the whole thing thinks I’m lying when I tell them I saw a 8 foot tall white figure floating a foot off the ground with a ghost like glow that’s only facial feature was two large eyes that were only black circles that were only defined by the lack of glow that was being emitted by its body.
my email is callen898@gmail.com