Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Folklore, Site

Location

23501 AL-33, Courtland, AL 35618, USA

Lat/Long

34.603, -87.254333

Grant Recipient

Lawrence County History and Preservation Society

The road known as Chicken Foot stretches across a remote area, beginning at the top of Courtland Mountain near Alabama State Route 33 and winding down into a swampy lowland near Old Hillsboro Road. The dirt road is long and narrow, splitting near its base into a shape that resembles a chicken’s foot. Dense trees press in on both sides, their branches tightly packed, and the air along the road is thick and heavy. There are no houses anywhere along the stretch, and the silence that settles there is deep and unnerving.

Locals warn newcomers never to travel the road after dark. Despite the warnings, daring teenagers have long frequented the area, testing their nerves by driving through the eerie shadows. Many who pass along Chicken Foot claim they are not alone.

Among the legends tied to the road is the story of a young couple who ran out of gas late one night. When the engine died, the young man left the car and set off on foot to find the nearest gas station. The woman stayed behind, locking the doors and waiting in the dark. Throughout the night, she heard strange noises and heavy thumps around the car. Morning finally came, and with the light she looked out the window to see her boyfriend’s bloody hand tapping on the glass. His headless body was hanging from a nearby tree branch.

Some say bodies are hidden in the swamp at the base of the road. Others claim they have seen corpses hanging from the trees, swaying silently above the dirt path. Another legend tells of a man who died there during the Great Depression. His spirit is said to appear suddenly in front of passing cars, only to vanish without warning. White lights are often reported near the bridge where he supposedly died.

Haunting the road for decades is a creature or spirit known as the White Thang. Some believe it is the same entity as the ghostly man from the Depression-era tale. Others describe it as a bigfoot-like creature with white hair and red eyes. It has been heard screaming like a woman, its cries cutting through the oppressive quiet of the forest.

Chicken Foot has frightened grown men and seasoned locals, leaving those who pass through with the feeling that something unseen is always watching from the murky shadows. The road remains isolated, silent, and feared, its legends lingering as thick as the air beneath the trees.