ANALYSIS: Lodi's Nightmare in the Wilderness takes you on a 40 minute trek through a trail that will bring your worst fears to life. Whether it's isolation, claustrophobia, clowns, or bloodthirsty killers in masks, this haunt has it all and gives you the time and space to experience the terror up close and personal. They've put together a haunt that starts off creepy and ramps up the scares throughout your experience to create an assault on your senses.
The haunt kicks off even before you truly get started with a tractor ride away from the parking lot and ticket area to the entrance. The further away you get the more the isolation and dread kicks in. The opening of the haunt is a short circus themed entrance, an in your face experience that is meant to overwhelm you before sending you into the forest. And the mile-plus long walk through the woods is where this haunt really shines. The sheer length of the wooded area allows Nightmare in the Wilderness to spread out nicely. There are plenty of monsters, murderers, and victims in the forest, but they are spread out and don't feel piled on top of one another. The first half sends you through a variety of scenes with some creepy and authentic wreckage for the locals to hide in, on, and around. Most scenes flow into one another and are appropriately wilderness-themed, including campgrounds, a cemetery, and even a small Camp Crystal Lake setup.
After a 15 minute walk you end up in a dilapidated building that initially feels like an extension of the wooded haunt before transitioning into one of the most disorienting and confusing mazes I've come across. Barely lit, full of smoke, and including a variety of dead ends, this is a place you can lose your friends and your mind if you're not careful. If you make your way out you're back outside, and the rest of the wooded trail is even creepier than the first half. The haunt makes great use of space, allowing different areas to engulf you. Strips of fabric and strings hanging from the trees will provide tingling sensations along your arms and up your neck. The residents will talk to you, take the time to get to know you, and try to lure you in before screaming in your face.
Overall this haunt excels in a number of areas. They employed a variety of scare tactics. There were some jump scares, sure, but there were also creepers following you, trapped souls begging for help, damned guides, and a variety of other characters. The attention to detail was great as well. It helps to have such an excellent, isolated location, but certain pieces added to the creep factor. A pair of see saws that had to have been in that location for decades and a swing that seemed to move on its own in a beaten up "playground" area is just one example of the little touches that made this place feel perfectly authentic. Everything about this place feels like it's an abandoned hell hole that's been there for years. This isn't the most bloody or straight up terrifying haunt that you're going to see, but it's a long journey in the middle of nowhere that will have you questioning if you'll ever get out. And if the residents have their way, you'll be joining them permanently. (J.MO.) |
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