RECAP:  The journey begins deep within a shadowy forest where only a few flickering lights reveal the path ahead. The ominous walk soon reaches a collection of cabins and dilapidated shacks, each harboring its own horrifying surprises. Early scenes include a repulsive bathroom sequence, followed by a deranged doctor’s lab where unwilling patients are strapped in for ungodly experiments. This section features a dark “pick-a-door” maze filled with grotesque creations including animatronic, goo-spraying monsters and a visit to a diabolical dentist gleefully extracting the teeth of his terrified, tied-down victim.

As the trail pushes deeper into the woods, the lights suddenly flicker and go dark, just before a Ghillie monster springs to life for a startling ambush! Other standout moments include a possessed patient hanging from the rafters while a desperate nun tries to save her soul; a spell-casting witch; and a tense passage through a massive black barrel maze. An abandoned ambulance flashes red in the distance, its radio still transmitting dispatch chatter, leading to a chilling field where bodies hang from trees, some of which unexpectedly come to life.

Next comes a white-painted asylum swarming with straight-jacketed lunatics who shriek, crawl, and laugh maniacally while blaring loud music. One acrobatic maniac even hangs upside down from the ceiling, attacking from above as guests try to navigate the twisting maze.

Escape leads to a backwoods diner run by a family of inbred rednecks eager to serve “fresh meat.” Little Sis screams, “Get them!” as Uncle Daddy grabs a barbed-wire bat and Daddy Brother fires up his trusty chainsaw!  Fleeing into a glowing, green laser swamp awakens a prehistoric, actortronic, dinosaur-like beast before spotting a church offers a false sense of security before encountering a blasphemous preacher delivering a demonic sermon that conjures the unexpected emergence of a pair of hellcats from upright coffins.

The finale stage runs through an eerie cemetery, where thunder clashes and lightning provides illumination as the course passes through a chilling mausoleum, and a deranged undertaker’s crematorium where he welcomes intruders to his barbeque while loading human remains into smoking incinerators. The route concludes in “Clown Town” and the 1313 Funhouse, where oversized jesters, a curtain maze, and a collapsing metal bridge lead to a frenzied chainsaw chase to end the Trail of Nightmares!

ANALYSIS:  Trail of Nightmares delivers a lengthy and diverse outdoor haunt packed with visual and interactive creativity. The flickering forest lights are exceptional, heightening tension and fear whenever they cut out.

Standouts include the possessed girl and nun, the acrobatic asylum lunatic, Ghillie monster ambush, demonic preacher and his surprise, the cannibal rednecks, and the eerie laser swamp with its prehistoric creature. A few quieter “dead zones” exist between scenes that could benefit from additional background sound effects or ambient music to sustain and compliment the atmosphere. Scenes would also gain from stronger dialogue and more menacing interaction from actors. Direction of travel is uncertain at times as well.

Trail of Nightmares is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 PM to midnight and the cost of admission is $25. Pay them a visit for some scary Halloween entertainment!