Terror in the Woods: Markoff's Haunted Forest Frightens

Every fall, the quiet woods outside Poolesville turn into something completely different. The trees glow red from stage lights, fog rolls across the trails, and from somewhere in the dark, someone is always screaming—or laughing. This is Markoff ’s Haunted Forest, Montgomery County's most famous Hal-

loween attraction and one that manages to mix genuine fear with fun.

Markoff ’s, run by the outdoor nonprofit Calleva, started over 30 years ago and has evolved into a comprehensive Halloween event featuring food, games and bonfires in the Midway. It’s basically a fall festival—if your idea of fun includes clowns with chainsaws. According to Calleva, its goal is to “build young leaders through positive outdoor experiences” (Markoff ’s “About Us”), and somehow that also involves jump scares and haunted wagons.

The main attraction, The Haunted Trail, is a long, twisting walk through the woods filled with actors and elab- orate sets. Reviewers on Morty call it “a wonderful Halloween attraction” where “the scare actors do a great job terrifying guests.” Another area, The Town, begins with a wagon ride into a creepy western-style village, which one reviewer described as a “perfect mix of spooky and fun.”

According to the “Poolesville Pulse,” Markoff ’s also creates a new attraction most years. Last year’s addition was See No Evil, a blindfolded maze that forces participants to rely on their other senses while trying not to panic. Even the brave have admitted that this maze is “scarier than it sounds.”

General entry tickets range from $30 to $50, depending on the night. While the haunted trails are the main draw, many people attend just for the atmosphere.The Midway is free and filled with bonfires, live music, and food, basically the Halloween version of a county fair. As one visitor put it on Yelp, “it’s creepy without being terrifying” with “lots of fun activities and great food.”

Most students say they go not only for the scares but also for the memo- ries. Between laughing with friends, getting lost in the dark, and trying to act brave, experiences at Markoff ’s Haunted Forest are less about fear, and more about fall itself, a night of chaos, campfires and just enough terror to keep you coming back.