This Spooky Trail in Michigan Is The Perfect Family Halloween Adventure

Earlier this fall, I wrote about a haunted trail in Michigan that’s actually perfect for a family adventure. Glenlore Trails turns their forest over to the evil spirits every fall, and this year’s theme was CarnEvil. I’m terrified of clowns as it is, but I had to check out this haunted carnival for myself. My wife and I headed there for 21+ night with a few of our friends, however, it’s clear this is a place that’s also perfect for parents and their kids.

I thought these lights looked good when I first wrote my article, but it was much cooler to see them in person. The lights seem endless as you walk through the forest, passing numerous spooky displays paired with ghoulish audio.

I appreciated the fact there weren’t any staff members waiting to jump out and scare me. It was as peaceful as it was spooky.

There are several fun games set up along the way and many of them use lighted displays to add to the fun. Glenlore Trails does a great job of staggering reservation times so lines don’t build up at these attractions.

You will need to purchase tickets ahead of time, which was an easy process on their website. They accommodated me with two extra tickets for some last-minute friends even though they were sold out at our timeslot.

This is just one example of how intricate some of their displays are. This gave us a chance to make our own "witches' brew" by selecting one of three buttons. Each one created a different light display as smoke bubbled out of our cauldron.

A great photo opportunity awaited around every corner. These hanging lights were really popular with our group and everyone else who passed by.

It actually rained pretty hard when we went, but that didn’t have any impact on the displays. In fact, we avoided a lot of the rain underneath the tree canopies. The rain made the post-trail hot cocoa that much better.

This was definitely a ‘wife-approved’ date night spot. Even though she’s more of a horror fan than I am, the relaxing lights and fun displays gave us a chance to connect and enjoy ourselves. That likely wouldn’t have been the case if someone jumped out of the woods with a chainsaw.

We really, really like the bubbles at the end. This will definitely be a Halloween memory we cherish for a long time.

Next time, I’ll check the forecast and make sure to wear the right gear in case it rains. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. I can’t recommend this enough, especially for those who love Halloween, but don’t love getting scared. There are still several timeslots available on their website before their last day on Oct. 29. Tickets for our group cost $25 per person, but you can find more information about youth tickets from their site.