North Carolina’s Best Haunted Attraction
North Carolina is known for many things. Besides being home to the Dedman, we are in the middle of the Bible Belt, we have Research Triangle Park, great BBQ and whining ass UNC Tarheel fans, but most people don’t stop to think about the history and uniqueness of our area. Blackbeard’s Ghost, the Civil War and other horrific historical ghosts may run through our state, but for the first time in years, someone in NC has gotten the “Haunted House/Trail” idea correct with The Haunted Forest at Panic Point!
The Haunted Forest at Panic Point is located at 2808 Cedar Creek Rd. in Youngsville, NC, north of Wake Forest and just minutes from Raleigh. Set in what seems to be the middle of nowhere in a cornfield, the owners have managed to take 50 acres of farm land and turn it into an amazing blend of family fun and good hearted scares. Parking was more than spacious, and after a short walk, we arrived at the ticket booth (which was well lit and the prices for everything CLEARLY posted for all to see) and turned in our waivers of liability (a great touch not only for safety, but a feel of nostalgia for when we went to things to be SCARED!) and entered. You could feel the excitement in the air as people of all ages were running around, screaming and laughing as various members of the crew (in full costume) chased after them with axes and covered with blood. With much anticipation, my group and I headed to the main event first: The Haunted Forest…
After being given our instructions, we headed out over the course that was laid out in front of us with dimly lit lanterns that barely cut into the darkness of the twisted path in the woods. Very well hidden cast members popped in and out of the darkness in various degrees of costume and gruesomeness, prying screams of terror and delight from the crowd. There were several structures along the path, including an awesome cemetery, a prison and an extremely creepy nursery room. My favorite moment of the woods came when we entered the first strobe light room and what sounded like Cannibal Corpse pounded through the sound system as we tried to navigate the walkway without having an epileptic seizure in the process. After pushing through the madness of the woods, we took a few minutes to catch our breath and then set out to see what other wonders we had to experience while there…
The Carney Crypt was the next stop. Walking up on this dilapidated trailer, it did not seem like there would be much to this one, but once inside, we found it to be a well designed maze that made great use of claustrophobic space and darkness. After walking what seemed to be much longer than what it was and being spooked by a young lady that always seemed to appear out of nowhere, we then headed over to the Ghost Bus, which was almost the same set up as the Carney Crypt, but in an even more cramped space! Believe it or not, it was even more cramped and dark on this mini bus, and packed with more scares! From there, we decided that the Dark Walk was next. If you are afraid of the dark, this is one that may scare the hell out of you. The complete darkness that surrounds you while you walk through the woods with only a rope to guide you while you hear things rustling through the leaves will certainly have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up! I certainly recommend that you do the Haunted Forest first to get your nerves going before the Dark Walk. You will thank me later…
We finished our evening by taking the Howling Hayride and walking through the Menacing Maze. The hayride has more than its fair share of surprises along the way, and while the maze has no scares in it, you certainly have to pay attention while walking your way through or you will find yourself at a dead end. You can tell that the owners love not only Halloween and the things that come with it, but they also love what they are doing. They have gone to great lengths to make sure that the event is well managed and maintained, there are plenty of ticket booths with courteous staff and prices well displayed, a snack booth that does not price gouge the guests, games and prizes (shooting running zombies with paintball guns for a chance to win a t-shirt), a DJ pumping out music and staff members that stay in character and seem to enjoy what they are doing. A top notch event run by top notch people to say the least! If you want to go to an event that provides scares and fun for the family, then this is the place to go!
The Dedman Verdict: 5 out of 5 Bucket’s o’ Blood
For more information, please visit the following links:
Haunted Forest at Panic Point Official Facebook Page
Haunted Forest at Panic Point Official Website
More information from Haunted Forest at Panic Point’s Website:
General Admission to Panic Point is $15, which includes entry to the venue and a walk through our Featured Attraction, the Haunted Forest. All other attractions are a la carte, (a bloody buffet of freaks and scares). Attraction info is below. Detailed price information is on the pricing page.
“Haunted Forest” ($15) Scare Rating: 4 Skulls
From Hillbilly Cannibals to a Possessed Nursery, you’ll run for the hills, mess your pants & call for Mama. This half-mile trail offers 10 freaky scenes, and dozens of haunters, determined to separate you from your group and assimilate you into their creepy tribe.
“Dark Walk” (4 Tix) Scare Rating: 3 Skulls
Fan Favorite! Your own personal horror movie scene in the woods. Just a trail. No lights. Its you, a rope, & pure darkness. You only imagined the spectre in the shadows, right? Remember, the wild animals are way less scared of you than you are of them.
“Howling Hayride” (4 Tix) Scare Rating: 3 Skulls
Load up and hold on! Enjoy a crisp Carolina evening accompanied by blood-curdling screams, laughter, & the sweet smell of roasting marshmallows & smoked flesh. The scare level on this jaunt through forest and field has stepped up in 2013. Be afraid.
“Carny Crypt” (3 Tix) Scare Rating: 3.5 Skulls
For years, this trashed trailer was a flop house for some of the lowest level Carnival Workers this side of the Mississippi. It was dirty, decrepit, infested, and haunted. So we bought it, as-is, and converted it into a morbid museum of Carny glory.
“Menacing Maze” (2 Tix) Scare Rating: 1 Skull
Corn maze? Not quite. Our ghoulish grass is a twisted hybrid strain imported from Transylvania; meticulously cultivated in graveyard soil & enriched with zombie fodder. These ominous stalks grow thick, so all you can see are the maze walls as they close in.
“Ghost Bus” (2 Tix) Scare Rating: 2.5 Skulls
Raise your hand if you hate the bus! How about a creature-filled beast with 19 inch corridors, no light, and surprises at every turn? The long-dead driver, Rex and his band of bullies have been sentenced to spend eternity in that monstrosity; cramped & hungry.
“Zombie Shootout” (5 Tix) Scare Rating: 1 skull
In a post-apocalyptic world someone has to control the un-dead population. Why not you? Grab a paintball gun & shoot tracer rounds at our glowing zombies as they forage for food (like you). Can you turn back the horde?
Scare Guide
The Haunted Forest, Bus, Carny Crypt, and Dark Walk are designed to scare, and are probably not appropriate for most people under the age of 12. There is no haunted house rating system, but at our scariest we would call the haunt, “PG-13″. We are, however, a family friendly haunted house. Younger patrons can enjoy the Maze and Zombie Shootout, haunter-free. Brave young souls can try lower scare attractions as a warm-up for the Haunted Trail. Every person who enters must sign a waiver of liability. No flash photography in the haunt. If you do take pictures, post to social media using #PanicPoint.
