Halloween Happenings in Nature’s Mountain Playground
Well, once again, it’s that time of year to mask up and head out of the house in search of a good scare. I know, sounds a little too familiar, right? But not that mask – your Halloween mask. That’s right, Halloween is here! And maybe, if for just a little while, we can swap out that required mask for one of our own choosing; exchange a serious fear for one that is far less grim and meant to be fun. Halloween is knocking at the door and Nature’s Mountain Playground is the place to be for some good old-fashioned spooky fun. From a twisting, turning corn maze to a rumored haunted Civil War battlefield, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, will be serving up Halloween treats (and maybe a few tricks) for visitors of all ages. Whether you’re looking for fun frights for the kids or serious haunts for the adults, you’re sure to find some hair-raising adventure here for everyone. So, break out those Halloween costumes and check out these Pocahontas County haunts – if you dare.
Boyer Station Campground
Join the good folks at Boyer Station Campground in Arbovale on October 23rd as they present “A Very Scary Halloween”. This event promises to be lots of Halloween fun for the entire family. With hayrides, games, trick or treat, and delicious snacks like popcorn, cider and cupcakes, what’s not to like? Starting at 5:00 p.m. Boyer Station will open their Halloween trail and a haunted trail will run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. They’re even offering prizes to campers with the best Halloween decorations. Admission is $10.00 (no admission fee for their campers). For further information give Boyer Station Campground a call at (304) 456-4858 or check them out on Facebook.
CW’S Corn Maze
For some family fun down on the farm, you won’t want to miss CW’S Corn Maze in Cass. Open this year from September 18th through October 24th, CW’S Corn Maze is a farm-based, family-owned business that has turned out to be a fall favorite with locals and visitors alike. Opened on weekends only, CW’S offers plenty of wholesome family fun. In addition to the enormous ten-acre corn maze, there are games, a petting zoo, photo props, concessions, a one-acre pumpkin patch and so much more fun to experience. But on October 23rd, after the sun goes down, the simple corn maze changes. With the veil of darkness comes an entirely new game – the flashlight maze. If you’ve ever been out hiking or hunting in the woods and been caught unprepared as the sun sets, you know how the forest can take on an unsettling vibe. Every tree seems to be hiding something ominous behind it. Every leaf rustling is, in your mind’s eye, someone or something creeping up behind you. Now imagine that anxiety as you try to navigate your way through the twists, turns and dead ends of a ten-acre corn maze armed only with a flashlight. Who needs Jason or Freddy chasing you down when your own imagination can do it? If CW’S Corn Maze fits the bill for your Halloween hunt this fall, check out their Facebook page or give them a call at 304-456-4652 for further information.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Well, if a ten-acre corn maze just isn’t big enough for your Halloween attractions list, how about an entire town? Join the folks of Cass this Halloween season as they undergo the transition from Cass to “Halloweentown”. The change is already underway, and you can be a part of it. October 23rd, you’re invited to join in on the fun of Cass Community Pumpkin Carving Days. Help the community as they take on the challenge of carving 300 jack-o-lanterns in preparation for decorating the town. You might even pick up some new decorating ideas for your own haunted happenings. Prizes will be presented for the spookiest, funniest and most creative jack-o-lanterns and hot chocolate will be on hand provided by The Last Run Restaurant. So come on out and show off your pumpkin carving skills and help the community of Cass transform into Halloweentown.
If you can’t make it to Cass for Pumpkin Carving Days or if you just want to come check out Halloweentown for yourself, be sure to make your way to Cass (or should I say Halloweentown) on Friday, October 29th. The fun kicks off at 5:00 p.m. with a costume contest. Awards will be given for all age groups and even a special judging for costumed dogs. After the contest, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., you can roam Halloweentown for Trick or Treat as twenty houses along Main Street, the Company Store, The Last Run Restaurant, visitor center and museum will all have treats on hand to ward off any tricks. For more information contact Cass Scenic Railroad State Park at 304-456-4300 or check out their Facebook page.
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
If your interests in West Virginia haunts leans a little more toward the paranormal side, you might want to pay a visit to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park in Hillsboro. Droop Mountain is the location of a major Civil War battle fought on November 6, 1863, where nearly 400 lives were lost. The argument has been made, however, some of those men never left Droop Mountain. A case in point, in 1920 Mr. Edgar Walton, along with a second traveler, inadvertently made camp on Droop Mountain somewhere within the perimeter of the 1863 battlefield. As night fell and Walton began collecting firewood, he claimed to have encountered an eerie apparition. Now one could not exactly call this a face-to-face encounter as while, most assuredly, Mr. Walton was still very much in possession of his cranium, unnervingly, the same cannot be said for his camp-site visitor. Walton had encountered the ghostly figure of a headless spirit!
Since that day, reports have been made of ghostly figures, glowing lights and the sound of cannon fire atop Droop Mountain. So as I said, if your taste at Halloween is more for the creepy instead of the candy, you might want to check out Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. As for me, I’ll take a Snickers bar over a headless guy any day of the week. For further information on Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, go to wvstateparks.com. And for more Pocahontas County, West Virginia ghost stories like this, head over to the archives of our blog page and click on the October 2020 entry.
Well, that’s Halloween in Nature’s Mountain Playground. Whether you’re looking for glowing jack-o-lanterns and bags full of candy for the kids or perhaps a more menacing possibility for an adult fright, we’ve got you covered. So put together your best Halloween costume, throw some fresh batteries in that flashlight and come join us in the haunted homes and hallows of Pocahontas County, West Virginia.