A vampire-like creature hides in the corn waiting to scare unsuspecting people. The maze is a hit for all ages.
It is a 10-acre labyrinth of corn stalks, and has nearly three miles of trails. It is filled with ghosts, goblins and screaming teenagers.
It is the Haunted Corn Maze at Lone Pine Farms near Junction City. The maze is a unique alternative to costume parties and trick-or-treating.
For the past three years, Lone Pine Farms has featured the maze as one of its attractions during the Halloween season. During the day, its theme is “Scruffy the Loyal Farm Dog: Dog Days of Summer” because the trails are shaped like a dog. At night it becomes a dark, disturbing nightmare lit only by the moon and a few glow sticks.
The maze was originally about two acres, but three years ago Lorie Jensen, president of Lone Pine Farms, expanded it to 10 acres to attract more young adults. The farm featured pumpkin patch rides for small children and families. Jensen said she saw the need to offer more activities for high school and college students.
“I felt like this filled that gap,” she said. “Our motto is 0 to 100 (years old).”
Jensen and her daughter designed the maze. It has posts numbered one to 10. Before people enter it, they choose from a number of clue cards with topics such as sports, millennium, Halloween and Girl Scouting. At each post, a trivia question related to the clue cards must be answered correctly to find the way through the maze. Each answer comes with directions to turn left or right — an incorrect answer leads to dead ends and confusing circles.
“I liked it because I was lost,” Lane Community College student Kindra Carroll said. “It’s not like a haunted house where you know how to get in and out.”
Questions range in difficulty and include, “What are male witches called?” and “How many kernels are in a typical bushel of corn?” If all else fails, follow the throngs of fellow lost wanderers, but beware of the goblins and monsters lurking in the corn. Some of these costumed employees are armed with fake chainsaws that look and sound real in the dark. They are strategically hidden among the towering cornstalks and jump out at the unsuspecting. Creepy scenes of cemeteries and coffins can also be found along the trails.
“At first it was scary when people jumped out and surprised us, but toward the end I just got used to it,” Carroll said.
Because of the many frightening surprises, small children and the faint of heart are discouraged from entering the maze at night.
“Its design is not for small children,” said Jensen.
The maze can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours to complete, and according to senior Kim Sanchez, it can be a bit tedious.
“I think it would have been more fun if there were less people,” Sanchez said. “All you can see is corn and more corn. I just wanted to get out.”
Lone Pine Farms is located at 91909 River Road outside of Junction City. The maze is open and haunted every night from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. today through Thursday. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for children. People can also visit the maze from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Thursday, when it’s not teeming with gremlins and goblins, and it costs $6 for adults and $4 for children. For more information, call Lone Pine Farms at 688-4389.
Chelsea Duncan is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.