Twisted Trails Haunted Attraction (Wilmington, OH)
“Free Puppies and Hugs”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
There was a chill in the air as we took a trip out to Twisted Trails Haunted Attraction at Kirkwood Camp & Advenutre Park. Would we survive our time in the deep dark woods or would we become cursed? This is City Blood’s 2023 review of Twisted Trails in Wilmington, Ohio.
Twisted Trails consists of 2 haunted trails and an indoor/outdoor Haunted House. Muck Manor is an indoor/outdoor haunt that features multiple laser swamps, various scary scenes and actors that are waiting for you. You’ll walk through a nuclear wasteland, experience a Hellevator ride, enter a cartoon world and more. This is a rather short haunt lasting a mere 8 minutes, but there are a hand full of actors that will impress you. The bellhop and elevator operator were very convincing. The biggest issue we had with the haunt was that there weren’t enough actors hiding in the swamps. We were wanting more.
The upper level consists of witches, scarecrows and pumpkins, glorious pumpkins. Witches have invaded Twisted Trails. Beware of their curse. Scarecrows are lurking in the darkness. Twisted Trails has great lighting. You’re not going to see cheap Halloween string lights at this haunted trail. The first part of the Bad Seed section is lit up with orange lights which gives it a nightmarish glow. Enter a massive jack-o-lantern where you never know what you’ll encounter.
If you have a fear of spiders (aka arachnophobia ) then you’re in for a real treat at Twisted Trails. There are spiders galore. There are animatronic spiders, actors dressed as spiders and they’re very very hungry. The upper trail consists of many themed areas that focus on crypts, werewolves and clowns. Twisted Trails has a lot to offer in the way of scares. You’re not going to see blood and gore, but you’re ultimately going to have a fun and frightful time.
There are plenty of interesting animated scares that can be found in both trails. We were impressed with the giant killer scarecrow and the angel of death. Your time has come and your soul is mine, the angel of death says. The massive werewolf head attacks customers as they walk by and you better avoid it at all costs or you will become a blood beast. The large lunging witch was also impressive, but could use better lighting.
(The bellhop can be found at Muck Manor as she scares you to death.)
The actors were good especially the witches inside Witching Way in the upper trail. Be careful or you’ll be dropped into their boiling cauldron. What spell are they trying to weave? Beware of the muck curse. The actress holding a lantern warned us about the sights we would see along the upper trail. The clown inside the ice cream truck did an excellent job as he offered us hugs and puppies. Our favorite character of the night was the keeper of the crypt who resides in the lower trail. The costumes are impressive for the most part. You’ll see everything from a clown scarecrow to a hairy werewolf.
After you’re done with the the lower trail, you’ll hop aboard a wagon that will take you back to where you started. Don’t forget to check out what they call The Boulevard. It’s a decorated area featuring a merchandise booth, a gel blasting game called Bayou Blasters, Ghastly Greens Glow in the Dark Mini Golf, delicious treats, selfie stop and more. It’s nicely decorated with monsters and more. Total tour time was 12 minutes for the upper trail and 16 for the lower trail. The entire Twisted Trails experience was 36 minutes give or take a few. The haunt was quite a big longer compared to last season.
Overall, Twisted Trails is a fun attraction that’s great for friends and families. It really embodies the Halloween spirit. Yes, Muck Manor needs a little work but it’s enjoyable none the less. We definitely recommend that you take a trip out to Kirkwood Camp & Adventure Park for Twisted Trails. Tickets are only $23 and this gets you 3 unique attractions. Fast Pass is $33 and groups of 10 or more get in for $15. That’s one hell of a deal. Student Discount available only on Saturday, Oct. 21! Present your valid student ID at the ticket booth to receive $10 off a General Admission ticket!
Length-10 Design-7 Props-7 Acting-7 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.6
www.gokirkwood.com/twistedtrails