MoCo Haunted Trail & Forest Guide

With Halloween just two weeks away, there’s still time to check out some of the spookiest haunted forests and attractions in and around Montgomery County.
1. Field of Screams – 4501 Olney Laytonsville Rd, Olney

Field of Screams, now in its 22nd year in business, was recently voted as the #1 spot in USA Today’s 10 Best Haunted Attractions in the country. Located in Olney, this Hollywood-level production includes well-trained actors and an intense fright experience with decor and props not seen outside the movie industry.

“Enter a horrifically terrifying world beyond imagination at the Fields of Screams in Olney, Maryland. A good walk through the woods on The Haunted Trail and Trail of Terror leaves visitors scurrying away. Along their journey, guests are welcomed into thirteen haunted houses, where they might find anything from dead bodies to hillbillies and butchers. Enjoy Body Bean Bag Pumpkin Toss, Zombie Brain Smash, and other Carnival Town Games for a thrilling, competitive experience.”

General admission tickets start at $44 and include the Slaughter Factory which is a high-end haunted house experience where every detail has been attended to; a one-hour trail of 27 stations; and a compound with over 20 bonfires, tasty concessions, and scares and fun for all (recommended for ages 12 and over). The 2022 Field of Screams Maryland is truly an immersive Halloween attraction. All tickets must be purchased in advance at www.screams.org. Field of Screams Maryland is located at 4501 Olney Laytonsville Rd., Olney, MD just 30 minutes from Washington DC, downtown Baltimore and Northern Virginia. Open every Friday and Saturday in October and most Thursdays and Sundays. Follow Field of Screams Maryland on Facebook and Instagram (@fieldofscreamsmaryland).

2. Markoff’s Haunted Forest – 19120 Martinsburg Rd, Dickerson

This year, Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Dickerson is celebrating its 30th anniversary.  According to their website, “2022 is going to be epic. Heart-pounding scares; Terrifying , twists & turns; Eerie glades & creepy trail ghouls; and Fright-full scenes for you to tremble your way through like Mummy’s little kitten.”

Per Markoff’s Haunted Forest: MHF tickets should be purchased in advance online. Trail tickets are time stamped, and patrons will be admitted to the Trail according to the time stamp on their per-purchased ticket. Town tickets are sold based on full night capacity, and you should allow about an hour for this attraction. Please plan THE TOWN experience to fit with your TRAIL TIME.  The last wagon to Onslaught Mills departs at 10:30pm. Admission to the CURSED VILLAGE is free and open ended. You can hang out here all night. Food, drinks, MHF swag & activities are all available for purchase with credit card. You may arrive to the MHF Village at any time, but you will not be admitted to the Trail until your ticket time. The parking lot entrance opens at 7pm and closes at 10pm. Everyone who is in BEFORE 10pm can stay until the last group completes their Trail experience.

“Since 1992, when the Markoff brothers started with a Haunted School Bus driven to events and festivals around DC, our haunt has provided fright fest lovers with a creative, dramatic, and – YES — terrifying haunt experience. Our creative team combines music, lights, scents, actors, make-up & prosthetics, and artistic brilliance in a series of high-tech, detailed scenes that consistently place MHF among the top haunts in the country.”

3.  Leech Woods – 11201 Bethesda Church Rd, Damascus

Leech Woods is brand new in 2022 and is described as “a thirty minute immersive haunted trail experience of dark terror” that promises a night of chain saws, clowns and dark corners.  Leech Woods also offers food and drink, four bonfires, axe throwing, a DJ booth, fortune telling, and other forms of entertainment each night.

Per Leech Woods: According to Montgomery County historical land records, the present site of Leech Woods was originally settled by Warwick and Jeanne Leech and their six children sometime in early 1790.  Having immigrated from Hungary, the family chose Damascus, Maryland based on its temperate climate and heavily wooded region which reminded them of their homeland.  The Leech family store thrived as the leading local merchant of hides, furs and hunting supplies.  During the disastrous Winter of 1804, the Leech family store was robbed and vandalized by unknown attackers and the body of John Leech, the youngest son, was found nailed to the back wall of the store.  The remaining bodies of the family members were later found bludgeoned and bound inside of the root cellar of their homestead.  No further information about the attackers or motives for the killings are known.