Brave the Haunted Forest in Highlands Ranch Oct. 23 and 24
Oct 21, 2026, 4:41 PM | Updated: Oct 22, 2026, 10:18 am
For most of the year, the woods south of Rocky Heights Middle School are quiet. This weekend, they belong to the monsters. The Highlands Ranch Community Association’s Haunted Forest is back for two nights, Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24. It’s a three-quarter-mile walk through the trees, and the HRCA promises “your nightmares are lurking behind every tree and bush.”
The haunt has been a south metro Halloween tradition since 2011. The trail winds through a tree-lined creek bed in the Backcountry Wilderness Area, the 8,200 acres of open space the HRCA manages. Every October, the woods fill with eerie lights, props, creepy scenes and scare actors in clown, doll and witch makeup. Music and lights guide you from the parking lot to the entrance. After that, you’re on your own.
The forest is open 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $15 for general admission or $25 for a fast pass, and all proceeds go to the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund. Park at Rocky Heights Middle School, 11033 Monarch Blvd., and follow the trail on the south end of the lot. The HRCA recommends the full haunt for ages 10 and up. Earlier on Saturday, it’s also adding gentler options for younger families: a daytime Fall Fest and a “Fright Lite” walk at dusk.
Don’t wait to buy tickets. Eventbrite shows high demand, and the Haunted Forest has sold out before. Dress warm, wear shoes you can run in, and maybe let your friend walk in front. After all, you don’t have to outrun the zombie. You just have to outrun your buddy.
