Spooks galore! Anything can happen in the woods

Weird things start happening at this time of year. Carved pumpkins with votive candles illuminating gruesome faces are already springing up on front porches in our neighborhood. Effigies will soon be hanging from the trees next door. It’s enough to give you the creeps.
That’s nothing compared to the creepy goings on out at Misty Mountain Resort, though. Word has it that this normally quiet campground near Crozet has been taken over by some particularly nefarious creatures whose goal is to scare the pants off anyone who dares venture near the place.
“All kinds of things happen up there in the woods,” says Ken Hutchins mysteriously. Hutchins, a self-described “flunky” at the resort, says rumors of goons, goblins, and werewolves attacking visitors have, so far, been unsubstantiated. And the evidence from an unpleasant incident involving a chainsaw is still being analyzed.
Hutchins is unflappable, though. Every Friday and Saturday now through the end of the month, he’ll load up his hay wagon with curious thrill-seekers and cart them up the hill to see what evil lurks among the oaks and pines.
And as if that weren’t enough, phantoms from Majestic Expression Cloggers have taken over the campground’s recreation hall, transforming it into a 22-room haunted house.
Sonya Faust, director of the cloggers’ group, reports that all kinds of terrifying creatures have been spotted in the house, including mud monsters, gigantic spiders, and— oh, no— clowns! And, though she doesn’t want to cause a panic, last week a couple of visitors wandered down the dizzy hallway and haven’t been seen since.
Sounds like just the thing for a frightfully fun night out. 

Haunted Hayrides through the Misty Mountain Resort take place Friday and Saturday now through the end of October from dark to 10:30 or 11pm. Cost is $5 per person. The Majestic Expression Boo House is open weeknights 7-9pm, and Friday and Saturday 7-11:30pm. Cost is $5 for adults, $2.50 for kids 12 and under. Parents are advised to use discretion with very young children. The campground is located on Rt. 250 west just past the Crozet exit from I-64. 540-456-6409.