Add a unique challenge to your typical fall weekend activities at these five farms, where wandering through a corn maze involves a whole new level of skill, strategy, and adventure. From country music stars to dinosaur chases, these mazes have all kinds of highly detailed and creative designs. Don’t worry, though—even the most directionally-challenged can get a little help with “emergency exit trails” and tips along the way.
Sykes Family Farms (Elkton, Florida)
Well-loved by the local community of Elkton, Florida is the annual Sykes Family Farms Crop Maze. This year, from October 7th to 29th, kids and adults are invited to flock to Sykes Farm to participate in their uniquely themed maze. This year’s design features Reba McEntire! The maze is nine acres total, which consists of four phases. At the entrance of the maze visitors have the option of fill out a “passport”—a ten questions form that will help guide you through the maze. All four phases take around 45-60 minutes to navigate, with Phase 1 being slightly shorter for the directionally challenged. General admission prices are $16.99, with discounts available. Admission to the farm also includes access to hayrides, playgrounds, a cow milking station, duck races, farm animals, barn yard ball zone, pedal karts, and more.
Richardson Adventure Farm (Spring Grove, Illinois)
A path cuts through a corn field by Mark Holloway – Unsplash
Touted as the “world’s largest,” most intricate corn maze, the Richardson Adventure Farm corn maze in Illinois features an incredible Jurassic Park themed design for 2023. Explore a labyrinth of corn stalks in shapes of familiar scenes from the movies, including a giant T-Rex chase. The design features more than 9 miles of trail winding through 28 acres of live corn; created out of 4 smaller mazes, each with its own dedicated in and out path. There are multiple checkpoints throughout the maze as well as three bridges that will help visitors find their bearings while looking at the map. While the trail is intricate, there is a perimeter path surrounding the entire maze and there are no dead ends in this maze—making it easy to exit and grab a donut or hot chocolate. This Spring Grove attraction also features a pumpkin patch, sunflower field, corn maze games, wagon rides, and many other family friendly activities to make for a fun-filled fall day.
The Great Vermont Corn Maze (Danville, Vermont)
The largest corn maze in New England takes approximately 2+ hours to hike and covers 24 acres. Miles of dirt trails at the Great Vermont Corn Maze’s “Big Maze” are lined with 10′ tall walls of corn and even feature 32 feet of underground tunnel and 100 feet of bridges. A helpful “Emergency Exit trail” also covers most of the maze giving visitors a chance to take a break, grab a snack, or use the restrooms without having to start over from the beginning. In addition to the “Big Maze,” this farm also features a “Scenic Maze.” The Scenic Maze is approximately a 45 minute walk using directions and special trails found along the way. This option allows visitors to see the unique things that are also in the Big Maze, but without the hours of frustration.
Treworgy Family Orchards (Levant, Maine)
A sunflower and a corn field by darlene – Unsplash
The corn maze at Treworgy Family Orchards is the longest continually-running corn maze in the state of Maine. This year, the design celebrates farming with a tractor design. The maze includes a special map with riddles to figure out as people visit “stations” inside the maze. Complete the puzzle to receive a free kiddie vanilla, chocolate, or twist soft-serve ice cream cone. Visitors that make it to the center of the maze can also sign their name on the Hall of Fame Board. For an extra-fun adventure, try the maze during one of their special “Night Maze” evenings. The Night Maze is family-friendly, so there is nothing scary or “haunted,” just good old-fashioned fun. Visitors should bring their own flashlights. Guests can collect treats as they wander through the maze; or, head to the cafe for hot cider, hot chocolate, and donuts. Additionally, there are lighted hayrides and a campfire for warming.
Liberty Mills Farm (Somerset, Virginia)
The corn maze at Liberty Mills Farm in Virginia is actually made up of four different trails: a Story Maze, Trivia Maze, Hole Punch Maze, and Mystery Maze. The Story Maze takes only about 30 minutes to complete all the “story stations,” while the medium-difficulty Trivia Maze can take 45-60 minutes and features trivia questions along the way. The Hole Punch maze is the longest; it can take anywhere from 2-3 hours to find all 21 stations, but those that find their way out are also rewarded with ice cream. Finally, there’s the Mystery Maze. With no maps or guidance, visitors are on their own with your sense of adventure; the farm recommends leaving a minimum of an hour for this final maze.
This article was originally published by Budgettravel.com. Read the original article here.