Pine Mountain State Resort Park is getting into the Halloween spirit with a wide variety of activities. One of the most exciting being Pine Mountain’s own take on a haunted trail. This will be the first haunted attraction organized and executed by the park.

Park Program Services Supervisor Keith Bowling finds the natural setting of the trail spooky enough on its own, making it the perfect place for a haunted trail.

“When you go in the campground at night and you see the state of abandonment it’s in, it really lets your mind wander,” he said.

The trail will not just feature the typical spooks and specters of a haunted attraction, the staff made an effort to incorporate local history and lore into the planning and design of the trail to make it relevant to the park.

“Going all the way back into pioneer history you have people like the Harpe Brothers who came through…they were credited as America’s first serial killers with over 200 kills. Presumably they killed people while they were here. You have people around Gibson Station at that time that were killing people, burying them and selling their stuff off at the mercantile. There’s a long line of death right along the pathway of the Cumberland Gap and the path of the settlers,” said Bowling.

There has been a community outcry for Halloween activities, and the park obliged in kind. This year’s trail is a direct response to the community reaching out to the park for Halloween themed events.

The trail is split into two, loops-one more family friendly — the other more adult oriented. This ensures that nobody is left out of the fun.

Bowling was reluctant to spoil the surprises of the trail, but visitors can expect to see famous horror villains of cinema such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. He also stated that there was extensive rigging done in the trees that will provide surprises. The scene that Bowling is personally most excited for is a mortuary scene.

“It was a story in the 1930s of a gentleman that was stealing bodies out of the mortuary and then he got caught, stole a truck…we’re doing that one,” he exclaimed.

The Pine Mountain Haunted Trail and Spooktacular will be held on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Food and drinks will be provided for the children, and costumes are encouraged. Admission is $10.