KATHLEEN, Ga. — It's finally October and if you're looking for a good scare, a longtime haunted trail in Houston County has you covered.
Lake Joy Trails of Terror is opening Friday and will run every Friday and Saturday in October and on Halloween.
The haunted trail is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and owner Mike Kelly says the turnout grows every year.
"Well, if you've ever been to Lake Joy Trails of Terror, the trail is completely different again, we go in and gut it, completely redo it," Kelly said. "Our theme this year is 'Creatures, Bad Men, and Monsters,' kind of off the Rob Zombie movie."
This year they're kicking it off with 'Super Hero Appreciation Night,' which is something they did last year. Military, first responders, nurses, and teachers will all be able to get a discount on their entry with an ID.
"We've already had a group of firemen that came out last year that really enjoyed it, they've already contacted and set up when they're coming back out," Kelly said. "And kind of like to give back to the community, give back to the teachers, and show appreciation for all the hard work everybody does in the community."
Kelly says a lot of work goes into the trails every year, and they draw inspiration from books and movies.
"Some of it comes from horror movies, or other haunted houses we go to, we kind of look at their scenes and stuff," Kelly said. "We don't ever copy anybody, but we do take inspiration from things we see and kind of add our touch to it, and make our own creation out of it."
He says everyone comes together as volunteers to make the trails happen.
"A lot of the actors go to $1,500, $2,000 bucks on costumes, and then designing the room to give it the full experience that you're looking for when you come out," Kelly said.
He says there's still a lot to do before opening day, and while he's stressed, he says excited to show off what they've been working on.
Lake Joy Trails of Terror kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. at 428 Lake Joy Road in Kathleen. You can buy tickets at the door or online.
You can learn more about the trails by visiting their Facebook.
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