Markoff’s Haunted Forest Has 18 Nights Left This Season. Every Ticket Funds a Dickerson Nonprofit.

Markoff’s Haunted Forest has 18 nights left in its 2026 season, and the last one is Sunday, November 8. The Dickerson attraction runs on Calleva Farm off Martinsburg Road, and the money it takes in does not go to a haunt company. The revenue goes to a nonprofit.

Calleva, the 501(c)(3) that runs the forest, says on its frequently asked questions page that haunt revenue “supports Calleva’s outdoor adventure & education programs through scholarships, discounted experiences for schools & groups, pro bono group experiences, and developmental projects designed to expand access to outdoor adventure.”

The haunt goes back to 1992, when the Markoff family ran a haunted school bus that travelled to different spots. The Scare Factor’s reviewers write that it grew from there into the forest that exists now.

One thing worth knowing if your group is split on the whole idea: admission to the midway is free. Anyone who would rather not walk the trail can wait there with the food, the bonfires and the music while everyone else goes in.

The Nights That Are Left

Markoff’s runs on selected nights rather than every night, and the calendar on its booking system shows these dates still open:

• October: Friday 9, Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Friday 16, Saturday 17, Sunday 18, Thursday 22, Friday 23, Saturday 24, Sunday 25, Wednesday 28, Thursday 29, Friday 30 and Saturday 31
• November: Sunday 1, Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8

The season adds weeknights at the end of October. Nothing is listed after November 8.

What You Are Buying

Three passes are sold for most nights, plus a separate Lights On Night. Entry is timed. On Friday, October 9, trail check-in slots run every half hour from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

• Trail Pass. Markoff’s describes it as “a 40-minute haunted trail through eerie woods.”
• The Town Pass. Listed at “45 Minutes • Recommended for Ages 12+.”
• Trail Pass plus Town Pass combo.
• Lights On Night. A separate, non-scare walk-through described as “a fully immersive, walk-through haunted forest with atmospheric, adult-themed scenes and photo opportunities.” Lights On Night runs on its own dates.

Prices change depending on the date, so check the ticket page for the night you want. One detail worth knowing before you arrive: Markoff’s says the time on your ticket is your recommended arrival time, not the time you enter the trail.

Before You Go

• Age. The ticket listings recommend ages 12 and up. Markoff’s FAQ says the same thing, that it does not recommend anyone under 12 participate.
• Parking. Free, in a marked section of a hayfield. The lot is monitored, but Markoff’s tells visitors to lock their cars and not leave valuables.
• Weather. The haunt usually runs in the rain. If it closes, the decision is announced by 4 p.m. that day. Guests get a rain check if it closes early, but there are no refunds if it opens and you skip it.
• Waiver. New for 2026, everyone in your party has to sign a waiver before arriving. The link arrives by email after you book.
• Crowds. Markoff’s says Fridays and Saturdays are its busiest nights and that late October is the most crowded stretch. Markoff’s points people toward Sundays and Halloween itself for shorter waits.

The Rating Behind the Signs

Markoff’s has been promoting itself as the top haunted attraction in the country, and the underlying number is real, though the wording on the graphics is the haunt’s own.

The Scare Factor, a haunt review site, scored Markoff’s 9.72 out of 10 in a review published October 17, 2025 by its Team Night Stalkers reviewers. The site gave it the award it calls “Highest Rated Haunt – SiteWide” for 2025, along with four regional awards for the Northeast: highest rated cast, highest rated immersion, highest rated special effects and scariest haunt.

The category scores behind the 9.72 were entertainment and value 9.88, special effects 9.80, immersion 9.75, cast 9.74, customer service 9.70, scare factor 9.61 and costuming 9.55. The reviewers clocked 63 minutes inside the two attractions and noted the haunt is a no-touch attraction.

The Scare Factor’s own language is “highest rated,” not “number one in the nation,” and the ranking covers the haunts that site reviews. The site also flags on the review itself that 2025 “sits right at a change in our review categories and weighting,” so the score is not an apples-to-apples comparison with its reviews from nearby years. The MoCo Show reported the ranking in November 2025 and the season announcement in July 2026.

If You Go

Markoff’s Haunted Forest, 19120 Martinsburg Road, Dickerson. Tickets and the full calendar are at markoffshauntedforest.com. More about the nonprofit that runs it is at calleva.org.

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