The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park 2025 Guide

Creepy Monster at the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park

The maze - known for its twisted fairy tales, folklore creatures, and scary encounters - is where your haunted adventure will begin!

As you make your way through the maze, you’ll find reimagined fairy tale characters with a sinister twist for some terrifying and, if I do say so myself, awesome encounters!

Plus, the maze design features plenty of sounds, dark corners, and jump scares to fully immerse you into the haunted atmosphere and get you in the Halloween mood!

A Prelude to Terror

The maze takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. However, it all depends on how fast you move through it with your group. I can say from personal experience, unless you are extra slow, 15 to 20 minutes is a good guess of how long you’ll need.

The eXperiment Maze is carefully crafted to trick your senses as you go through it. If you find yourself going in circles, don’t be afraid to go back to retrace your steps to find a different path.

But don’t take too long. You won’t want to be “Moldy Locks and her 3 Grizzly Bears” next victims. Also know that if you’re afraid of scary clowns, beware, because there just might be one waiting for you!

You can exit the maze or trail if it proves to be a bit too scary for anyone in your group. But just be aware that there are no refunds if you decide not to complete the maze or trail if it’s too scary.

The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park Throne

For starters, let me tell you that a mile-long haunted trail is a serious distance, so be ready for this haunted hike! It’s been my experience that most haunted houses or trails I’ve been to throughout the years are a fraction of the length of this mile long march. That is one reason, if you like scary Halloween fun, that this haunted trail is worth your time.

To start, you’ll make your way through the outdoor trail’s haunted grove of gnarled oaks and twisted pines.

The Mile-Long Haunted Trail promises to transport guests from the ordinary world into a heart-pounding alternate universe filled with dense fog and otherworldly creatures for a fun, immersive experience.

A Journey Through Fear

This is the place where nightmares lurk and horror fans rejoice!

You’ll first take a step into ancient darkness as you start in the hall of mirrors. Then, get ready for the light and vapors before boarding Freddy Krueger’s ghoul bus. Let me tell you, there’s nothing fun about this bus (but it’s also pretty exciting if you’re into scary Halloween attractions)!

Next, you’ll have to tiptoe your way through the roaming clowns before getting dragged into the Torture Carriage for some intense scares. Your skin will crawl as you see the insects that are living in the rotting mansion. It will then be on to Nuke Town that is aglow with radioactive terror.

Last, but not least, is the decaying cathedral where nuns will be waiting for chainsaw chases as you say your last prayer!

Seriously though – a mile of scares and a solid collection of themed scares zones! Where else are you going to see something like this?

Keep The Scares Going

If you want more spooky experiences available in San Diego, I’d recommend the San Diego: Haunted Ghost Tour by Bus which will take you on a journey through the chilling, dark history of the city.

You’ll get to explore haunted sites like the Davis-Horton House and El Campo Santo Cemetery with your guides and return to your bus for more eerie encounters and spooky stories.

See More Haunts With a Go City San Diego Pass

Of course, with a Go City San Diego pass, you can visit more spooky haunts, my favorite San Diego attractions, and more without having to worry about extra fees, lines, and full-price admission at the door.

If you are a Halloween fan like me, check out the Gaslamp Walking Ghost Tour or Haunted Old Town Walking History + Paranormal Investigation, both require a booking reservation but are included at no extra charge as part of the pass.

Use our exclusive discount code GVSD5OFF for an additional discount!