"A toned-down experience with fewer jump scares." That line comes from the HRCA's October 2026 newsletter. It describes something the Backcountry Wilderness Area's Haunted Forest has never offered in its history: a version built for the people who used to wait in the parking lot.
The new formats are part of a wider pattern this fall. In 2026, Highlands Ranch's 45th year, the groups that run its October are splitting single events into tiers by age, ticket price and nerve. The Haunted Forest now runs at three intensities. The Mansion holds a sold-out adults-only evening and a free night on the lawn. Even the community's birthday party is a free, one-hour trivia night with a water-bill credit as first prize. Here is how the month lines up, and how to use it.
Saturday, Oct. 24, from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m.
The HRCA newsletter confirms the Haunted Forest returns Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, on its three-quarter-mile trail through the woods. It also says two new events, the Haunted Forest Fall Fest and the Haunted Forest Fright Lite, debut Oct. 24 and are "geared toward younger families."
Put the three schedules side by side and that Saturday works like a dimmer switch. The trail gets scarier as the light goes.
| Format | When | Tickets | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haunted Forest Fall Fest | Sat., Oct. 24, 1 to 4 p.m. | $10 children, $5 adults | Decorated trail, bounce house, food trucks, crafts |
| Haunted Forest Fright Lite | Sat., Oct. 24, 5 to 7 p.m. | $10 | Same trail, no scare actors |
| Haunted Forest | Fri., Oct. 23, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 24, 7 to 10 p.m. | $15 general, $25 fast pass | The full version, live scares included |
On Saturday, Fright Lite ends at 7 p.m., the same hour the full Haunted Forest begins. A household with a younger child and a teenager could do the gentle walk at dusk, then hand off for the late slot without leaving the area.
All three formats use the same trailhead. The HRCA lists parking at Rocky Heights Middle School on Monarch Boulevard, with access by the trail south of the school. That lot fills all afternoon and evening on the 24th. Plan on more cars than a typical Saturday at the Backcountry trailhead.
Why a scare fundraiser added a version without scares
The format change makes more sense once you know what the Haunted Forest pays for. The HRCA's Backcountry blog says the event began in 2011 and takes over the wooded creek bed south of Rocky Heights for two nights each year. The blog calls it "a pivotal fundraiser" for the Backcountry Wilderness Area. Local high school students build the scenes and play the scare actors. In a 2024 post, the HRCA said the event had raised more than $20,000 a year for habitat protection and environmental education through the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund. That figure is from 2024. The current event page still says proceeds go to the same fund.
That same 2024 post describes what the fund looks after. The Wildcat Mountain golden eagle nest has fledged 10 young since 2011. The Backcountry's elk herd has more than doubled from about 200 animals in 2011, and wild turkeys have spread across the property.
Before this year, a fall fundraiser built on jump scares could only reach people who wanted to be scared. The two new formats open the same trail to a daytime crowd and a 5 p.m. crowd at lower price points. The newsletter's stated goal is bringing "the spirit of the season to even the youngest in our community." If the Haunted Forest has been on your someday list, Fright Lite is the low-commitment way to see what the students build.
The Mansion splits its October the same way
Highlands Ranch Mansion arrived at the same two-tier setup from the other direction. Its Spirits with the Spirits evening tours explore the building's history, mystery and lore. They are for guests 21 and older, and they run on Wednesdays: Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, 14 and 21. As of early October, the Mansion lists the tours as sold out with a waitlist open. The Metro District's calendar also shows an Oct. 28 tour, but the Mansion's own schedule doesn't include that date. Check with the Mansion directly before counting on it.
For everyone else there is Last Stop, a free Halloween-night event outside the Mansion on Oct. 31 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with a DJ and a cash bar. The interior stays closed and parking is limited. The timing fits the name. Last Stop starts after early trick-or-treating and wraps up at 9, so it can close out the night instead of competing with it.
The Mansion follows a familiar pattern. The ticketed, age-restricted program happens indoors and sells out months ahead. The free version happens on the grounds and is open to anyone who shows up. The Haunted Forest now offers the same range on a single trail.
A 45th birthday party at a taproom
The Highlands Ranch Historical Society dates the master-planned community to 1981, which makes 2026 its 45th year. Some cities would mark that with a parade. Here the milestone gets a free trivia night.
The Metro District and Highlands Ranch Water are hosting 45th Anniversary Trivia at Max Taps, 2680 E. County Line Road, on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. It's free, registration is required, and the top three teams win prizes. Highlands Ranch Water says the questions will focus on local history. First place wins a $100 credit on your water bill, second a $50 Max Taps gift card, and third a two-hour reservation at the Southpark Pickleball Complex.
The prizes fit the theme. Southpark opened at 400 W. County Line Road on Jan. 31. It has 19 fenced outdoor courts, which the Metro District and South Suburban manage together. The water district has its own milestone. The Highlands Ranch Herald reports it was founded in 1980 and delivered water to its first customer in 1981. It is marking 45 years of service with monthly stories and photos and has also planned a water festival and a wastewater-plant tour.
To study before the 15th, the Historical Society posts downloadable timelines of Highlands Ranch history, and its Images of America: Highlands Ranch book covers the community's earlier decades. Its Oct. 19 program fits with the anniversary theme even though it isn't billed as part of it. "A Virtual Tour of Roxborough State Park," presented by Mike Thomas, takes place at Southridge Recreation Center.
October in Highlands Ranch, in order
Add a few business openings and the calendar fills in around these anchor events. Here is the rest of the month, starting from today, Oct. 4:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7. BODYBAR Pilates holds a public grand-opening party from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 9265 S. Broadway, Suite 100. It opens for classes Monday, Oct. 12. Later that evening, the Mansion's Spirits tour runs for anyone who got off the waitlist.
- Thursday, Oct. 8. The Metro District's Older Adult Health & Resource Expo.
- Friday, Oct. 9. Joy Batch Cookies & Coffee, formerly Quinnie's Cookies, holds its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 9315 Dorchester St., Unit 109, in Highlands Ranch Town Center. It plans to sell cookies, coffee and curated gifts.
- Thursday, Oct. 15. 45th Anniversary Trivia at Max Taps, 6 to 7 p.m. Register ahead.
- Monday, Oct. 19. The Historical Society's Roxborough program at Southridge Recreation Center.
- Friday, Oct. 23. The full Haunted Forest, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. The Senior Center Fall Craft Fair, then the Haunted Forest's three formats from 1 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. Last Stop at the Mansion, 6:30 to 9 p.m., outdoors only.
If you're getting coffee before a Backcountry walk, the newer Black Rock Coffee Bar at 9401 S. University Blvd. opened Sept. 14. It's the chain's second Highlands Ranch location and its 22nd in Colorado. If you had pre-event dinner plans on Park Central Drive, update them. Westword reported that Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery closed its Highlands Ranch location at 1505 Park Central Dr. in August, leaving Loveland as the chain's only Colorado location.
Haunted Forest tickets and the Mansion's Spirits waitlist are on the HRCA and Highlands Ranch Mansion websites. Both Oct. 24 family formats are new this year, so their first run is the one to watch. If you're thinking through a move that should fit around the school calendar and a busy fall, Nicole Savoie is happy to talk through the timing with you, calmly and with no pressure. Let's Connect.
