What does a Highlands Ranch backcountry trail look like an hour after sunset? Most of the year, the rules make that hard to find out. HRCA's trails are open sunrise to sunset. The 11.2-mile HRCA trail network is private to members and the guests they bring along. Past Base Camp, you can only explore the 8,200-acre conservation property on a guided program.
On October 23 and 24, that changes. For two nights the Backcountry Wilderness Area becomes the busiest Halloween spot in town, and every Haunted Forest ticket goes back into caring for the land people are walking through. A week later, on Halloween night, the action moves to the other big piece of open land the community is still deciding what to do with. You can follow Highlands Ranch's Halloween calendar on a map of its open space.
Why the trailhead has a Lone Tree address
HRCA tells Haunted Forest guests to park at Rocky Heights Middle School, 11033 Monarch Blvd., which has a Lone Tree mailing address. From there you walk the trail off the south end of the parking lot to the Haunted Forest Community Area, with music and lights marking the way.
Hikers will know that spot. HRCA lists Rocky Heights Middle School and Monarch Boulevard as the access point for the Wildcat trail system. In other words, the Halloween crowd uses the same front door as the Wildcat trails, just after the hours those trails are normally closed.
Some Wildcat rules come with seasonal fine print. The Wildcat Mountain System closes every year from January 1 through March 31. The purple Wildcat Mountain Trail can also stay closed through September 1 for eagle nesting. The trails page still shows an undated notice that the trail is closed until September 1. By HRCA's own seasonal schedule it should be open now, but check that page before planning a daytime hike around it. On a normal visit, HRCA also asks trail users to carry their recreation center ID card and notes that staff and volunteers patrol the private trails.
Saturday, October 24, by the hour
HRCA spaced out the weekend's events so they get scarier and later as the day goes on. On Saturday the schedule overlaps enough that a household with kids of different ages could stay in the area from lunch until close to 10 p.m.
- 1 to 4 p.m., Haunted Forest Fall Fest. The family-friendly daytime event in the Backcountry Wilderness Area. Park at Rocky Heights Middle School. Tickets are $10 for children and $5 for adults.
- 3 to 6 p.m., Oaked and Smoked. The adults-only slot of the day, held across town at Eastridge, 9568 University Blvd. General admission is $45 and designated drivers pay $15.
- 5 to 7 p.m., Haunted Forest Fright Lite. The in-between option, starting from the Rocky Heights Middle School trail access. Tickets are $10.
- 6 to 8:30 p.m., Haunted Hayrides. These leave from Stockton's Plum Creek Stables, 7479 W. Titan Road, not from the Backcountry. Tickets are $16 per adult or child, and children two and under ride free.
- 7 to 10 p.m., Haunted Forest. The full three-quarter-mile walk through the woods, recommended for ages 10 and up. There are flashing strobe lights along the route. General admission is $15, and a fast pass is $25.
Friday, October 23, is the shorter night. The Haunted Forest runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and the hayrides run 6 to 8:30 p.m. If you want the scariest version without squeezing it in after a busy Saturday, Friday works best. Ticket availability can change between now and then, so it's smart to buy before the week of the event.
Where the ticket money goes
HRCA says all Haunted Forest proceeds go to the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund. The fund is a 501(c)(3), and its stated priorities line up closely with what makes the land worth visiting in the first place:
- Wildlife habitat improvement
- Low-cost and no-cost nature programs and access
- Outdoor and environmental education
- Water improvements for wildlife
That makes the Haunted Forest an unusual kind of Halloween event, a fundraiser that brings people onto the land it raises money for. The rest of the year, most people reach the Backcountry Outdoor Center through a program, lesson or activity. Base Camp and the Horse Corrals aren't drop-in trailheads. The archery range is the main exception, open to drop-in visitors with a day-use or season pass. If your family has never signed up for a guided outing, the Fall Fest may be the easiest first visit to the Backcountry you'll get all year.
Halloween night moves to the Mansion's new acreage
On October 31, the main event moves from the Backcountry to Historic Park. The Highlands Ranch Mansion is hosting The Last Stop outdoors from 6:30 to 9 p.m. It's free, no reservation is needed, there's a cash bar, and pets aren't allowed.
The park around the Mansion is much bigger than it was last Halloween. On April 30, 2026, Shea Homes conveyed about 197 acres of ranchland to the Metro District, which brought Historic Park to almost 250 acres. The new land includes pastureland, 13 existing outbuildings and the windmill on the hill south of the Mansion at 9950 E. Gateway Dr. The Metro District says it plans to preserve the property's history while adding programs and amenities. It describes three phases, planning, design and construction, with community input at each one.
No plan has been chosen yet. The Metro District says a survey specific to Historic Park will come "this fall," but it hasn't posted a launch date or link. A separate, district-wide online survey went up October 1 and is open through Wednesday, October 28. It collects general feedback for planning and budget decisions. These are two different surveys. Answering the general one by October 28 doesn't stand in for the Historic Park survey when it opens.
The Mansion's indoor Halloween tours are already full. Spirits with the Spirits Mansion Tours, scheduled for October 7, 14 and 21 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., are sold out, and the Mansion is keeping a waitlist. That leaves The Last Stop as the Mansion's open-door Halloween event this year.
The Backcountry is getting another public piece
The trail access that leads to the Haunted Forest also points toward the area's next big change. Wildcat Regional Park is a planned 202-acre park in the northeast part of the Backcountry Wilderness Area. The land went to Douglas County in 1996 to become a regional park someday. Earlier concepts with sports complexes and large infrastructure drew community concern about the effects on wildlife and open space. After a multi-phase community process, HRCA and Douglas County shifted to a low-impact plan built around trails.
The current design has four parts:
- About 5 miles of bike-only trails, including downhill segments meant for building skills
- About 3 miles of surfaced trails for walking, running and families
- About 3 miles of natural-surface multi-use trails open to both pedestrians and cyclists
- A bike skills area aimed at beginner and intermediate riders, which likely won't include expert-level features because of insurance and risk management considerations
Trail routes are being planned to avoid sensitive habitat, including key areas elk use, and to use ridgelines as buffers. HRCA's posted schedule targets design completion in fall or winter 2026, a construction start in early 2027 and an opening in late 2027 or early 2028. The same page also says design would be finished "this summer," so treat those dates as a forecast. If the schedule holds, construction will be underway in the Backcountry through 2027, and a public bike park could open there by early 2028.
Smaller dates to add to the calendar
HRCA's Halloween House Decorating program takes submissions of decorated homes through October 30, and the map of entries goes up October 8. It works well as a route for a neighborhood drive. On Friday, October 30, the Therapeutic Recreation Halloween Dance runs 7 to 9 p.m. at Southridge Wildcat Auditorium for ages 16 and up. An ISP is required, and tickets are $18 for members and $22 for nonmembers.
If the Wildcat and Historic Park plans have you wondering how new trails and a bigger park could change the part of Highlands Ranch you'd choose to live in, or the one you already own in, Ken Posen - Compass is glad to go through the maps and timelines with you. Schedule a free consultation, and bring your questions about the open space closest to you.
