A chairlift ride after dark, a costume run through Lithia Park or a camping trip on the Northern California coast: JX Outside’s guides have October recommendations for families, runners and people looking for a scare.
Nicole Larsen, Jennifer Bray and Alyssa Winkelman shared their picks on the Jefferson Exchange, joined by Autumn Subers, volunteer and transportation director for Redwood Parks Conservancy. Their suggestions include Halloween events, corn mazes and opportunities to help restore coastal parks.
Ride into the dark on Mount Ashland
Larsen has visited Lake Shasta Caverns several times and recommends its Ancient Echoes sound experience for a different kind of fall outing.
Getting there is part of the adventure: Visitors take a boat across Shasta Lake, then ride a bus uphill to the caverns. Larsen said both rides are part of the experience.
The event pairs a guided cavern tour with a sound session underground. Winkelman, who has also visited the caverns, said the setting alone makes an impression.
“It feels very cathedral-like when you're in there,” she said.
Larsen cautions that the cavern tour involves hundreds of steps.
Explore Lake Shasta Caverns
Winkleman’s recommendation takes visitors underground: the Ancient Echoes sound experience at Lake Shasta Caverns.
The outing begins with a boat ride across Shasta Lake and a bus trip up the mountain. Inside, participants take a guided cavern tour and attend a sound session.
“It feels very cathedral-like when you're in there,” Winkleman said.
Pedal haunted rails or walk through Yreka’s history
Bray recommends the Haunted McCloud Railroad Excursion on Oct. 23 and 30.
“It's a spooky sunset tour featuring the train graveyard, s'mores by the fire, and a pumpkin patch,” Bray said.
Visitors ride railbikes — bicycles built to travel on railroad tracks — past the train graveyard.
For an outing on foot, she suggests the Evergreen Cemetery tour in Yreka, scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 30.
“They want you to bring a flashlight or lantern,” Bray said. “Costumes are welcome but not required.”
She also recommends the Siskiyou Golden Jackpot’s Barnyard Bash on Halloween. The event includes games and trick-or-treating through the barns.
Run in costume in Ashland, then head to Talent
Larsen and her son plan to participate in the Ashland Monster Dash on Oct. 24 in Lithia Park.
“It is costume chaos, and it's totally family-oriented,” she said.
The event includes a 1-mile run and a 5K, costume contests, free crafts and games. It supports Ashland public schools.
The guides discussed dressing as witches before settling on another possibility: runners in neon and spandex.
“Yes, we'll be speed walking,” Larsen said.
Bray’s recommendation for the following day is Talent’s Day of the Dead Race, with 1-mile, 5K and 10K courses, plus music, art and food.
“We have a whole weekend of running,” Larsen said.
Find your way through a haunted corn maze
Larsen’s fall plans also include Fort Vannoy Farms near Grants Pass, where an 8-acre corn maze winds through stalks that can reach 14 feet tall.
She and her son intend to skip the daytime maze and try the farm’s nighttime 23 Screams haunted attraction.
“I'm actually pretty scared,” Larsen said.
She also has her eye on Historic Hawes Farm near Anderson, which offers a corn maze and attractions including bull rides, bumper carts and go-karts.
“But I really am just going for the corn maze and to be scared,” she said.
Spend a day helping coastal parks
Subers recommends joining a Redwood Parks Conservancy restoration workday. She highlighted opportunities at Trinidad State Beach on Oct. 10 and Little River State Beach on Oct. 17. The conservancy’s calendar also lists a workday at Tolowa Dunes State Park on Oct. 18.
The work includes removing invasive plants that crowd out coastal habitat. Subers said the effort continues beyond October.
“We do these events a couple of times every month throughout the year,” she said.
She described the work as generally easy to moderate, with instruction for beginners and most tools provided. Volunteers should bring water, sunscreen, sturdy footwear and layers.
Looking ahead to November, Subers said volunteers are still needed for the conservancy’s annual candlelight walk through the ancient redwoods.
Tasks range from setting up lights to serving cookies and cider. Volunteers also get time to enjoy the walk.
“Something I really like to do is make sure our volunteers also get to enjoy the experience,” Subers said.
Turn a volunteer outing into a camping trip
Larsen recommends Sue-meg State Park for camping with family and friends. She likes the coastal trail, the privacy of the campsites and the rabbits she has seen around the campground.
Subers suggests using the park as a base for nearby restoration events.
For Bray, another reason to visit the coast in fall is spotting mushrooms, including chanterelles and hedgehog mushrooms.
“The mushrooms for sure and the elk,” she said.
Before leaving, Subers recommends checking park websites for seasonal closures and repair work. Bray advises checking tides before a beach walk and packing for changing temperatures.
“Always bring a rain jacket to the coast,” Bray said.
Guests
- Nicole Larsen, JX Outside guide
- Jennifer Bray, JX Outside guide
- Alyssa Winkleman, JX Outside guide
- Autumn Subers, transportation director, Redwood Parks Conservancy
