Days and nights in October are a treat in North Dakota

 

The last time the men of the 7th Cavalry saw the moon rise in a deep black sky over at Fort Abraham Lincoln and the Missouri River was May 16, 1876. Or was it?

Claims that the spirits of many of those who did not return from the Little Bighorn still roam the ground to this day are just that – claims. But are they true? Find out for yourself while exploring four terrifying buildings at the Haunted Fort: Custer Manor, Old Circus Freakshow, Post Asylum and Guard House (hauntedfort.com). The event is held each weekend between Oct. 11 and Nov. 2. The final act this year will be Darkness Unleashed and the only light will be from single glowsticks. Old forts are spooky enough without adding any more chills and thrills. The Haunted Fort might just create enough screams to raise the 7th Cavalry.

Fright nights aren’t limited to Fort Lincoln. They can be found all around the state (ndtourism.com/best-places/8-spooktacularly-haunted-hideaways), from Leonard to Noonan and points in between. Scremit Da Klown and ZiggyD Wolf await at Acres of Terror (acresofterrornd.com) through Nov. 2 in Leonard.  In Williston, what was once one spooky site at Dark Acres (facebook.com/DarkAcres) the first three weekends in October has morphed into two and now includes Cottonwood Forest’s “The Haunt” (facebook.com/watch/?v=2080892648882235).

Keeping with the season, Extreme North Dakota Racing has a frighteningly fun event planned for those who are not afraid to play in the woods at Turtle River State Park after dark. END-TOMBED (www.endracing.com/end-tombed), gives riders options to race around the woods for six or 12 hours, or as part of a team on Oct. 26. The following day, gut out the 10K or six- or 12-hour END-TRAILS, or Extreme North Dakota's Terrifying Run Amongst Innumerable Lost Souls (endracing.com/end-trails), run through the park.

Go to ndtourism.com/best-places/13-fantastic-hiking-and-biking-trails-north-dakota for more exciting hiking and biking trails in North Dakota.