I grew up in the 1980s, when serial killers stalking summer camps defined the horror genre: Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, Cheerleader Camp, The Burning. So to me, the Great Horror Campout was a long time coming.
Billed as an “immersive experience,” the Great Horror Campout is a 12-hour, overnight “camping trip” that puts you in the middle of the horrors that lurk in the woods. I do not like camping and I do not like wilderness, so I doubt that I could make it through the actual event. When I was offered a preview of the experience in a climate-controlled warehouse, I jumped at the chance.
Myself and a half-dozen journalists were asked to meet in Griffith Park in the heart of Los Angeles - already a scary proposition. Griffith Park is a massive state park built into the mountain, so there are lots of winding, multi-layered roads, none of which have names. There are few signs and fewer street lamps, making it the perfect way to start a horror campout. (The actual campout will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park.) A bus picks us up and starts the bumpy, winding trail out of the park. Actually, it could have been deeper into the park. We hadn’t been on the bus more than five minutes before we were “hijacked” by a trio of masked hillbillies. They threw burlap sacks on our heads and terrorized us with cans of air and hovering in our personal space. The leader of the hillbillies spent the rest of the trip barking out the rules and regulations to us. Between the bumpy ride and the muffling mask, I couldn’t hear anything he said.
We arrived at the warehouse of Ten Thirty One Productions, the people who created the Great Horror Campout (they also do the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride). Melissa Carbone, one of founders of Ten Thirty One gives us a rundown of what campers can expect before launching into the Hell Hunt.
The centerpiece of the Great Horror Campout is the Hell Hunt, an intense horror-themed scavenger hunt. Upon checkin, campers will receive a dossier which includes, among other things, a camp map and details on what you are looking for in the Hell Hunt. In order to complete the Hunt, you must collect five Level Three items, four Level Two items, and one Level One item (the most difficult to obtain). We got to hunt for a Level Two item, which required us to dig into the abdomen of a (prop) victim, through the goo and past the intestines, and actually snap off a rib from the rib cage. Other tasks may ask you to pull worms from severed heads, dig out items from piles of roadkill, or take place in a blood ritual.
But the hunt is not just playing in goo. You may need to work your way through a labyrinth while avoiding detection by chupacabras. You may be kidnapped by “creepers” in vans and dropped off at a remote location of the camp (with a “campground” of 32 acres, it could take you half the night to find your way back). You may be abducted and locked in a cage or the trunk of a car, and need to negotiate your way out with one or two of your hard-won Hunt items (with 11,600 items in play, you can always go back for more).
So let’s say scavenger hunts are not your thing. There is no shortage of other things to do at the Great Horror Campout. For starters, you are free to roam about the Hell Zone without taking place in the Hunt. There will also be an area called the Homestead, which sounds like playground for grownups: tight corridors set up like a junkyard that you can climb through while being chased by urban legend killers, like the man with the hook hand. You can try to nap in your tent, but there is no guarantee that you won’t be dragged out by a monster. For something a little tamer, you can roast marshmallows over a camp fire, or enjoy all-night horror movies. So far, some of the titles that will play include classics like Sleepaway Camp 2, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th 3, and newer films Mama and Come Out and Play. More films will likely be added, and they will be screening trailers, shorts, and “other surprises” throughout the night.
During our preview, we also got to sample some of the food that will be served, buffet-style, in the mess hall. It was more than a step above typical “camp food” and included sausages cooked with peppers and onions, chili, and mac and cheese. (Fair warning: the website says there are vegan-appropriate options, but other than salad, I did not see any during our preview.) During dinner, campers will be greeted by the camp headmaster, who will give everyone the orientation that we got from masked hillbillies. The first rule of GHC is that the rules can change at any moment, so listen closely for the loudspeaker. The headmaster could announce a rule change at any time.
Of course, if you get overwhelmed at any time, you do have a safe phrase: “I want my mommy!”
The Great Horror Campout will have two dates: June 7th and June 8th. Your $149 ticket includes “sleeping” accommodations, dinner, continental breakfast, the Hell Hunt, movies, and marshmallows. For all the details and to buy your tickets, visit GreatHorrorCampout.com