The Buford Trail of Terror is coming back for 2026. After the sale of its original haunting grounds and a two-year hiatus, the fan-built Georgia haunt reopens at a new home on Lake Lanier, opening Saturday, September 26 and running select nights through Saturday, November 7.
The new address is 7650 Lanier Islands Parkway, at Lanier Islands Resort on the shores of Lake Lanier. The attraction is part haunted house and part open-air trail, staffed by 50 “restless spirits” who stalk guests across 13 scenes, some of them set out on open sand.
The Buford Trail of Terror first opened in 2017 and grew fast, from crowds of 50 a night to at-capacity nights of well over 1,000. Along the way it collected several of Haunt Junkies’ Golden Ghost Awards. The two-year gap followed the sale of the original property, and the move to Lake Lanier gives the haunt more room, more parking, and a lake already steeped in local legend.
The haunt is the work of Matthew Miller, owner of Matthew’s & Co. Salon in Flowery Branch, who has said he was inspired by Stephen King novels and by a 1993 youth-football Trail of Terror he walked as a kid. Each year he hires dozens of professional actors, and his salon stylists and local artisans build the hair, makeup, and costumes. Miller says the lake setting shaped this year’s new characters.
“Lake Lanier already has its own air of mystique and catalog of local legends. The setting helped inspire new concepts and creatures, like pirates, vikings, mermaids, sirens, and more.”
Miller adds that the new site brings more parking, food and drinks, restrooms, and live entertainment for guests waiting in line, but promises the scares are fully intact.
Georgia has a deep haunt bench. Netherworld, the Atlanta-area haunt now marking its 30th season, closes the same weekend Buford does, on November 7. Like a growing number of haunts, the Buford Trail of Terror now runs past Halloween itself, with dates on November 1 and November 7. If you are mapping out the season, our guide to when haunted houses open tracks opening weekends across the country.
Dates and hours
The Buford Trail of Terror runs select nights from late September through early November. All dates and times below are for 2026.
- Saturday, September 26: 8 p.m. to midnight
- Friday, October 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30: 8 p.m. to midnight
- Saturday, October 3, 10, and 31: 8 p.m. to midnight
- Saturday, October 17 and 24, and Sunday, October 25: 6 p.m. to midnight
- Sunday, November 1 and Saturday, November 7: 8 to 11 p.m.
Tickets and admission
The haunt recommends ages 16 and up unless accompanied by an adult. Tickets are sold at BufordTrailofTerror.com. Buying online folds the Lanier Islands Resort gate fee into the ticket price. Buying at the door instead adds a $20 gate fee per vehicle.
Regular admission is $34.99 for an individual or $24.99 per person for groups of 15 or more. Fast passes run $64.99 for an individual or $49.99 per person for groups of 15 or more.
What else is happening this season
Fireworks light the sky on October 24 and October 31. October 31 is the only night guests may wear costumes, with a prize for the best one. On select evenings, a kids’ behind-the-scenes tour and meet-the-monsters runs from 6 to 8 p.m., before the trail turns fully dark. “Glow Nights” swap in blue lighting for a different kind of scare, and live entertainment changes nightly, from a DJ to a “Thriller” tribute to a metal band leading a monster mosh pit.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Buford Trail of Terror open in 2026? Opening night is Saturday, September 26, and the haunt runs select nights through Saturday, November 7.
Where is it? 7650 Lanier Islands Parkway, at Lanier Islands Resort on Lake Lanier in Buford, Georgia.
How much are tickets? Regular admission is $34.99 for an individual or $24.99 per person for groups of 15 or more. Fast passes run $64.99 for an individual or $49.99 per person for groups of 15 or more. Buying at the door adds a $20 gate fee per vehicle.
Is it good for kids? The haunt recommends ages 16 and up unless a child is with an adult, though the early meet-the-monsters hours on select nights are aimed at younger visitors.
For more of the season’s standout haunts beyond Georgia, see our roundup of the best haunted houses in America.
