A ski area in southern Oregon is putting its chairlift to a very different use this Halloween season. Instead of transporting skiers and snowboarders up the mountain, Mt. Ashland is using one of its lifts to carry costumed families to a haunted trail where ghosts and other spooky characters are waiting to hand out candy.
“Chairlift Trick-or-Treat is back for its 3rd year! Dress up in costume, take a fang-tastic chairlift ride up and be greeted by our ghostly guests with treats in hand as you walk our haunted trail in the light of day. It’s spooky fun for the whole family!”
The nonprofit ski area is hosting its Chairlift Trick-or-Treat event Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11, giving families an opportunity to experience the mountain in a completely different setting before winter arrives.
Participants are encouraged to arrive in costume and bring their own trick-or-treat bags. After riding the chairlift up the mountain, visitors follow a haunted nature trail in daylight, encountering costumed characters handing out treats along the way. The event also includes activities inside the ski area’s historic Karen & Sid DeBoer Lodge, along with food trucks.
Tickets cost $25 per person, regardless of age, and the event runs from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each day. Children ages 3 and older must be able to load the chairlift independently or with assistance from an accompanying adult. Families with children younger than 3 can participate without riding the lift by walking up the slope and hiking down through the trick-or-treat experience.
The Fun Continues After Dark
The family-friendly trick-or-treat event is only part of Mt. Ashland’s Halloween festivities. The ski area also hosted the third annual A Haunting on Mt. Ashland on Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 9-10.
That event offered a considerably scarier experience, guiding visitors through the basement of the historic lodge before sending them up the mountain on a chairlift. From there, participants entered a haunted walk through the woods, where scare actors, special effects and unexpected encounters transformed the ski area’s normally peaceful Nature Trail.
The nighttime event was divided into three hourly arrival windows between 7 and 10 p.m., with tickets priced at $35 for adults and $30 for children ages 12 and younger. Although younger guests were permitted with an accompanying adult, the resort recommended discretion for children younger than 13.
Keeping The Mountain Active Outside Ski Season
Located in the Siskiyou Mountains near the Oregon-California border, Mt. Ashland is operated by the nonprofit Mt. Ashland Association. The ski area has increasingly emphasized year-round recreation and community events as part of its efforts to remain a gathering place for southern Oregon residents.
The Halloween weekend is an example of the expanded offseason programming the mountain has been pursuing. The events also come as Mt. Ashland prepares for major infrastructure upgrades, including the planned replacement of its aging Windsor and Ariel chairlifts in the coming years.
While most skiers associate chairlifts with cold temperatures and snow-covered mountains, Mt. Ashland’s Halloween events demonstrate how the same infrastructure can provide an entirely different experience during the offseason.
For families interested in participating, the final Chairlift Trick-or-Treat session is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Additional information and tickets are available through Mt. Ashland’s official event page.