North Carolina's Thrilling Theme Park Near Greensboro Has Ziplines And One Of The Country's Best Haunted Attractions

Fun is never far away in North Carolina. Whether you're road-tripping along the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway, swimming at the beautiful beaches of the Outer Banks, or fawning over wildlife at Asheboro's North Carolina Zoo – the world's largest natural habitat zoo – adults and kids alike will find plenty to do. The Tar Heel State also delivers on theme parks, especially if you're looking for adrenaline-pumping fun near the vibrant city of Greensboro. Just a stone's throw away, Kersey Valley offers zip-line adventures and is home to one of the country's best haunted attractions.

Nestled in the small, leafy town of Archdale, Kersey Valley is one of the region's standout destinations for family and group fun. Visitors can enjoy a mix of adventures, including zip-lining above the forest floor, cracking escape-room puzzles, playing cat-and-mouse laser tag, trying axe-throwing, and more. Alongside the activities, the family-owned park serves quintessential theme park eats like funnel cake and chocolatey fudge while embracing Southern hospitality.

Kersey Valley is open year-round, but one of the best times to visit is in the fall, when the blood-curdling Halloween extravaganza "Spookywoods" takes over the park. What started as a local haunt in 1985 inside an old farmhouse has grown into one of Martha Stewart's "15 Best Halloween Destinations in the U.S."

Kersey Valley puts a unique, aviation-themed spin on its zip-line adventures. Staff members, known as "flight captains," prep daredevils ages 10 and older to soar above the treetops through a mock flight school. Participants learn how to suit up in their harnesses and helmets and receive safety training before taking to the course. Once they are up to speed, they embark on a heart-pounding zip-line tour that flits between the park's 17 sky decks, each named after an airport code.

All zip-line tours depart from the 58-foot-high ATL tower and fly above the park's Maize Adventure, a sprawling cornfield maze that's a popular seasonal fall attraction. Guests can choose between two courses that reach heights of 40 to 100 feet and last one to two hours. The longer First Class course boasts 14 zip lines that cover 1.5 miles and includes all 10 sky towers and 17 sky decks. By comparison, the shorter Coach Class course offers a shorter experience that still showcases much of the course.

Kersey Valley's zip-line courses may not offer the spellbinding jungle and alpine views as some of the world's most thrilling zip lines. However, it's still a major hit with travelers on Tripadvisor, where it ranks as Archdale's top outdoor activity and holds an average rating of 4.8 stars. One reviewer said they couldn't wait to go again, and heaped praise on their flight instructors, writing, "They both made the whole experience fun and more importantly since it was our first time, made it comfortable, were patient and encouraging, and true instructors guiding us on how to have the safest and best time."

Halloween doesn't get much more festive — or frightening — than Spookywoods, Kersey Valley's legendary haunted attraction and North Carolina's biggest Halloween event. Operating since 1985, the attraction has spent over four decades scaring visitors. In addition to recognition from Martha Stewart, Spookywoods has cracked HauntWorld magazine's list of the country's "Top 13 Haunted Attractions" thanks to its elaborate sets, a cinematic scale spread across over 85 acres, more than 180 actors, and a horror-themed retail shop. Staff members work year-round to craft new sets and fresh themes so that each season offers a completely original fright.

A fleet of wagons pulls visitors through eerie pine forests and other nightmarish landscapes featuring three different worlds of immersive horror installations. There's an "Icons of Horror" set riddled with slasher-flick legends, a haunted farmhouse, and a terrifying corn maze. The 90-minute experience is packed with screams, chainsaws, and a parade of unsettling characters lurking around every corner. Wait times for attractions can stretch to an hour on busy nights, but the park's QR system allows attendees to wait in a virtual queue while doing the monster mash at Club Spooky, a full-throttle party zone with DJs, photo booths, eats, and cocktails.

Spookywoods typically runs from the last week of September to the first week of November. There are several admission packages beginning at $39.95, and most nights sell out in advance, so be sure to book early. Kersey Valley is located 20 minutes from Greensboro, which has a thriving arts scene and exciting downtown, and just a five-minute drive from High Point, a design-savvy city known as the "furniture capital of the world."