I survived Alton Towers’ new Edge of the Forest Maze - this is what Scarefest 2025 is really like
My first Alton Towers ‘Scarefest’ lived up to every spine-tingling expectation - and I’m already planning my next visit.
Growing up, I was very much a Thorpe Park child.
Alton Towers always felt like this faraway wonderland I would beg my parents to take me to, but somehow we never made the trip. So when I was invited to Scarefest this year- complete with a VIP first look at their brand new maze, The Edge of the Forest - it felt like I was finally making up for lost time.
From Sheffield, it’s about an hour and a half by car, or for the car-less among us, there’s the option of a train to Stoke-on-Trent and a short Uber ride from there. A bit of a journey, but for Scarefest it’s one that pays off.
My friends Ellie and Jenny and I stayed overnight in one of the Woodland Lodges, which are as cute as they sound - round doors, fairy-like windows, and a cosy cabin feel that makes you feel part of the forest rather than just next to it. Inside there was plenty of space for us: a double bed, bunks and even a pull-out. The bathroom also featured a bath, which I’m sure would be a welcome luxury to return to after a day of adrenaline.
We wandered over to Splash Landings Hotel for drinks before bed, where we smugly promised ourselves an early night. After all, we had a full day of thrills, scares and questionable decisions ahead.
Buffet breakfast the next morning provided the essential fuel: pancakes, plenty of coffee, and sausages that Ellie took on as if she was in a competitive eating contest. It was exactly what we needed before heading into the park.
The brand new edge of the forest scare maze
We headed straight for The Edge of the Forest, the brand-new VIP maze that opened that very day. As we queued among the trees, complete with eerie decorations and the faint sound of blood-curdling screams, I spotted Tyson Fury. Yes, the actual Gypsy King. If a man who makes his living being punched in the head looked nervous, I knew we were doomed.
The maze itself was brilliant. We were led by a performer into a creepy cabin, told to “beware the Leshwall,” and then plunged straight into darkness. Inside, it felt like stepping into a real forest: towering trees, crashed cars, and shadowy figures flitting between them.
Being the unlucky one at the back of the group, I quickly became the actors’ favourite victim. They whispered in my ear, chased me through clearings, and generally made me regret every life choice that had led me here. Jenny, who I had genuinely never seen afraid of anything, was suddenly grabbing onto me for dear life. That alone was terrifying.
The beauty of the maze was how story-driven it was. You kept looping back into what looked like the first room, getting more disoriented each time, until the Leshwall—the forest’s resident spirit—burst in for the big jump scare. It was designed so cleverly that you could go back through and notice different details each time, uncovering more of the storyline.
Onto the rides
Still shaking, we agreed to ease ourselves into the rides. Ellie suggested Rita as “a good one to start with.” This was a blatant lie.
She had ‘forgotten’ to mention that Rita catapults you from 0 to 100km/h in under three seconds. Fighter pilots train for this; we were barely trained to walk after the maze. Stumbling off, we questioned our life choices—then promptly joined the next queue.
Over the course of the day we managed six big rides: Rita, Th13teen, Wicker Man, Oblivion, Spinball Whizzer and Nemesis Reborn. Wicker Man came out as our favourite: fast and thrilling but still fun enough to want a second go, which sadly we ran out of time for. My biggest piece of advice would be to get Fastrack if you can. Even with fairly short queues, it’s tough to fit everything in.
Compound: the maze that broke me
Later, I found myself in Compound—and I will never be the same again. Unlike other mazes, this one splits groups up, so within minutes I was alone, locked in an isolation chamber with a chilling countdown and an actor lurking in the walls. From there, things only got worse.
Red lights flashed, alarms blared, and I stumbled in circles, constantly convinced I had reached the end only to be plunged deeper in. At one point, a “good guy” pushed me into a pitch-black tunnel I had to crawl through on my hands and knees, which was more terrifying in anticipation than the actual jump scares. When I finally emerged, I had no idea where I was, only that I wanted it to end.
When we regrouped afterwards, it was all the more funny, as we realised each of us had lived a completely different nightmare. Ellie had been sprinted at down a corridor, Jenny had been dragged away screaming. It’s the kind of maze you could go back through multiple times and never have the same experience. For me, it was one of the most intense and brilliantly designed attractions I’ve ever been in.
The other side of Scarefest
What really makes Scarefest stand out is how the theming takes over the whole park. Everywhere you look, there are pumpkins, eerie sound effects, and roaming actors ready to catch you off guard. It transforms Alton Towers into its own spooky world, which feels a long way from the concrete-heavy parks I grew up with.
Between the adrenaline, we found time for calmer moments. The Sea Life Centre in the middle of the park felt like stepping into another world altogether—touching starfish and watching sharks swim overhead was the perfect interlude.
Food-wise, I braced for the usual theme park rip-off but was pleasantly surprised: I grabbed a veggie hot dog and drink for about £12, and it was genuinely delicious. We finished the day with a jet-black ice cream, which tasted fantastic but stained my tongue so badly I looked like I’d been possessed. The perfect spooky souvenir.
Scarefest 2025
This year’s event is stacked. Alongside The Edge of the Forest and Compound, there’s also a new outdoor scare zone, Dark Hollow, plus returning favourites like Altonville Mine Tours and the Burial Ground.
For families, Trick O’ Treat Town with HARIBO offers a lighter, more playful Halloween experience, while rollercoasters run into the night for those who prefer their thrills under cover of darkness.
Neil Crittenden, VP of Alton Towers Resort, has called it “the most chilling lineup yet.” After crawling through tunnels and whispering forests, I’m inclined to agree.
Even though it’s still early in the year, I left feeling completely ready for Halloween—and already planning my return. It’s rare for something to feel immersive, terrifying and hilarious all at once, but Scarefest nails it.
Tickets and info
- Theme Park tickets: from £34pp
- Scare Maze tickets: from £10 (single maze)
- Fastrack: from £35
- Accommodation: from £80pp (Woodland Lodges, CBeebies Hotel, etc.)