Glenlore Trails CarnEvil 2 is Bigger, More Interactive, and Worth Revisiting
Some attractions you visit once, enjoy, and feel like you have pretty much experienced everything they have to offer. Then there are experiences like Glenlore Trails, where returning a few years later can feel like visiting something almost entirely new.
I first attended Glenlore Trails several years ago, and while I remember enjoying the concept- a nighttime walk through the woods transformed by colorful lighting, projections, music, and themed environments- my return this year genuinely surprised me. The basic idea might still be familiar, but the experience surrounding it has evolved substantially. Simply put, Glenlore Trails feels bigger, more polished, and significantly more interactive than I remember.
For 2026, the Commerce Township attraction has transformed its roughly mile-long wooded trail into CarnEvil 2, a family-friendly Halloween experience built around a wonderfully strange carnival atmosphere. Rather than competing with traditional haunted houses by filling the woods with jump scares, Glenlore creates something different. Skeletons, creepy characters, unusual creatures, carnival imagery, lights, sounds, games, and plenty of Halloween atmosphere fill the space, but the focus is more on fun and discovery than on trying to terrify everyone who walks through.
That distinction makes a huge difference because this is genuinely an attraction that can work for almost every generation. Young kids can become completely absorbed in the lights and interactive elements. Teenagers and adults have plenty to explore and photograph. Parents can enjoy watching their kids interact with everything. Even grandparents can walk through and appreciate the visual spectacle without worrying that someone will leap out from behind a tree every few minutes. After seeing how much Glenlore Trails has changed since my previous visit, this feels less like a simple illuminated walking trail and much more like a full outdoor attraction.
The biggest upgrade is how much you can actually do at CarnEvil 2
The most noticeable difference between my previous visit and this year’s experience was the amount of interactivity. Years ago, I remember Glenlore Trails primarily as something you walked through and observed. There were beautiful lighting displays and different environments along the trail, but much of the experience came from watching what was happening around you.
CarnEvil 2 feels much more focused on making you part of what is happening. Throughout the trail, there are opportunities to stop, play, trigger effects, interact with different displays, and discover what happens when you engage with your surroundings. Instead of simply moving from one impressive lighting installation to another, there is much more incentive to slow down and explore.
That completely changes the pacing of the experience.
I found myself paying much closer attention to what was around me because there was always the possibility that something could be interacted with. You are not just looking at the trail. You are participating in it. There are carnival-inspired games and activities mixed throughout the experience, along with technology-driven elements that make the forest feel more alive. Some moments are big and immediately noticeable, while others reward you for stopping and figuring out exactly what you can do.
It also makes Glenlore Trails much better for groups. Instead of everyone simply walking along together and occasionally stopping for a photo, there are reasons to interact with each other. You can compete, explore, figure things out, and compare what happens at different stops. That creates a much more social experience, especially if you are visiting with family or friends.
The upgrades also make the roughly hour-long experience feel much fuller than I remember. You could certainly move through the trail quickly, but I would not recommend it. Part of the fun is taking your time, letting the people ahead of you move forward, and actually exploring what each area has to offer. This is one of those attractions where slowing down gives you considerably more value.
Get a wand, especially if you are visiting as a group
If there is one upgrade I would recommend adding to your visit, it is the interactive wand. You do not necessarily need everyone in your group to purchase one. In fact, I think having at least one wand per group is probably the sweet spot. But I would absolutely recommend that someone gets one. There are simply too many opportunities throughout the trail to use it. The wand interacts with different points along the experience, allowing you to activate effects and discover additional surprises. More importantly, it can be customized as you continue through the trail, which gives it a sense of progression rather than making it feel like a souvenir you wave around a few times and forget about. That was probably one of my favorite elements of this year’s experience. Once you realize how often you can use the wand, you start actively looking for the next opportunity. It adds another layer to the trail because suddenly every new area becomes a question of what the wand might do there.
For kids, I imagine this is where the experience becomes especially magical. They are not simply walking through an illuminated forest. They get to feel like they have some control over what is happening around them. But I would argue the wand is not just for kids. There is something inherently fun about pressing a button, waving a wand, and watching part of the environment respond. Adults in our group were every bit as interested in figuring out what each activation would do. It also gives families and groups another way to experience Glenlore together. Pass the wand around. Let different people activate different sections. Have the kids take turns. Try to find every interactive point along the way.
My biggest advice would be not to rush past them. If you buy a wand, pay attention to the trail and look for every place you can use it. There are a surprising number of stops, and using the wand throughout the experience adds much more value.
At the same time, I don’t want anyone to think they need to buy one to enjoy Glenlore Trails. Even without a wand, there is still plenty to do. The carnival games, interactive displays, lighting effects, characters, music, photo opportunities, and sheer atmosphere provide plenty of entertainment on their own. The wand enhances the experience rather than being the only thing that makes it interactive. That distinction matters, especially for larger families, where buying an add-on for everyone can quickly get expensive. Grab one for the group, share it, and enjoy discovering what it unlocks.
Glenlore Trails is a fall attraction that really does work for all ages
The phrase “fun for all ages” gets thrown around so frequently that it can become almost meaningless, but Glenlore Trails is one of the rare attractions where it actually feels accurate.
I could easily see families with young children spending the evening here. The visuals are colorful and imaginative enough to keep kids engaged, and CarnEvil 2 embraces Halloween without turning the entire experience into something aggressively scary. At the same time, it never feels like an attraction exclusively designed for children.
As an adult, there is enough creativity, technology, visual design, interactivity, and atmosphere to make the experience genuinely enjoyable. It would work equally well as a date night, an evening with friends, or something different to do when family comes into town. And because the experience is primarily visual and interactive, there really is no upper age limit either. This is something I could comfortably recommend for a multigenerational family outing with young kids, parents, and grandparents all attending together.
That accessibility might actually be one of Glenlore Trails’ strongest qualities. Halloween attractions often force families to choose between something designed for small children and something so focused on scares that half the group doesn’t want to attend. CarnEvil 2 occupies a really nice space between those extremes. There is plenty of spooky atmosphere without the anxiety of wondering what is about to jump out at you.
Glenlore Trails was a fun night out when I first experienced it years ago. In 2026, it feels like something considerably more ambitious.
For Metro Detroit families looking for a fall attraction that everyone can enjoy together, CarnEvil 2 should absolutely be on the list this year. Grab your tickets here before it ends on November 1st! Have you been to Glenlore Trails before? Are you excited for CarnEvil 2? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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