10/20/2026
Community Haunted Trail: A Record-Breaking Night at Camp Courageous! 🎃 - Over 1,000 people came out to support Camp Courageous this past Saturday for the 5th Annual Accessible Haunted Trail, marking the largest turnout in the event’s history!
Screams could be heard throughout Camp, from the thrill of the zipline to the spooky scarecrows and chainsaw-wielding actors revving their engines along the trail! This year, Camp added a few new twists to the event, including food trucks, games, music, and a costume contest, creating even more opportunities for families to enjoy the evening together.
While there were plenty of scares and laughs throughout the night, what made the evening so special was seeing individuals of all abilities, families, and community members come together to support Camp Courageous. As a fundraiser, the Haunted Trail helps support Camp’s mission of providing year-round recreational, respite, and travel opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families.
An event like this takes a lot of helping hands to make it a success and this is due to all of those that joined together to make it happen.
The North Linn 4th Graders, iJAG students from Maquoketa Central School District, and Monticello Transition Center Students helped prepare and set up the Haunted Trail. Other iJAG students from Maquoketa lended a hand by volunteering along the trail during the event! The mentors and mentees of the Monticello Chapter of TTT, volunteered their time to run concessions and mini golf for the evening and the Galena Ghostbusters greeted all guests before the trail.
Camp would also like to thank Mi-T-M Corporation for donating the use of their ePowerStations to power lighting throughout the trail. These ePowerStations were named The Coolest Thing Made in Iowa for 2026, and Camp was excited to have them be part of this year’s event!
Many local businesses also stepped up to support the fundraiser through donated goods, costume contest prizes, and proceeds from the evening. Thank you to Hillside Sports Bar & Grill, The Cone Shoppe, The Tea Company of Cascade, QC Custom Tees, Fareway Stores Monticello, Hy-Vee - Monticello, IA, Flavor Train QC,Adobos Mexican Grill, Delaney's Ice Cream Shoppe, T-N-T Sweet Snacks and Smoked Goods, Sweet Shardae, and EmpowerEd Consulting and Advocacy.
Of course, a huge thank you goes to the many volunteers and staff who spent hours planning, decorating, setting up, dressing up, scaring guests, and cleaning up afterward. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into an event like this, and Camp is grateful for everyone who gave their time to make it happen.
To have more than 1,000 people attend this year’s Haunted Trail is an incredible show of community support. Whether you volunteered, donated, helped spread the word, or attended with family and friends, you played a part in making the evening a success.Thank you for supporting Camp Courageous and helping make experiences like these possible for individuals with disabilities and their families. View the full album from the event here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8fgL
What a night to remember. Mark your calendar for next year, Saturday, October 16th, 2027!
