You can "lose yourself" for a little bit, though, even amid the throngs of fall foliage groupies--at a corn maze! In fact, you may just find yourself begging strangers to give you clues as to how to find your way back out!
Then again, perhaps you won't be quite as daunted as Bruce and I were when we found ourselves hopelessly tangled in New England's oldest and largest cornfield maze--the 8-acre Mega Maze at Davis' Farmland in Sterling, Massachusetts.
Each year, Davis' Farmland enlists the aid of English maze designer extraordinaire Adrian Fisher, who creates a new challenge that is fun--if a bit frustrating--for both kids and adults. Never fear--help is available from the Maze Masters who are strategically positioned within the miles of dead ends and detours. They'll at least help you find your way to the snack shack within the maze so you don't become famished while climbing the corn maze's 10 bridges and swearing to your maze-meandering companions that you are sure you've seen every one of the 4 million corn plants that make up the maze... at least twice!
For 2011, Fisher has created a pirate-themed maze called Blackbeard's Revenge. From the air, it looks like a skull and crossbones. The 14th anniversary Mega Maze is a life-size, 3-dimensional puzzle that offers visitors all new challenges. This year, Davis' Mega Maze introduces Mobile Mazing: Complete the maze using your handheld GPS or by unscrambling QR Codes. There are FREE WiFi hot spots in the maze, so you can use your iPad or laptop for hints.
"Each year since its conception, Davis' Mega Maze has consistently outdone itself and changed the face of mazing," Fisher has said. With seven intensity levels, daily maze changes at 1 p.m., and intellectual and physical challenges, the 2011 maze is sure to engage visitors in entirely new ways.
Davis' Farmland, a family farm attraction featuring rare livestock breeds and fun activities for small children, and the Mega Maze are located off Route 62 in Sterling in central Massachusetts, just about 20 miles from Worcester. The Mega Maze opens August 11 for the 2011 season and will be in operation until November 13, conditions permitting. For directions and admission prices and to check dates and hours of operation, call Davis' Mega Maze at 978-422-8888.
If you'd rather cut your teeth on one of New England's smaller corn mazes before you venture into the Mega Maze, there are plenty of farms throughout the region that have carved mazes into cornfields for the amusement of visitors.
More Cornfield Mazes in New England
(Note: Call ahead for directions, hours of operation and admission fees. Weather can affect corn maze conditions, so it's always a good idea to call on the day you plan to visit. As a rule, most corn mazes open for the season anywhere from mid-July to early September, and they stay open through late October.)
Connecticut Corn Mazes
Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm
227 Ekonk Hill Road
Moosup, Connecticut
860-564-0248
Fort Hill Farms
260 Quaddick Road
Thompson, Connecticut
860-923-3439
Foster Family Farm
90 Foster Street
South Windsor, Connecticut
860-648-9366
Lyman Orchards
[Note: Lyman has both a sunflower maze and a corn maze this year.]
Junction of Routes 147 and 157
Middlefield, Connecticut
860-349-1793
Plasko's Farm
670 Daniels Farm Road
Trumbull, Connecticut
203-268-2716
Maine Corn Mazes
Pumpkin Valley Farm
135 Anderson Road
Dayton, Maine
207-929-4088
Ricker Hill Orchards
Route 117
Turner, Maine
207-225-5552
Massachusetts Corn Mazes
Davis' Mega Maze
145 Redstone Hill
Sterling, Massachusetts
978-422-8888
Mike's Maze at Warner Farm
23 South Main Street
Sunderland, Massachusetts
413-665-8331
New Hampshire Mazes
Beans and Greens Farm
245 Intervale Road
Gilford, New Hampshire
603-293-2853
Beech Hill Farm
[Three Themed Corn Mazes]
107 Beech Hill Road
Hopkinton, New Hampshire
603-223-0828
Coppal House Farm & Corn Maze
118 North River Road (Route 155)
Lee, New Hampshire
603-659-3572
Neighboring New York Corn Mazes
Ellms Family Farm Amazing Maize Corn Maze
448 Charlton Road
Ballston Spa, New York
518-884-8168
Emerald Green Acres
3901 Niagara Falls Boulevard
Wheatfield, New York
716-433-5505
Fairview Farm
Horsemill Lane
Bridgehampton, New York
631-537-6154
Liberty Ridge Farm
[Hubble Telescope-themed Corn Maze]
29 Bevis Road
Schaghticoke, New York
518-664-1515
Long Acre Farms Amazing Maize Maze
[Big Top Circus-themed Corn Maze]
1342 Eddy Road
Macedon, New York
315-986-4202
Tucker Farms Great Adirondack Corn Maze
[A Corn Maze Tribute to NYC Firefighters]
Hobart Road
Gabriels, New York
518-637-1230
Wickham Farms
1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road
Penfield, New York
585-377-FARM
Zarpentine Farms
163 Burritt Road
Hilton, New York
585-392-3611
Rhode Island Corn Mazes
Escobar's Highland Farm
133 Middle Road
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
401-683-1444
Vermont Corn Mazes
The Great Vermont Corn Maze
1404 Wheelock Road
Danville, Vermont
802-748-1399
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Photographs of Davis' Mega Maze by Kim Knox Beckius, © 2001, licensed to About.com, Inc.
