Mighty Maize: Get Lost (on Purpose!) at Derthick’s Farm & Corn Maze

With an impressive 16-acre corn maze, including a 2.5-mile medium section and a 4.7-mile large section, Derthick’s Farm & Corn Maze in Mantua is challenging to navigate.

“Everybody loves it — even the ones that get lost, they’ve had a good time,” says MaryEllen Derthick-Hamlin, a manager and seventh-generation farmer of the land that’s been in her family since 1806.

With an intricate design featuring Bigfoot, a cabin, a Jeep and a female Sasquatch, the winding medium and large corn maze sections make it easy to get turned around. That’s why Derthick-Hamlin encourages everyone to use a map with starred and numbered checkpoints, including some that are part of a scavenger hunt game you can play as you go. Conquer a section of the maze Fridays to Sundays through Oct. 26.

“Some people are experienced, for sure, because they want to find every checkpoint that’s out there,” Derthick-Hamlin says. “Others just kind of haphazardly walk, and they don’t think it’s necessary to use their map — so that’s an adventure in itself.”

The medium section often takes around 35 to 40 minutes, and the large section takes around 50 to 60 minutes — but some can spend hours trying to solve them. If it becomes too difficult, maze goers can call a help number, and staffers can lead them out or give them tips. In the shape of a foot, a 0.3-mile kids’ maze has checkpoints with sunflower facts, medallions with a design that can be rubbed onto paper and more.

From duck races and human hamster wheels to archery with marshmallow-tipped arrows and a bouncing cow train, there’s so much more to do on the farm. At a pumpkin patch, pick your perfect gourd. There are also twin 330-foot zip lines and wagon rides for an extra cost. Plus, people might be able to pet farm animals, such as goats, a mini cow, a mini horse, a pony, rabbits, mini donkeys, barn cats and more. Gaze out onto pastures to see cows grazing, including two expectant ones.

New this year is a pavilion with live entertainment — hear Steve Radcliff Acoustic Oct. 4, which is also the date of a Jeep Invasion, drawing Jeep drivers to show off their cars. Bring your dog Oct. 26. After the season, ride horses through the maze Nov. 1 and 2.

Stick around late in the day to see a breathtaking sunset on the 186-acre farm. “You can see the silos and barns at the farm,” says Derthick-Hamlin. “It’s picturesque.”

With hours stretching till 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the corn maze is especially fun at night with flashlights.

“I love it when it’s dark, the stars are out, and the sky is lit up by the moon,” she says. “It’s a peaceful place to be. Even though there are a lot of people in the field, because of its size, you can still have that peaceful experience.”

5182 state Route 82, Mantua, 330-569-8661, derthickcornmaze.com