ATHOL - Jackie Caiger loves the thrill of being scared, so it only made sense that she went to Scarywood Friday night to ride the Timber Terror roller coaster backward.

"It's amazing," said Caiger, of Hayden. "You can't see where you're going, so you don't know whether or not you're going to fall. It's definitely a thrill-seeker."

The park was packed during the opening night of Scarywood Haunted Nights, Silverwood's Halloween-themed, October alter-ego. The tagline this year is, "Where nightmares are made: Never sleep again."

Plenty of ghouls and creeps help generate those nightmares as they wander through the amusement park and jump at unsuspecting victims. Even those who are cautious may find themselves shrieking when a demonic doll or growling wolfman suddenly appears.

"They all blend in and just come out of nowhere," Caiger said.

Thrill-seekers of the supernatural sort will find themselves in a dark wonderland at Scarywood, where fog rolls through the grounds and screams can be heard throughout the night. Several haunted attractions are available for even the most frightful appetites, from the pitch-black claustrophobic maze of Total Darkness to the backwoods, cannibalistic, deranged world of Blood Bayou.

"It was kind of fun to watch the girls in front of me jump," Caiger said after leaving Blood Bayou.

The bright, colorful, 3D fun house in 3Dementia requires 3D glasses for the full experience. Skulls and skeletons seem to jump from the walls, guests can meet the "Silverweird" freaks in a series of disturbing murals and the actors wear creepy masks and outfits, giving visitors the feeling that they are being stalked by the same ghoul the entire way through the attraction.

"Last year it was two mazes," said Mark Robitaille, Silverwood's communications and media manager. "It's now been combined to one so it's more thrills and more scares in one."

On the Zombiewood Express, visitors board the train and join Sgt. Buzz and a band of zombie killers in an apocalyptic adventure. Guests can check out the "zombie containment unit" near the entrance to the attraction, the main thoroughfare has been dubbed the "Quarantine Zone" and the loud "pop" of guns from the Zombiewood Express can be heard through the park as the undead are dispatched. This ride is recommended for those 17 and older.

The Ancient Ruins attraction returns with a newly routed walkthrough, loaded with "ooga booga" moments and eerie mist, which hides the spooks lurking in the shadows. Visitors are instructed to keep an eye out for the missing scientists who were excavating the site, but have gone missing after disturbing some rather angry ancient spirits.

Along with the haunted attractions, guests can ride the roller coasters, including the Timber Terror backward, and several other rides such as the Panic Plunge and the Sky Diver.

"I love it," said Kareen Pierce of Sandpoint. "I love that it's a new look at (Silverwood). It's not necessarily the same setup because they have places that are usually closed off open and it's a different look at it."

More than 140 actors and actresses are creating the experience at the 2014 Scarywood, making this year a record for most spooks on site.

"This has been a great vehicle for us to extend our season. Not only does it help our park, it helps our local economy," Robitaille said. "As far as Scarywood goes, I just think it's fun. I just love watching people get scared. I'll walk through at night and just laugh at people because they're screaming and running behind other people. It is fun; it's a whole different world."

Scarywood is open Thursdays from 6:30-11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. It will be open from 7 p.m. to midnight Halloween and Nov. 1.

Tickets purchased three days in advance online are $20.99 Thursdays, $27.99 Fridays and $34.99 Saturdays. At the gate: Thursdays, $25.99; Fridays, $32.99; and Saturdays, $39.99.

No costumes are permitted. Scarywood is recommended for ages 13 and older at parents' discretion.

Info: www.scarywoodhaunt.com.