Children of in the corn.

Whether you want to test your innate sense of direction or are hoping to stumble upon a crop circle, the Chippewa Valley has corn mazes a-plenty to trick and frustrate you with clues, dead ends, and acre after acre of tall, obscuring stalks.

Pleasant Valley Tree Farm
N7240 810th St., Elk Mound • 879-5179 • www.pleasantvalleytree.com • Pleasant Valley’s two-and-a-half acre maze may be “one of the nicest we’ve ever had,” Robin Scharlau said a few weeks before opening. “In fact, one of our kids got lost.” Open Sept. 26 to October, the corn maze features a different design each year, including the new expanded magical woodland maze.

Eau Claire Orchards
6470 Balsam Road, Eau Claire • 839-8370 • www.eauclaireorchards.com • It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to solve this maze. The kid-friendly labyrinth is a bit harder than it has been in previous years, even if it is just over two acres. Open Aug. 21 to early November.

John McIlquham Orchard, LLC
Corner of County Hwy J & County Hwy K, Chippewa Falls • 720-1663 • www.autumnharvestwinery.com • This three-acre maze, open September through Halloween, is a kid-friendly venture that children as young as 5 or 6 could solve. The random pattern with dead-ends also has hidden friends in certain areas, such as deer or scarecrows. Perhaps the best part of this maze is that it’s free!

Hawkins’ Hollow
8966 County Hwy X West, Chippewa Falls • 720-0192 • Open from Sept. 19 until Oct. 31, Hawkins’ corn maze is a 10-acre adventure with farm- and fall-related trivia throughout. “Providing an education without them knowing it,” Sara Hawkins said, adding that the maze is a hit among school groups. “And we don’t make it so complicated that you get frustrated,” she added of the family-friendly feature. Once you’re out, head to the petting zoo or stuff your own life-size scarecrow.

Klinger Farm Market
12756 132nd St, Chippewa Falls • 288-6348 • Within their three-acre corn maze are family-oriented games such as pumpkin bowling, beanbag toss, and checkers played with gourds. Klinger also has an indoor straw maze for the younguns, both of which are open through October.