Up to your ears and getting lost: Data helps navigate U.S. corn mazes as Halloween nears

With leaves turning, autumn sweaters out and Halloween approaching, the question arises: How does one take a data-driven approach to their fall plans?

The CBS News Data Team asked Yelp for data on businesses with corn mazes, and they provided data where business reviews mention corn mazes.

While not a comprehensive list of all the nation’s corn mazes, the user reviews allowed the Data Team to map out corn mazes with satellite photography, offering a bird’s eye view of the nation’s most elaborate corn mazes.

There were more than 500 businesses where corn mazes were mentioned in user reviews in the U.S., according to Yelp data. 

California, New York and Washington lead the nation with businesses with corn maze mentions, but when adjusted for population, Oregon leads the nation with about five corn mazes per one million people.  

The businesses likely to have corn mazes range from farms, festivals, and petting zoos to haunted houses and wineries.

Corn mazes fall under other so-called agritourism activities such as apple-picking, hayrides and wine-tasting at vineyards. And while farmers can attempt to shuck their own labyrinths, there are companies that pave a-maize-ing patterns. 

Companies such as The Maize and Maze Play can use tractors to paint pictures of sports teams, celebrities and cartoon characters in corn. Some corn mazes even support local causes, cancer awareness or milestones such as the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.  

We also grazed through Google Earth satellite imagery, digging into the most “a-maize-ing” and unique corn mazes from the past few years, based on the data provided by Yelp.

One standout was a Dolly Parton-themed maze at Honeysuckle Hill Farms in Tennessee.

Another maze depicted a Wonka Golden Ticket at Dull’s Tree Farm in Indiana.

See more of our favorites below: