The Best Pumpkin Patches in and Around San Diego
The grocery store pumpkin bin gets the job done, but it’s no pumpkin patch. From Valley Center farms to a city lot in Del Mar, San Diego has plenty of places to pick your pumpkin the fun way, with hayrides, corn mazes, and petting zoos thrown in.
Set aside a day and get a real taste of fall.
Bates Nut Farm
Bates Nut Farm has run its Valley Center pumpkin patch since 1963, and more than 60 years in, it still delivers the classic farm day. Ride the tractor hayride, get lost in the straw maze, and make the rounds at the petting corral and pony rides.
Grab a wheelbarrow and pick from Big Macs, Fairytales, Porcelain Dolls, Jarrahdales, Warty Goblins, classic jack-o’-lanterns, and squash. Leashed dogs are welcome.
Open daily from September 17 to October 31, 9 AM to 5 PM in September with longer hours in October.
Farm Stand West
Farm Stand West in Escondido trades its produce stand for a pick-your-own pumpkin patch every fall. Time your visit for the Fall Festival, when hayrides, face painting, and local artisan vendors take over the farm.
The Fall Festival runs October 10 and 11 from 10 AM to 5 PM at 2115 Miller Avenue.
Goff Family Pumpkin Patch
The Goff Family Pumpkin Patch is back at Liberty Station from September 18 to October 31, set up next to the Loma Club putting green just inside the north entrance, right across the street from SparkCycle (2830 Perry Road).
Entry is free, leashed dogs are welcome, and the patch stays open until 8 PM Sunday to Thursday and 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Pizza and a tap truck roll in Friday to Sunday, which turns a quick pumpkin run into an easy early-evening hang.
Carlsbad Strawberry Company
Carlsbad Strawberry Company swaps berries for pumpkins every fall, and the Cannon Road fields turn into a full farm day. Admission covers the pumpkin patch, the marigold and celosia flower fields, a tricycle racetrack, and the hay pyramid.
Add on the corn maze, a tractor ride, or the Jurassic Fright dinosaur walk.
Open September 14 to November 8. Admission is $20 Monday to Thursday and $25 Friday to Sunday in October ($20 daily in September). The Haunted Corn Maze runs Friday and Saturday nights in October.
Oma’s Pumpkin Patch
Oma’s Family Farm in Lakeside has hosted its pumpkin patch since 2000, and it has become a fall tradition for plenty of San Diego families.
Send the kids down the giant slides, then make the rounds at the petting zoo, duck races, jumping pillow, and trike track. The tractor wagon ride with Farmer Dave is a separate $5 ticket sold on-site. When everyone needs a break, OmaGoodness Café has soft serve, pretzels, and lemonade.
Oma’s Pumpkin Patch is open Thursday to Saturday from September 26 to October 31, 9 AM to 8 PM (it closes at 4 PM on Halloween). General admission is $17.95, reserved online for a set date and time, so book ahead. Kids two and under and adults 80 and up get in free, and pets aren’t allowed.
Get your tickets here.
Mountain Valley Ranch
Head to Ramona to visit the Mountain Valley Ranch and pick out an array of fall essentials, like pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn.
The corn maze, corn cannon, and petting zoo run every day. Hayrides are on weekends, and pony rides run all day on weekends and from 3 PM to 6 PM Wednesday to Friday.
Admission is free, and the farm is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, September 26 to October 31. Bring cash if you can, since cards carry a 4% fee.
Julian Farm and Orchard
Pair your pumpkin run with a day in apple country at Julian Farm and Orchard, a 25-acre farm about three miles from downtown Julian. Pick your pumpkin straight from the field, then work through the hay bale maze and the yard games.
Admission comes in tiers. General admission is $10 and covers the farm, swings, sandbox, antique tractors, and play areas. The petting zoo adds $5, a tractor-pulled hayride brings it to $20, and a $30 armband covers unlimited activities including axe throwing and the rock climbing wall.
Open Friday to Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, September 4 to November 15. Pricing is per person for ages three and up, and kids under 16 need a paying adult with them. Book online to speed up check-in.
Summers Past Farms
Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs grows its own pumpkins in every shape and size, and you’re free to wander the field and fill a wheelbarrow. The kids get a small corn maze and a hay fort to run through.
It’s open for the month of October, Thursday to Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and admission is free.
Pumpkin Junction
Pick a pumpkin, then go meet the herd. Pumpkin Junction sets up at Double S Tack & Feed on Olde Highway 80, where the shaggy Highland cows and miniature donkeys from Outlander Highland Cattle are the real draw. Every paid child’s admission comes with a free mini pumpkin.
Open September 26 to November 1, Thursday to Saturday from 1 PM to 5 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM. Admission is $10 for ages 12 and up and $5 for ages three to 11. Leave the dog at home, since pets aren’t allowed.
Pumpkin Station Farms
Visit one of the two Pumpkin Station farms, on Highland Valley Road in Rancho Bernardo or on Sweetwater Road in Bonita, and pick your pumpkin on a real working farm. Wander the corn maze, take the tractor hay-wagon ride, and stop by the sunflower fields and petting zoo.
Both farms are open daily from September 25 to October 31. Hours run 9 AM to 6 PM through October 8, then stretch to 7 PM in Rancho Bernardo and 9 PM in Bonita starting October 9. The corn maze and hay-wagon ride close at 6 PM either way.
Admission and parking are free, and pumpkins are priced by size. Most attractions are one $5 ticket each, though the sunflower fields are free Monday to Thursday and $5 per adult Friday to Sunday, with kids under 13 free. Cut your own sunflowers at $2 per stem.
Pumpkin Stations
For a pumpkin run closer to home, Pumpkin Station runs two city lots, one in Del Mar and one at Plaza Bonita in National City.
Both have a carnival-style setup with mechanical rides, two giant slides, a train jumpee, a petting zoo, and a play center, plus plenty of pumpkins to choose from. Del Mar also has an antique carousel.
Both lots are open September 25 to October 31. Entry and parking are free, and rides are one $5 ticket each.
Family Christmas Tree Farm
Before the Christmas trees arrive, Family Christmas Tree Farm on Pepper Drive in El Cajon fills up with pumpkins. Take a tractor ride, let the kids loose in the hay maze, and pick your pumpkin without a long drive.
Admission is $7 and covers the tractor rides, the hay maze scavenger hunt, the farm animal area, and the family activity area. Kids two and under get in free. Pumpkins are $1 per pound, and sunflowers are $2 per stem.
Open daily from 10 AM to 8 PM, September 25 to October 31. The farm takes card only, so leave the cash at home.
Mr. Jack O’Lanterns Pumpkin Patch
Here’s another close-to-home option, in Clairemont, that we had a great time visiting.
Mr. Jack O’Lanterns stocks everything from tiny jack-be-little pumpkins to 50-pound-plus giants, admission is free, and leashed dogs are welcome. Stay for pumpkin bowling, pumpkin carving, the petting zoo, mini putt, bounce houses, and a haunted house.
Most games run on tickets at two to five apiece, or the Jack O’ Pass bundles the bounce houses, petting zoo, animal feed, haunted house, 10 game tickets, and a pumpkin with painting.
Find it at 3901 Clairemont Drive from October 2 to November 1, open noon to 8 PM on weekdays and 10 AM to 8 PM on weekends.
See you there!
There you have it. Whether you’re looking to get lost in a corn maze, cuddle some farm animals, or just find the perfect jack-o’-lantern canvas, San Diego’s got you covered from Del Mar to Ramona.
Happy pumpkin hunting, San Diego!
