12 Best Pumpkin Patches in San Diego County for 2026

Fall in San Diego means sweating your way through pumpkin patches (Sept and Oct are our warmest months). There are so many farms and pumpkin patch experiences for the whole family to find the perfect pumpkin. From straw mazes to pony rides, tractor rides and bounce houses, we have visited a ton of pumpkin patches and these are the best pumpkin patches in San Diego!

I am going to break down what you can do at each pumpkin patch and when the pumpkin patches in San Diego open for the season. Hint: most pumpkin patches open in September!

Almost every patch has posted its 2026 dates now, and I have noted the couple that haven’t rather than guessing. Dates, hours and prices can shift with the weather, so it’s always worth a quick check with the farm before you load the car.

Here is a list of Pumpkin Patches in or near San Diego County!

1. Bates Nut Farm
2. Family Christmas Tree Farm
3. Rancho Bernardo Pumpkin Station
4. Carlsbad Strawberry Company
5. Oma’s Family Farm
6. Fallbrook Pumpkin Patch
7. Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station
8. Pumpkin Station Del Mar
9. Fort Cross Autumn Jubilee
10. Peltzer Pumpkin Farm Temecula
11. Farm Stand West Escondido
12. Mountain Valley Ranch Ramona

Bates Nut Farm

Cost: Free admission, activities about $5 each, pumpkins about $15 depending on size. Weekday parking is free. Parking is $10 the last weekend of September and every weekend in October.

Dates: Thursday, September 17, 2026 – Saturday, October 31, 2026

September Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm

October Hours: Weekdays: 9:00am – 5:30pm, Weekends: 8:30am – 6:00pm, last three Fridays in October: 9:00am – 6:30pm. They close early on Halloween.

This little farm out in Valley Center is so cute and is a San Diego staple! You can visit year-round to feed the goats, chickens, and for some reason a llama? During the Halloween season, they have the BEST pumpkin patch. Think giant Cinderella-style pumpkins you can walk all around and take pictures on in pumpkin fields. 

They also have a straw maze and a hay ride. Bates Nut Farm is free to enter and parking is free on weekdays. You buy tickets to do the experiences. They open September 17th and stay open daily until October 31st. It’s best to go on a weekday because weekends can get crowded (and that’s when the $10 parking fee kicks in)!

One more weekday option: they run Fall Friday Festivals on October 10th, 17th and 24th from 3:30pm to 6:30pm with live music, and parking is free those nights.

More tips for Bates: You can buy feed to feed the animals inside the gift shop. Or, you can have your kids pick up the food the other kids’ dropped and feed that to the goats which is what my kids always do anyway.

While you’re in the market, grab some saltwater taffy from the barrels and some nuts! They’re cheaper and fresher than the nuts at the grocery store. If you walk to the back of the store there’s a room with old-fashioned toys and Christmas ornaments year round.

Family Christmas Tree Farm

Cost: $6 entry, all activities included. Can buy pumpkins, sunflowers, and animal feed.

Dates: Saturday, September 26, 2026 through October 31st. The farm confirmed this date with me directly.

Hours: 10:00 am to 8:00pm every day

This is definitely San Diego’s most affordable pumpkin patch. Entry is only $6 and children under three are free. They have a cute wagon ride, animals to see, a massive hay maze, pumpkins on the vine, and more!

My kids loved the little red wagon to pull around the farm. She insisted on taking it everywhere. The pumpkins and sunflowers are both reasonably priced. It’s really close to Gillepsie Air Field which is a super cute and cheap museum attached to the airport.

Pumpkin Station Rancho Bernardo

Cost: Free admission and free parking, activities $5 each, sunflowers $2/stem.

Dates and Hours:
Sept 25th through Oct 8th from 9am – 6pm

Oct 9th through Oct 31st from 9am – 7pm

Heads up: some of their individual location pages still show last year’s dates. September 25th is what Pumpkin Station is announcing across the whole site for 2026, so go with that and confirm when you call.

If it’s good enough for Blippi, it’s good enough for me. Blippi filmed an episode at this pumpkin patch a few years back! Have your kids watch it before going. This Rancho Bernardo pumpkin farm is one of my favorite pumpkin patches!

The best part about this pumpkin patch is the sunflower fields. They give you shears and you get to cut them yourself! Beware the bees though. Another advantage is it’s right off the 15 freeway, meaning you can skip the long drive out to Valley Center or Lakeside if you’re a coastal mom AND it’s not quite as hot.

This pumpkin patch is a part of the Pumpkin Station chain that are all over San Diego. There are a few actual farms like this one and then some spots where they bring the pumpkins to more coastal areas and have rides.

Though it’s free to enter, I always wind up spending more at Pumpkin Stations. Everything is about $5 per person, or you can buy ticket packages. I would recommend the hayride and the goat-feeding experience. They also have a small Indian corn maze. 

Carlsbad Strawberry Company

Cost: $20 per person in September. In October it’s $20 Monday through Thursday and $25 Friday through Sunday. Anyone 3 and under is free, and everyone over 3 pays the same price, adults included. There is also a weekday-only season pass for $100.

General admission includes: entrance to the pumpkin patch, the Marigold and Celosia flower fields, the Hollandia Chocolate Milk Saloon, tricycle racetrack, hippity hop, block yard, sand box, hay pyramid, free games, farm learning displays, photo ops, and whatever special activities are running that day. Their calendar is here.

Activities are extra: Jurassic Fright ($10, though we paid $8 on a weekday), Corn Maze ($10), Sheep & Goats ($5), Rabbits ($5), Tractor Ride ($10), Haunted Corn Maze on Fridays & Saturdays in October ($25)

Beware Bounceland that is priced separately and is $30 for 20 minutes of jumping or at least it was last year.

Dates: September 14 through November 8, 2026. In September they’re open daily 9am to 6pm. In October it’s Sunday through Thursday 9am to 6pm and Friday and Saturday 9am to 10pm.

You may know it for strawberry picking, but they also have a great pumpkin patch! The farm setting is beautiful, though you should note it’s right next to a major freeway which ruins the farm vibes a bit. BUT it is easy to get to and right around the corner from LEGOLAND. They also open earlier than anybody else in the county, so if you are itching for fall in mid September this is your spot.

Admission went up this year to $20, or $25 on October weekends, likely because of the addition of the pumpkin patch dinosaurs. They have a marigold field, a tractor ride, a corn cannon, sheep and goats, and sometimes they have these massive bouncy houses. Warning: the bouncy houses are $30 for 20 minutes. I accidentally laughed when the attendant told me how much the bounce house was and loaded some disappointed kids back in the car. 

I took my 3 year old on opening day this year, so here is exactly what I would pay for again and what I would skip. The dinosaurs are the one to add if you only add one thing. Jurassic Fright is the same set of animatronic dinosaurs they have at the camp store in Carlsbad, moved up to the pumpkin patch for the season, and it’s the coolest thing there. The corn maze is genuinely huge, they hand you a map at the entrance, and it’s worth the $10. So is the tractor ride, which is about fifteen minutes past the Carlsbad Lagoon and through the pumpkin fields and is the prettiest part of the property. The rabbits at $5 were a hit too, they are soft and they actually come up to you. The one I would skip is the sheep and goats. The goats are big and my 3 year old was nervous around them.

Budget wise, plan on about $60 per person over 3 if you do all the add ons, plus whatever you spend on pumpkins. We grabbed a little one for $5 because that’s what my daughter wanted. One more weekday heads up: the food trucks only run on weekends. The day we went the only thing open was a boba stand. This is the most expensive patch on my list, but with the dinosaurs, that maze, the tractor ride and the location right by LEGOLAND, I think it earns it.

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch

Cost: One reserved ticket per person, priced by age and by which day you go. Wagon rides are extra. Tickets to get in start at $25/person and there’s options for add ons.

Dates: Sept 26 – Oct 31, Thursday through Saturday, 9:00am – 8:00pm

This pumpkin patch gets my vote for best pumpkin patch. The benefit to this place is that you pay one admission and get to do all the fun activities (though the wagon rides through the farm are extra). It cuts down on whining significantly. I would rather pay upfront and then just be able to relax than be berated by my kids for “one more train ride” for the whole visit. They have slides, duck races, a trike track, playgrounds, giant slides, gem mining, and a petting zoo. It’s basically kid paradise because there’s something to do around every corner. Our kids loved all the farm animals!

You must reserve a time slot online to go, and all ticketing is online only. Prices depend on the day and your child’s age, so check the total when you book. The pumpkin patch runs September 26th through October 31st, Thursday through Saturday. They also have music, events, and fun things to do on the weekends!

Fallbrook Pumpkin Patch

Cost: Free admission

Dates: September 25 through November 1, 2026. This is their fifth season.

Wednesday through Friday 4 PM – 8 PM

Saturday 10 AM – 8 PM

Sundays 12 PM- 8 PM.

Closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Fallbrook Pumpkin Patch is a small family-owned pumpkin patch. It’s hosted on a winery and it’s free to enter! They have a small children’s area that costs a few dollars to get into to do the activities. There are free lawn games for the kids. You can also pick your own pumpkins! Note the late afternoon start on weekdays, they don’t open until 4pm Wednesday through Friday.

Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station

Cost: Free admission, you only pay for your pumpkin

Dates: September 18th – October 31st, 2026

Hours: Friday & Saturday: 9am – 9pm

Sunday – Thursday: 9am – 8pm

This pop up pumpkin patch is smack dab in the middle of Liberty Station. We accidentally discovered it one day when we were going out to eat at Corvette Diner. By the way, Corvette Diner is great for kids! They have dancing waiters and people tying balloon animals. Also an arcade.

The pumpkin patch itself is simple. It has a cute setup and photo ops, but no extra hayrides or animal experiences. Sometimes that’s kind of nice because you can focus on what you came there to do: pick a pumpkin! They do have handmade pizza Friday through Sunday and a tap truck for the grown ups.

If you’ve never been to Liberty Station, it’s a food hall / gathering place in Point Loma. It used to be a Naval Training Center but now it’s more of a Town Center where people to to eat and hang out. Parking tip from the patch: use the Cushing Road lot by Sea Hive, there are almost always spots.

There are two places we like to play here. The first is the boat playground behind the food hall. The other is this kinda hidden playground by the bay! Oh and don’t forget to grab shave ice from the Hawaiian food stand inside the food hall. You can pick a pumpkin and get shave ice in the same day, it’s San Diego we don’t have rules here and fall is hot.

Pumpkin Station Del Mar

Cost: Free admission and free parking, activities $5 each

Dates: September 25 through October 31, 2026. Their Del Mar location page still shows an October 26 end date, so double check before a Halloween week visit.

Hours: Monday through Thursday 10am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday 9am to 9pm, Sunday 9am to 7pm

This Pumpkin Station right next to the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Jimmy Durante Blvd has more of a carnival vibe complete with ferris wheel. There are a ton of rides and cute jumpy houses. The pumpkins are brought in, it’s not an actual farm per se. I didn’t notice a large selection of pumpkins. 

All of the Pumpkin Stations are $5 per experience per person. They are a different feeling than the family-owned farms, but generally better located and less of an all day experience than the farms. Of all of them, the Rancho Bernardo one is definitely my favorite because it’s a real farm! All the Pumpkin Stations open September 25th and run through Halloween.

Fort Cross Julian Autumn Jubilee

Cost: General Admission $10, Festival Package $25, Adventure Package $20, Combo Package $40

Dates: Saturdays and Sundays, September 26 – October 25, 2026

You’re already going to the Julian farms for apple pie this fall, why not add in pumpkin picking? This is a real working farm with TONS to do. We went to Julian many times before discovering this gem! For their adventure package, you pay for the day and then get to participate in a series of activities such as axe throwing, slingshot paintball, archery, and more!

For their Autumn Jubilee, they include reptile interactions (have you ever fed a chameleon?), hoedown and jug band show, cider pressing demonstration, petting zoo, candle dipping, and a painting craft! They are pretty with social media, so follow their Instagram to get the latest info.

In order to go, you need to reserve a time online. There are a few tiers now: $10 gets you general admission with the pumpkin patch and spooky maze, $25 is the Festival Package with the hayride and cider pressing, $20 is the Adventure Package with archery and tomahawks, and $40 combines both. The Combo has to be booked online ahead of time, you can’t buy it at the gate. I would say the packages are well worth it for all the things they pack into your reservation slot.

Peltzer Pumpkin Farm 

Cost: $2-$4 entry 

Dates: September 19 – October 31, 2026

This cute patch up in Temecula is a Southern California gem! Entry is $2 on weekdays and $4 on weekends. There’s gem mining, pony rides, train rides, and carnival games. There are petting farms and you can even sign up for classes to paint your own pumpkin! It opens September 19th for their 30th pumpkin season and runs through October 31st.

Farm Stand West

Cost: Very affordable. You wander the patch and pay for the pumpkins you pick.

Dates: The pick-your-own patch opens October 1st, and their Fall Festival is October 10th and 11th.

Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm. They’re at 2115 Miller Avenue in Escondido.

This one is small, but the pumpkin patch itself is huge. You walk right out into the field and pick your pumpkin off the stem, which my kids think is the coolest thing in the world. There are tables, a sand pit, and a little fairy garden, so the littles have somewhere to hang while you take pictures.

Plan on an hour or two rather than a whole day. That’s exactly why I like it: it’s perfect for toddlers and for North County moms who don’t want to commit to a full farm day out in Valley Center or Lakeside. They also have a farm stand with fresh produce and a coffee shop, and the same lot turns into a Christmas tree lot later in the year.

Mountain Valley Ranch

Cost: Free admission. Cash or card, with a 4% fee on cards.

Dates: Opens September 26, 2026 and runs through October 31st. Their homepage has the new date but the pumpkin patch page still shows last year, so go by the homepage.

Hours: 9:00am to 6:00pm, seven days a week

A reader told me I was missing this one and she was right. Mountain Valley Ranch is out in Ramona and it’s a real working ranch, free to walk in, with pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn to pick through.

There’s a giant corn maze, a corn cannon (you launch an ear of corn at targets, it’s a hit with big kids), a petting zoo open all day every day, and antique farm equipment that makes for great photos. Pony rides run all day on weekends and 3pm to 6pm Tuesday through Friday, with none on Mondays. Hayrides are weekends only, so plan a Saturday if that’s the part your kids care about. Snacks and refreshments are weekends only too.

Ramona is a cute little town to poke around while you’re out there, and the drive up Highway 78 past the Safari Park is pretty.

On My List: Patches I Haven’t Been To Yet

Full disclosure on these five: I have not personally taken my kids to them yet, so they aren’t part of my list above. They are all on my list for this fall, and I keep hearing from other San Diego moms that they are amazing, so I wanted you to have the details in the meantime. I’ll report back once we’ve been.

Bonita Pumpkin Farm

Cost: Free admission and free parking. Attractions are $5 per person each: the 8 foot corn maze, the tractor hay-wagon, the petting zoo, and the train ride ($5 per child). The corn maze and hay-wagon close at 6pm. Sunflower fields are free Monday through Thursday and $5 per adult Friday through Sunday, with under 13 free. Cut your own sunflowers are $2 a stem and they hand you the shears. Pumpkins are priced individually.

Dates: September 25 through October 8, 9am to 6pm. October 9 through October 31, 9am to 9pm.

Where: 5354 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, on the corner of Sweetwater Road and Bonita Road.

This is the one I feel worst about not having covered, because South Bay moms have been driving all the way north for a real farm day. Bonita is the other actual farm in the Pumpkin Station family, the sister to Rancho Bernardo, so you get the sunflower fields, the corn maze and the hay-wagon without the trek. It’s been a family tradition down there since 1999. Leashed dogs are welcome and you can bring your own food.

Summers Past Farms

Cost: Free to wander the gardens and the patch. Pumpkins are priced individually.

Dates: The month of October, Thursday through Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Monday through Wednesday. They haven’t posted exact 2026 dates, so call 619-390-1523 to check.

Where: 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs, about 30 minutes east of downtown right off the 8.

This is the gentlest one on the list. Field grown pumpkins you fill a wheelbarrow with, a small corn maze, a hay fort, and a jumpy out on the grass. The farm itself is a nursery and herb garden with a soap shop, and there’s coffee under the pavilion with a view of El Capitan. If your kids melt down at big loud farms with rides, this is the alternative.

Julian Farm and Orchard Harvest Fest

Cost: General admission is required to enter, and farm activities come in three package tiers. Both are sold online or at the ticket booth and no reservation is needed. Parking is free. Pumpkins are priced by size, u-pick flowers are $20 a cup, raspberries $7 per half pint, and the apple cannon is $12 for 5 apples. Last season general admission ran $10 with a $30 unlimited activity armband, so check their pricing page for this year’s numbers.

Dates: September 4 through November 15, 2026. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. That’s the longest season of anybody on this page.

Where: 4381 Julian Hwy, Julian, about three miles west of town.

Their giant pumpkin patch is the headline, but there’s a lot packed into 25 acres: tractor pulled hayrides, apple cannons, axe throwing, a rock wall, a petting zoo, stakebed truck slides, swings, sandboxes, toddler tricycles and yard games. Cider press demonstrations run at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30. On Saturdays and Sundays there are vendors plus face painting, and the Julian Food Truck and Bev Barn are on site for burgers and apple cider slushies.

Two things to know before you book. Every kid under 16 needs a paid adult with them, and adults have to pay to go along on the hayride and into the petting zoo, so budget for the grown ups too. And u-pick sells out first thing in the morning this time of year. Apple picking is separate, you have to book an Apple Tour for that.

Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch, Clairemont

Cost: Free parking and free admission. You pay for pumpkins and activities.

Dates: October 2 through November 1, 2026.

Where: 3901 Clairemont Drive, at the Clairemont Drive and Balboa Ave intersection. The lot entrance is on northbound Clairemont Drive.

This is the central San Diego option, and it’s the same family that has run the pop up patches in La Jolla and at Belmont Park in past years. Expect a lot of pumpkins, games and activities, and a Halloween costume and decoration shop, rather than a farm day. Handy if you just need a pumpkin and twenty minutes of fun without getting on a freeway.

Pumpkin Station Plaza Bonita

Cost: Free admission and free parking. Attractions are $5 per person each, and pumpkins are priced individually.

Dates: September 25 through October 31, 2026. Monday through Friday 3:00pm to 9:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 11:00am to 9:00pm.

Where: 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd, National City, in the Plaza Bonita mall parking lot. From the 805, take the Sweetwater Rd exit, turn right, then right on Ring Rd.

This is a small patch set up in the mall parking lot, not a farm. Think mechanical rides for the 2 to 9 crowd, inflatable slides, bounce houses and a petting zoo. If you’re in the South Bay and just need a pumpkin plus a half hour of fun on a weeknight, it’s an easy stop, and Bonita Pumpkin Farm is the full farm day version fifteen minutes away.

More Fall Reading

• 11 Best Things To Do In Julian With Kids, because you’re already driving up there for Fort Cross
• 15 Best Fall Activities To Do With Kids In San Diego for everything that isn’t a pumpkin
• Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND California, our favorite low-stress Halloween outing