16 Best San Diego Pumpkin Patches: Free Entry & Mazes [2026]

Sixteen patches, and they are not interchangeable. One is a carnival in a fairgrounds parking lot. One is a vintage train through the backcountry that runs on three dates only. One is forty-five minutes past the border and has a Día de Muertos garden.

Here’s what each one actually costs, what’s included, and which one is worth your Saturday — sorted by region, with the Tijuana option at the end.

San Diego Pumpkin Patches Coastal

Goff Family Pumpkin Patch

When: September 18 – October 31, 2026
Where: 2830 Perry Rd, Liberty Station, San Diego, CA 92106
Website: Goff Family Pumpkin Patch

The city patch — no drive to Valley Center, no drive to Julian. Goff sets up at Liberty Station next to the Loma Club putting green, just inside the north entrance, and entry is free, always. There’s pumpkin carving, photo spots throughout, handmade pizza Friday through Sunday, and a Tap Truck pouring beer, wine and cocktails on the same days, which quietly makes this the most adult-friendly patch on the list. Leashed dogs welcome.

• Wood-fired pizza Friday–Sunday; Tap Truck serving cider, beer, wine, and cocktails = Fun for the WHOLE family (Fridays 4 pm to close, Saturday & Sunday 1 pm to close)
• Parking tip: use the Cushing Road lot by Sea Hive
• Located by the Loma Club putting green, just inside the north entrance across from SparkCycle

Del Mar Pumpkin Station

When: September 25 – October 31, 2026 | Mon–Thu 10 AM–7 PM · Fri–Sat 9 AM–9 PM · Sun 9 AM–7 PM
Where: 15555 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014 (east lot of the Del Mar Fairgrounds)
Website: Del Mar Pumpkin Station

Set expectations before you go: this is a carnival in a fairgrounds parking lot, not a farm. There’s no corn maze and no sunflowers — what there is instead is a proper little midway of mechanical rides aimed squarely at the 2-to-9 crowd, including a swing ride, Ferris wheel, train, Sky Fighter, car ride and an antique carousel. Entry and parking are both free, and everything inside runs $5 a ticket: the rides, the two giant slides (socks required), the petting zoo, the play center and the bouncy train. Walking the pumpkin patch itself costs nothing; pumpkins are priced individually.

Two things that set it apart: leashed dogs are welcome, and you can bring your own food and drinks — rare enough at these that it’s worth planning a picnic around.

Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch – Clairemont

When: Friday, October 2 – Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Mon–Fri 12 PM–8 PM · Sat–Sun 10 AM–8 PM
Where: 3901 Clairemont Dr, San Diego, CA 92117 (at Balboa Ave; lot entrance on northbound Clairemont Drive)
Website: Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkins

Open until 8 PM every night of the season, which makes this the easiest patch on the list to fit in after work or after school without driving out to a farm. It’s also the only one here with a haunted house. Everything runs on a ticket economy: tickets are $1 apiece, and each activity costs a few — pumpkin bowling, candy corn hole, mini putt putt and Boosketball at two tickets each, bounce houses at three or four, the haunted house and animal feed at three, and the petting zoo at five. Photo stations, Tumbling Tombstones and pumpkin tic tac toe are free, parking is free, and leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome. Pumpkin carving is available on site, priced separately.

Do the math on the Jack O’ Pass ($35). Bought à la carte, the named inclusions — petting zoo, animal feed, haunted house and ten game tickets — come to $21. The remaining $14 buys unlimited bounce houses plus a softball-sized pumpkin with painting, so the pass pays off if your kid is going to bounce on repeat and you were leaving with a pumpkin anyway. For a quick stop and a couple of games, buy tickets as you go. Additional bundles and offers are sold at the patch.San Diego Pumpkin Patches East County

San Diego Pumpkin Patches East County

Julian Farm & Orchard Harvest Fest

When: Fridays–Sundays, September 4 – November 15, 2026 | 10 AM – 4 PM
Where: 4381 Julian Hwy, Julian, CA 92036
Website: Julian Farm & Orchard

Julian opens first and, at 4,200 feet, it’s the one corner of the county where fall actually feels like fall rather than a rumor. Harvest Fest runs Friday through Sunday from September 4 all the way to mid-November, and general admission covers the farm grounds, antique tractors, photo stations, swings, yard games, a sandbox and slides built into a stake bed truck. The cider press demonstrations are the thing to time your visit around — they run at 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30. Hayrides, the petting zoo, axe throwing, the rock wall and u-pick are all priced separately, and the apple cannon runs $12 for five apples. Parking is free.

Insider note: September 4–6 is a soft opening; the grand opening is the following weekend, September 11–13. Go the soft-open weekend if you’d rather have the place quiet, or wait a week for everything to be running.

And since you are already driving up to Julian, make the most of it and check out some other fun things to do or maybe even spend the night.

Apple Picking in Julian – Things To Do in Julian – Best Julian Restaurants – Where to Stay in Julian – Best Apple Pie in Julian

Summers Past Farm

Address: 15602 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon, CA 92021
Phone: (619) 390-1523
Website
Opening Hours:
October 1 – October 31, 2026
Dog friendly

This farm/nursery doesn’t have any kid activities, but it is simply gorgeous and great to pick out some unique-looking pumpkins and take some fall photos with a stunning backdrop. They also have some really cool gifts and plants for sale. The best part: It is free!

Oma’s Family Farm

When: Thursdays–Saturdays, September 26 – October 31, 2026 | 9 AM – 8 PM
Where: 14950 El Monte Rd, Lakeside, CA 92040
Website: Oma’s Family Farm
Reservations necessary!

The one that stays open past dinner. Oma’s runs Thursday through Saturday only, but until 8 PM, which makes it the pick if you’d rather do the patch in the golden hour than at noon in 90-degree East County heat. Duck races and a jumping pillow are the crowd favorites, alongside a barnyard twister, corn crib, giant slides, a trike track and a petting zoo. General admission starts at $ 26 and you can buy various packages. Tractor-pulled wagon rides with Farmer Dave are $5 a person. The OmaGoodness Café handles pretzels, soft serve and lemonade when everyone melts down.

Important: This patch requires reservations ahead of time.

Mountain Valley Ranch Pumpkin Patch

Address: 842 CA-78, Ramona, CA 92065
Phone: (760) 788-8703
Website
Opening Hours:
September 26, – October 31, 2026

Corn maze, corn cannon, petting zoo, and pony rides (Tuesday – Friday 3 PM – 6 PM) are on offer at this historic farm. You’ll definitely get the country charm at this beautiful pumpkin patch out in Ramona.

Almost everything here runs seven days a week except the two things kids ask for by name. The corn maze, the corn cannon and the petting zoo are open all day, every day, alongside a full spread of pumpkins, gourds and ornamental corn. Hayrides are weekends only. Pony rides run all day on weekends, then Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 PM, and not at all on Mondays.

Go on a weekend if you can. A weekday visit still gets you the maze, the cannon and the animals, but you’ll miss the hayride entirely and the ponies don’t start until 3.

Pumpkin Express at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

When: Saturday–Sunday, October 24–25 and Saturday, October 31, 2026 | Departures 10:30 AM, 1 PM and 2:30 PM Where: Campo Depot, 750 Depot St, Campo, CA 91906
Website: Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

Not a patch — a train, and the most distinctive thing on this list. The Pumpkin Express runs restored vintage railcars out through San Diego’s backcountry and high desert, and it operates on three dates only, so this is the one you book rather than wander into. Adults are $24.94 in coach or $39.94 first class; kids 1 to 17 are $18.95 and $33.95; infants under one ride free on a lap. First class adds parlor or dining-style seating, a complimentary snack bar with an attendant, and access to the open-air platform. Locomotive cab rides are $50 for ages six and up, with very limited availability.

Book early. Online sales close 36 hours before each departure, and only limited same-day tickets are sold at the depot. Costumes are encouraged for all ages.

San Diego Pumpkin Patches North County

Rancho Bernardo Pumpkin Farm

When: September 25 – October 8, 2026, 9 AM–6 PM · October 9–31, 9 AM–7 PM
Where: 13421 Highland Valley Rd, Escondido, CA 92128
Website: Rancho Bernardo Pumpkin Farm

The North County version of the same farm formula, and the sunflower fields bloom right through October — which is the single best reason to pick this one. They’re free Monday through Thursday, $5 for adults Friday through Sunday, and free for kids under 13 any day. Cut your own at $2 a stem. There’s also an eight-foot corn maze, a tractor hay-wagon, a train ride and a petting zoo, all $5 each, with free entry and parking.

Same evening catch as Bonita: the hayride and corn maze close at 6 PM even once the farm starts staying open till 7 PM. Come in the morning if those are what you’re driving out for.

Farm Stand West

Address: 2115 Miller Ave, Escondido, CA 92025
Phone: (760) 738-9014
Website
Opening Hours:
October 1 – 31, 2026 from 10 am – 5 pm

This is a farm stand with lots of local fruits and vegetables, as well as a pumpkin patch to buy your jack-o’-lanterns for the year.

Carlsbad Strawberry Company

When: September 14 – November 8, 2026 | September daily 9 AM – 6 PM · October Sun–Thu 9 AM – 6 PM, Fri–Sat 9 AM – 10 PM
Where: 1050 Cannon Rd, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Website: Carlsbad Strawberry Company

This is the coastal option, and the flower fields are what set it apart — admission includes the marigold and celosia rows alongside the pumpkin patch, which makes it the strongest of the bunch for photos. Also included: the Hollandia Chocolate Milk Saloon, a tricycle racetrack, hay pyramid, sandbox, block yard and free games. September admission is $20; in October it’s $20 weekdays and $25 Friday through Sunday, with a $100 weekday season pass if you’re local and planning to return.

Worth knowing before you go: the headline attractions cost extra on top of admission. The corn maze and tractor ride are $10 each, the animals are $5 each, and the haunted corn maze on October Friday and Saturday nights is $25. A family of four doing the full circuit adds up quickly — budget accordingly, or stick to what’s included and it’s still a good afternoon.

Peltzer Farms

Address: 39925 Calle Contento, Temecula, CA 92591
Phone: (951) 695-1115
Website
September 19, 2026 – October 31, 2026 | Monday – Friday 4 PM – 8 PM & Saturday – Sunday 9 AM – 8 PM
No dogs allowed

Pumpkins for the kids, and wine for the adults. Sounds like a winning combination, if you ask me. This farm offers pony rides, a petting zoo, and lots of other fun stuff to explore.

Since Temecula is a bit of a drive, make it a full day trip, go wine tasting at one of the Temecula wineries, or even spend the night at one of the beautiful winery hotels in Temecula.

Bates Nut Farm

When: September 17 – October 31, 2026 | September 9 AM – 5 PM · October weekdays 9 AM – 5:30 PM, weekends 8:30 AM – 6 PM
Where: 15954 Woods Valley Rd, Valley Center, CA 92082
Website: Bates Nut Farm

If you’re taking a crew and don’t want to spend a fortune, this is the one. Admission is free, weekday parking is free, and weekend parking runs $10 per car (last weekend of September and every October weekend). That gets you the patch itself plus tractor hayrides, a straw maze, corn pit and bounce house, with giant slides running Friday through Sunday. Weekends pile on face painting, airbrush tattoos, rock climbing, balloon art, kids’ crafts and a mechanical bull, and October adds pony rides and a petting zoo. Leashed dogs are welcome throughout, which is rarer than it should be.

Insider note: extended Friday evening hours on October 9, 16 and 23 run until 6:30 PM with extra food vendors and live music — a better bet than a packed Saturday if you can swing a weeknight.

South Bay Pumpkin Patches

National City Pumpkin Station (Plaza Bonita)

When: September 25 – October 31, 2026 | Weekdays 3 PM–9 PM · Weekends 11 AM–9 PM
Where: 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd, National City, CA 91950
Website: National City Pumpkin Station

The after-school option. This one doesn’t open until 3 PM on weekdays but runs until 9 PM every single night, which makes it the easiest patch on this list to fit around a work day — and the South Bay’s answer to driving out to a farm. It’s the same setup as Del Mar: five mechanical rides, two giant slides plus a mini slide, a train jumpee, petting zoo and play center, all built for ages 2 to 9. Admission and parking are free, tickets are $5 each, and socks are required on the slides. Worth noting adults need their own ticket for the giant slides, not just the kids.

Bonita Pumpkin Farm

When: September 25 – October 8, 2026, 9 AM–6 PM · October 9–31, 9 AM–9 PM
Where: 5354 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902 (corner of Sweetwater and Bonita Roads, just off the 805)
Website: Bonita Pumpkin Farm

This is the South Bay’s actual farm experience, and the sunflowers are the reason to come. Go Monday through Thursday and the sunflower fields are free to walk; Friday through Sunday it’s $5 for adults. You can cut your own at $2 a stem. Beyond that there’s a corn maze, a tractor hay-wagon ride, a train ride for kids and a petting zoo, each $5 a person, with free admission and free parking. School field tours and party packages can be booked ahead.

Time it carefully: from October 9 the farm stays open until 9 PM, but the corn maze and the hay-wagon both shut at 6 for darkness. Show up at 7 expecting a maze and you’ll be buying a pumpkin instead.

Pumpkin Patches South of the Border

La Ruta del Maíz (Tijuana, Baja California)

When: September 11 – October 31, 2026 | Mon, Wed & Thu 12–5 PM · Fri–Sun 9 AM–5 PM · Closed Tuesdays Last entry 4 PM
Where: Tijuana, Baja California — roughly 45 minutes from the border by car
Website: La Ruta del Maíz · @ruta_maiztj

Worth the border crossing, and the closest thing to a full-scale fall theme park within reach of San Diego. Ruta del Maíz builds out a corn maze, a pumpkin villa, a giant pumpkin patch, flower fields, a haunted house and a jardín de las catrinas — the Día de Muertos garden has no equivalent on the US side, and it’s the reason the farm gets national coverage in Mexico for its decoration alone. Admission runs 180 pesos ($11 USD) Monday through Thursday and 200 pesos ($12 USD) Friday through Sunday — around ten US dollars either way, and a fraction of what you’d pay at a comparable patch up here. Everyone two and older pays full price; babies and one-year-olds get in free.

The detail that will make or break your day: last entry is 4 PM. Weekends open at 9 AM and give you a proper day out. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday don’t open until noon, so the cheaper weekday ticket buys you a four-hour window, not a full one — and they’re closed Tuesdays altogether. Between the drive and two border crossings, leave yourself far more margin than you think you need, especially heading back.

Two rules to know before you pack: plain water is the only drink you can bring in, so everything else gets bought on site, and no pets of any kind are permitted since it’s a working food farm. Their site also has a reservations page, so check whether booking is required before you make the trip.

Make your trip to Mexico worth it and spend a day or two exploring Rosarito, Ensenada, or Valle de Guadalupe.

There are plenty of San Diego Pumpkin Patches to choose from and they will definitely put you in the fall spirit, even if you are going through a heatwave.

Take a look at these other Fall Activities in San Diego:

• 8 Ways to Celebrate Fall in San Diego
• Things to do on Halloween in San Diego
• Apple Picking in Julian

Pumpkin Patches San Diego FAQs

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Last Updated on September 9, 2026 by Maria Haase

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