Pumpkin patches galore, corn mazes, hayrides and more to do this fall in Colorado

Ahh, cool days (and cooler nights) are blissful in Colorado — especially after the exceptionally hot summer we had to endure this year.

Time to get out, take a walk among the pumpkins and revel in a fall festival or three.

Here are some of the spots in Colorado to build a scarecrow, take a hayride, sip some cider, get lost in a corn maze, buy some gourds and maybe get the bejesus scared out of you by a ghastly ghoul.

BROOMFIELD

Rock Creek Farm

Hay rides, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, corn maze, a super slide and hale bay maze on a working farm. Pumpkin patch open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., corn maze open Friday and Saturdays dark until 9 p.m. Call for pricing.

Rock Creek Farm, 2005 S. 112th St., Broomfield; 303-465-9565; rockcreekfarm.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Long Neck Pumpkin Farm in Colorado Springs

Admission includes the story barn, hay rides, the hay bale slide, duck races, bean bag toss, farm animals, games and more. Through Oct. 30. Hours: Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  Prices: $17. Kids 2 and under are free. Pumpkins are $7-$10 with paid admission. Online reservations required.

Long Neck Pumpkin Farm, 7595 California Drive, Colorado Springs, 719-551-0525, longneckpumpkinfarm.com

DENVER

Glow at the Gardens

A nighttime celebration of our favorite gourd, at Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street in Denver. Includes pumpkin artistry plus performing artists. Oct. 18-23, from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost: $19-$23 for members; $21-$25 for nonmembers. Free for 2 and under. Timed tickets must be purchased in advance.

Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, 720-865-3500. botanicgardens.org/events

Pumpkin Harvest Festival at Four Mile Historic Park

Fall Harvest Festival Oct. 8-9 includes a pumpkin patch, prairie games, art depot, tractor rides, a petting zoo, marketplace and more. Add-on experiences include axe throwing and build-your-own scarecrow ($25). Live music and food trucks available. General admission tickets online $10-$18; free for children 6 and under. VIP package $33-$35.  Prices go up the days of events. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Also at Four Mile Historic Park: Spirits & Spirits on Oct. 22 (21 and over) offers signature cocktails and an experience with Victorian Spiritualism. Hours: 6-10 p.m. Activities include ghost stories by the fire; a palm and tarot reading; and a lantern-lit tour of the Four Mile House Museum. Tickets $35-$75. 

Halloween Haunt on Oct. 29 from 4:30 to 8:30 includes face painting, the LuneAseas Grim Mountain Legends Show (for ages 8 and up), creepy crafting, mini pumpkin decorating and more. Food trucks and treats available. Cost: $15-$20.

715 S. Forest St., Denver. 720-865-0800. fourmilepark.org/pumpkin-harvest-festival

ELLICOTT

Pumpkin Patch at Wishing Star Farm 

Admission includes the petting zoo, horseshoes, roping dummies, train rides, hay slide, tire jungle, a pumpkin patch, a pallet maze, Frisbee golf and more. Through Oct. 30. Hours: Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.. Prices: $12 per person; 4 and under free. Pony rides are $5; pumpkins priced by size. Fall Season Pass $25 each for up to four, $20 each for five or more. Activity tokes: $5. Group rates available.

Wishing Star, 24024 Highway 94, Ellicott, 719-244-7252, wishingstarfarm.com.

ERIE

Fall Festival at Anderson Farms 

Fall Festival: Your ticket at Anderson Farms includes a 25-acre corn maze, combine slide, the wooden train, tire mountain, Krazy Rainbow Maze, pedal carts, farm animals and Fort-A-Lot-A Fun, plus a wagon ride to the 25-acre pumpkin patch, where you’ll find 70 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds. Pumpkin prices $2-$12. Open six days a week through Oct. 31 (closed Tuesdays). Note: There is no Zombie Paintball Hunt this fall.

Fall festival hours: Sat. 9 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon. and Wed. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (closed Tues.), Thurs. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Prices: Ages 3 & up, $17-$37, depending on day of entry; free for 3 and under.

Terror in the Corn (ages 10 and up) is a 30-minute haunted hayride and ghost town attraction. Through Oct. 31. Terror in the Corn hours Thurs. and Sun. 7-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 7-11 p.m. Prices (which include admission to the Fall Festival): Thurs. $35, Quick Pass $50; Fri.-Sat. $39, Quick Pass $54. Sun. $37, Quick Pass, $52. Platinum Pass: $125.

Anderson Farms: 6728 County Road 3¼, Erie, 303-828-5210, andersonfarms.com.

ESTES PARK

Pumpkins & Pilsners Festival

The Pumpkins & Pilsners Festival at Bond Park features food trucks, a beer tent, free face paintings and pony rides, a pumpkin patch and more. Sat., Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. visitestespark.com 

Halloween Spooktacular

Dress in your Halloween costume at the Halloween Spooktacular at the YMCA of the Rockies on Saturday, Oct. 22. It’s a family-friendly haunted forest with creepy surprises. 2515 Tunnel Road, Estes Park. ymcarockies.org 

FRUITA

Fall at Moon Farm 

Your ticket includes the petting zoo, corn maze, straw maze, creepy clown house, haunted castle, hayrides and more. Pumpkins are priced by size. Through Oct. 31. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Cost: $7 per person. Kids 4 and under are free.

Moon Farm, 1360 18½ Road, Fruita, 970-261-1113, moonfarm.net.

GRAND JUNCTION

Studt’s Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze

General admission includes GellyBall (paintball with no cleanup required), multiple corn mazes (including two for the little ones), the pumpkin patch, pumpkin jumps, Hay Mountain, a petting zoo, zip lines, a barrel train, corn cannons, pedal cars, pig races and more. Pony rides on weekends are an extra $5. Through Oct. 30. 

Hours: Tues.-Thurs. noon-7 p.m.; Fri. noon-9 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Closed Mondays. Prices: $16 weekend admission, kids 3 and under free. Tues.-Thurs. $12. Pumpkin prices vary, starting at $1. Group and senior rates available.

Studt’s, 21½ and I½ Road, Grand Junction, 970-305-9006, studtspumpkinpatchandcornmaze.com.

HUDSON

Fall at Mazzotti Farms 

Admission includes a scare-free corn maze, petting zoo, and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Plus, make a scarecrow with your kids for $40. Through October. Hours: Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Prices: $15 for admission. Kids under 2 are free.

Mazzotti Farms: 24120 Weld County Road 8, Hudson, 303-536-4089, mazzottifarms.com.

LAFAYETTE

Fall at Cottonwood Farms 

Your ticket includes a 4-acre corn maze, straw bale maze, pumpkin patch, farm animals, steam engine and farm equipment, farm stand and wagon rides ($5 per person on Saturdays and Sundays). Through Oct. 31. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Prices: $5 daily in advance, $7 walk-ins; kids under 5 and seniors over 65 are free. Tickets available online up to one week in advance (prepaid admissions are encouraged). Visit the Fall Market, where you can purchase pumpkins, squash, decorative items and more without admission to the patch, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cottonwood Farm, 10600 Isabelle Road, Lafayette, 720-890-4766, cottonwoodfarms.com.

LASALLE

Fritzler Farm Park

Farm Park: Your regular daytime ticket to the farm includes the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, go-carts, Slide Mountain, pillow jump, beer garden, backyard games and more. Cost: Fun Pass (does not include Scream Acres, paintball gallery or inflatables) online is $19.95 plus fee, at gate $24.95. The Ultimate Fun Pass for daytime admission is $31.95 online plus fee; at the gate it’s $36.95, and it includes Fun Pass attractions plus one paintball session and one pumpkin cannon session. Kids 3 and under free.

Hours, through Oct. 30: Fridays 4-10 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. Select attractions close at 6 p.m. Fireworks every Friday night in October.

Scream Acres: Creatures lurk in the corn and come alive as you pass. Children 13 and younger must be accompanied by a guardian; not recommended for small children. Hours: Fri.-Sat. dark to 10 p.m., through Oct. 29.  The cost of the basic “Chillin’ ” admission (you will wait in line) is $32.95 online, $37.95 at the gate. Shriekin’ tickets (guaranteed entrance within the hour) are $37.95 online, $42.95 at the gate. The Screamin’ Pass tickets are $52.95 online and $57.95 at the gate, and guarantee you front-of-the-line access.

Paintball Gallery, FLO Paintball Gallery, Pumpkin Cannon and Inflatables are an $8 add-on at the gate.

Fritzler Farm Park: 20861 County Road 33, LaSalle, 970-737-2129, fritzlermaze.com.

LITTLETON

Fall at Botanic Gardens at Chatfield 

Pumpkin Festival: Oct. 7-9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Includes hayrides; entry to the pumpkin patch and corn maze; antique tractor exhibit; photo booths; carnival tickets; mini maze; local craft and artisan booths; food trucks and vendors; live music and more. Bring your own wagons to transport pumpkins. Average price of pumpkins is $8.  Admission $9 to $15, depending on age and membership. Kids 2 and under free. Visitors must pre-purchase timed, general admission tickets online before entry.

Corn Maze: Wind your way through 7 acres of corn, through Oct. 30. Mini-maze available for kids under 10 Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 5 p.m.  Admission includes entry to the pumpkin patch and barrel train rides. Prices $9 to $15, depending on age and membership. Kids 2 and under free. Tickets must be purchased online in advance; they will not be available on-site. Oct. 7-9, ticket purchase to Pumpkin Festival necessary to gain entry to Corn Maze.

Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton, 720-865-3501, botanicgardens.org/events.

Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns at Hudson Gardens 

A walking trail at Hudson Gardens with 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins and larger-than-life displays that depict a magical carnival, nautical seascape, dinosaurs and dragons. Open at 7 p.m. Wed.-Sun., through Oct. 31 (closed Oct. 5). Gardens are open sunrise to sunset. 

Timed tickets sold online only at tickets.magicofthejackolanterns.com. Cost: $10.99-$16.99 for kids (ages 3-12), $14.99-$21.99 for adults (ages 13+), and $29.99 for a flex (anytime) ticket. Children 2 and under free.

6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. Attraction info at 510-896-3361, magicofthejackolanterns.com.

LONGMONT

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch 

No entry fee, but activity tickets are $1 each. Activities (priced at 1 to 10 tickets each) include an animal train ride, ballooon typhoon, cornstalk tunnel; dragon roller coaster, pumpkin painting, petting zoo, pony rides and more. Food vendors and face painting ($5 to $10) on weekends. Open through Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (closes at 4:30 on Oct. 31). Pumpkins sold by the pound. Smaller list of activities weekdays, most carnival activities on Saturdays and Sundays only.

9059 Ute Higway/CO 66, Longmont; rockymtnpumpkinranch.com 

MONUMENT

Colorado Pumpkin Patch 

Your ticket includes a farm animal petting area, tractor hay rides, laser tag, human foosball, a straw maze, pony rides, bounce pillow, tube swings, straw slides, face painting and more (some activities carry an extra fee). Through Oct. 30. Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wed.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Ticket prices: $13-$16, depending on day. Kids 3 and under free; $40 season pass. No online ticketing; purchase tickets on-site at the ticket booth.

Colorado Pumpkin Patch, 18065 Saddlewood Road, Monument, 719-799-6708, coloradopumpkinpatch.net.

PLATTEVILLE

Miller Farms Fall Harvest Festival

Admission includes a corn maze, Antique Alley, farm animals, a giant “Croc-pit,” a hayride and other activities, plus a tractor ride with stops along the way to pick your own produce (up to four bags per person, one bag for ages 4 and under). Load up a wagon with pumpkins, gourds and winter squash and more for $40. Through mid-November. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Prices: $25 for ages 11 and up; $15 for ages 5-10; free for 4 and under. Special group and school pricing.

Miller Farms: 13912 CR 19, Platteville, 970-785-6133 or [email protected], millerfarms.net.

THORNTON