It’s officially Fall, and that means pumpkin season is finally upon us. One of our favorite Fall activities is visiting a dog friendly pumpkin patch.
Take Your Dog To A Pumpkin Patch
Luckily here in Southern California, there are great dog friendly pumpkin patches. Here are a few of our favorite pumpkin patches and tips to help you make the most of your visit with your dog(s).
What Is A Pumpkin Patch?
A pumpkin patch is a piece of land where pumpkins are grown. Farmers typically plant pumpkin seeds in the spring, and they mature in the fall. The pumpkins are harvested in the fall. Some pumpkin patches also offer other fun family fall activities, such as hayrides, corn mazes, and flower fields.
15 Southern California Dog Friendly Pumpkin Patch
1. Bates Nut Farm
Our favorite dog friendly pumpkin patch to visit. Bates Nut Farm is located at Valley Center, CA (about 45 minutes from San Diego). Lots of fun pumpkin photo opps on their huge pumpkin patch. Some pumpkins are on the ground, and other Fall decor plus a pumpkin stand. All their pumpkins are for sale.
They also have farm animals on site but dogs are not allowed. Typically, on weekends in October (Saturdays), they have several activities for the whole family and food trucks. One of their popular events is the Howl-oween-Doggie Costume Contest and Parade. You can check batesnutfarm.com events calendar. They also have a wonderful general store with awesome seasonal goodies. Whenever we visit, we always buy garden flags
2. Carlsbad Strawberry Company
Our second favorite pumpkin patch. Carlsbad Strawberry Company is located at 1050 Cannon Drive Carlsbad, CA (40 minutes from San Diego). There’s an admission fee of $6/per adult, and dogs are free. They have lots of fun set-ups for fun Fall and Halloween photos. They have a good size pumpkin patch surrounded by sunflowers. They are known for their 1.5 miles of corn maze, and dogs are welcome; however, this activity is an additional fee.
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We love their dog friendly orange and yellow marigold field. So pawtastic opportunities for beautiful dog photos. Check carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com for their seasonal dog friendly events.
3. Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Farm
A fun place to visit with the whole family; located a Laguna Hills, CA. There are fun activities such as rides and a petting zoo for the kids and an Octoberfest Beer Garden for the adults with live music. There’s no “actual” pumpkin patch but they typically create a fun pumpkin display with their humongous jack-o-lantern as the main focal point. Free admission before 4 pm. Visit pumpkincity.com for more information about their events.
4. Rogers Gardens
Located a Newport Beach, Roger’s Garden is known for its Halloween Boutique and variety of pumpkins. There’s no actual pumpkin patch, but all their unique pumpkins are beautifully displayed at their garden center. Yes, there are for sale too. Check out Rogers Gardens at rogergardens.com.
5. Frosty’s Forest & Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkin patch of Frosty’s Forest & Pumpkin Patch is located at 14861 Ramona Ave Chino, CA. There’s an admission fee to visit their wonderful pumpkin patch (free on Mondays). They are known for their creative, goofy, and spooky photo opps with incredible sculptures and backdrops created by local artists. They also have a fun 4-acre corn maze and lots of activities for kids. Due to these, they are so popular and a must visit dog friendly pumpkin patch. For more information visit frostysforest.com.
Other Dog Friendly Pumpkin Patch (we haven’t visited)
6. Julian Farm and Orchard
Julian Farm & Orchard is located in Wynola neighborhood of Julian on Hwy 78/79 at 4381 Julian Highway, 3 miles west of Julian. They are open Friday, Saturday & Sunday, and admission to the farm is $10/ for those over 2yrs old. They have a dog friendly pumpkin patch plus a dog watering and poop bag station. For more information about their farm, visit julianfarmandorchard.com.
7. Summers Past Farms
A small family farm, Summers Past Farms is located 30 minutes east of downtown San Diego on historic Old Highway 80. Free admission to their pumpkin patch and they have an Alpine Stagecoach Lions Club Annual Dog Show and all the proceeds go to training a Guide Dog. Summers Past Farms have a wonderful gift shop too and they are known for their handmade herbal soaps. For more information visit summerspastfarms.com.
8. Mountain Valley Ranch
Mountain Valley Ranch is located at 842 Highway 78 Ramona, CA. Admission to visit is free and they are open 7 days a week. Visit mountainvalleyranch.com to check out their October festivities.
9. Mr. Jack O’Lanterns
A family-owned business, Jack O’ Lanterns has several locations in Los Angels and San Diego. They allow dogs on a leash. Their pumpkin patch also includes fun games and activities for the whole family. Check out
mrjackolanternspumpkins.com for more information about their dog friendly pumpkin patch locations.
10. Fallbrook Pumpkin Patch
At Fallbrook Pumpkin Patch you’ll see some exotic pumpkin varieties. Free to visit their farm located in North San Diego County – The Vineyard 1924: 1924 E. Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA. Dogs are welcome to their farm and on their website they ask dog owners “to bring all well-behaved, furry family members on a leash and don’t forget your own supplies to clean up after them”. For more information, visit fallbrookpumpkinpatch.com.
11. Family Christmas Tree Farm
Known for their Christmas tree, Family Christmas Tree Farms also has a dog friendly pumpkin patch located at 300 Pepper Dr El Cajon, CA. It is open from Thursday – Sunday (parking and admission are free). They have a huge hay bale maze with a scavenger hunt (an additional fee of $7). Visit familychristmastreefarm.com or more information about their fun pumpkin patch activities.
12. Greenspot Farms
100% all-natural country family-owned Greenspot Farms located at 10133 Ward Way Mentone CA (tucked away in the foothills of Mentone, 30 minutes from Riverside and not too far from anywhere in The Inland Empire). The pumpkin patch is open every day from 9 am – 6 pm plus parking and admissions are free. They offer lots of fun activities for the whole family. Visit https://www.greenspotfarms.com/ for more information about their pumpkin patch.
13. Hafey Farms
Located on the top of Ortega Hwy 74 in the pines and oak trees (32692 Ortega Hwy, Lake Elsinore, CA), Haley Farms is known for its micro-farm. They own a small country store, Hafey Farms Mountain Market, just 5 miles from their farm and known for its delicious jerky. Their pumpkin patch is old country style. For more information visit www.hafeyfarms.com.
14. Bonita Pumpkin Farm
Bonita Pumpkin Farm has several locations in San Diego. The main pumpkin patch is located at 5354 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA. At the Del Mar location, there’s a pumpkin patch plus pumpkin station attractions for the whole family. There’s no fee for parking and to walk on the pumpkin patch. For more informations about all the locations visit www.pumpkinstation.com.
15. The Pumpkin Patch
The Pumpkin Patch is Southern California’s oldest pumpkin patch. It is located at 300 Yorba Linda Boulevard Placentia, CA. There’s an entrance fee of $2.00 per adult but kids are free. Check out the-pumpkin-patch.com for their October events. (We were informed that The Pumpkin Patch changed their dog friendly policies. Please call or check their website.)
10 Tips For Taking Your Dog To A Dog Friendly Pumpkin Patch
Keep these tips in mind when taking your dog to a pumpkin patch.
1. Call Before
Make sure the farm or facility is dog friendly. Call before, as many have changed their dog policy.
2. Bring Your Behaved & Socialized Dog
It is important that your dog is trained, behaved, and socialized. Most of these pumpkin patches can be crowded (even though it’s outdoors), and since they are dog friendly, there will be lots of other dogs.
3. Must Wear Collar, ID Tag & Be On A Leash
Have your dog wear a collar or harness with a current identification tag and a leash (at least 6 ft). Keep your dog on a leash at all times and avoid using a retractable leash.
4. Bring Water & Poop Bags
Pack the necessities such as drinking water, a collapsable water bowl, and poop bags. Be a responsible dog parent, and always pick up after your dog.
5. Go Potty First
Before entering the facility, it is important to go for a potty walk first. Also, letting your dog explore the surrounding area helps expend some of his energy and excitement.
6. Follow the Rules
Each farm/facility has its own rules, like which areas dogs are allowed. Be respectful and abide by these rules.
7. No Farm Animals
As much as possible, keep away your dog from farm animals. Many farms have a rule of no dogs by the farm animals and petting zoo areas.
8. Command Your Dog
Dog commands like heel, sit, down, watch me and leave it comes very helpful when taking your dog to a pumpkin patch.
9. Be Aware of Young Children
Watch out for children. Pumpkin patches are very kid friendly. Some love dogs but other young kids may be afraid.
10. Take FUN Photos
Have FUN! Take Lots of memorable photos of your dog(s).
If you live in Southern California, do you know other dog friendly pumpkin patches? Let us know on the comment and share your experience visiting a dog friendly pumpkin patch.
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