First Day of Fall 2022: Bay Area Fall Guide w/ Pumpkin Patches, Fall Colors & Corn Mazes

Submitted by the Event Organizer

We’re very lucky here in the Bay Area for our beautiful Autumn weather. We have our gorgeous “Indian Summer,” to thank for that which extends a bit of warmth and brings us plenty of dry days to get outdoors.

Despite the warm temps, you can still get into the fall spirit by eating local, seasonal Autumnal produce, seeing the beautiful leaves change color, and exploring a corn maze on a pumpkin patch.

Updated 8/24/22

Fall Colors of the Bay

The Bay Area may not be renowned for its fall colors, but with a bit of planning, you can still see the beautiful leaves change. 

San Francisco Botanical Garden

San Francisco | While the color of the leaves in San Francisco will never be confused for Vermont in the fall, that doesn’t mean there isn’t gorgeous fall foliage to be found. San Francisco’s own Botanical Garden is a great place to do some leaf-peeping since their 55-acre garden features plants from around the world. The Garden is one of the most beautiful spots in the city when its Moon View Garden and Temperate Asia Garden begin to turn. Be sure to check out the bright gold Ginko trees and deep purplish-red Dogwoods. The fall peak typically lasts about 2 weeks, often in November. Follow the Garden on social media (Instagram | Facebook) to see how the leaves are changing on a daily basis. 

Filoli Winery and Gardens

Peninsula: Woodside | The vast woodside estate has gorgeous gardens that feature flora from China, Japan, England, Spain as well as other countries. Come late November through early December, you’ll see gorgeous Autumnal colors from Japanese maples, cherries, Virginia creepers, hawthorns, fruit trees, viburnums, ginkgos and other rare plants spread out throughout the gardens.

Henry W. Coe State Park

South Bay: East of Morgan Hill | Take a stroll in the state park in October to see the Bigleaf Maples turn bright yellow and the Black Oak trees turn shades of red. You’ll want to explore the forests on the north-facing slopes which have many deciduous trees.

Wine Country & North Bay

National Geographic named Sonoma County the best place in the country to see changing fall foliage for its stunning Autumn colors on both leaves and vines. They suggest a scenic drive through Sonoma Valley along Arnold Drive which is lined with colorful Oak and Maple trees. Then continue through the Russian River Valley, to see fiery orange, yellow and red vineyards.  

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park (Calistoga) and Annadel State Park (Santa Rosa) both have Bigleaf Maples and Black Oaks too which when the temperatures cool, the leaves turn, creating a dramatic and colorful display.

Find more great places to see fall colors in the Bay at parks.ca.gov.

Farmers Markets & Fall Produce

Autumn is a wonderful time to hit up the Farmers Markets. Because of California’s ideal climate and soil conditions, we’re lucky to have an extended season of summer crops plus early fall crops too. Tomatoes are still in season until mid-November, as well as potatoes and eggplants.

The arrival of apples and pears signal the start of fall. Look out for Gravenstein and Pink Lady apples and Bartlett pears. Persimmons and pomegranates appear in late September and pick up in October and November, when juicy citrus fruit crops come in.

Find more of what’s in season and check out CUESA, SF Farmers Markets, or Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association to find a farmers market near you.

Apple Picking

Want fresh fall produce? It doesn’t get any fresher than straight from the tree. Get out of the city and head to a local farm to pick your own apples. Peak apple-picking season is September and October.

Apple-A-Day Ratzlaff Ranch

Sebastopol | Located in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, pack a picnic and head to a local, family-run farm focused on apples and pears. Their ranch has picnic tables and ample parking. In addition to apples, you can also take home some of their award-winning crisp apple cider. Their “U-pick” season is offered September and October where you can harvest your own Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, and Rome apples.

Swanton Pacific Ranch – Closed for 2022 Season. Expected to reopen in fall 2023
Sadly closed for the season due to fire damage from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in August 2020

Davenport (Santa Cruz County) |  The gorgeous 3,200 acre Swanton Pacific Ranch rests among a lush redwood forest, riverine ecosystems and expansive coastal grassland overlooking the bay and the Pacific Ocean. Normally closed to the public, it’s owned and operated by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) for educational and research in sustainable agriculture, but they open their doors to the public for their organic U-pick apple season which runs from Labor Day through early October. Their 2-acre orchard produces 16 varieties of apple which ripen progressively throughout the fall allowing for an extended picking season. Browse their Harvest Calendar.

Gizdich Ranch

Watsonville | Bring the family to one of the most popular U-pick apple orchards in the Bay Area where you can pick your favorite fruit of the season right off the tree or vine and then picnic among the apple trees and the hills. Gizdich Ranch’s “Pik-Yor-Self” program allows you to harvest your own strawberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, and apples. Apple picking season runs from mid-September for about 3-4 weeks. Check their website to find out what’s currently available for U-pick. Don’t miss their pie shop and deli which has seasonal favorites including their famous homemade pies.

Apple Hill

Greater Placerville (50 miles east of Sacramento) | If you’re up for a little road trip to a countryside getaway, drive along Highway 50 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, to a bountiful Gold Country with 50 locales featuring fruit orchards, roadside stands, ranches, breweries, tree farms, wineries and even a spa. Check out their Harvest Calendar to find out what’s in season, review their detailed Apple Hill Growers map, or download their dedicated app for updated info on every ranch plus food, lodging, events and more.

The Apple Hill region typically extends the apple picking season throughout October where you can harvest Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Ladies.

Check out Sactown Mag’s Ultimate Guide to Apple Hill for more info and tips.

Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches

Get into the fall spirit by embarking on an adventure through a corn maze or picking out your favorite pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch.

Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch & Mini Hay Maze

San Francisco | Keep it local; this pumpkin patch is right in San Francisco. Visiting the patch in October, you will find pumpkins of all sizes and shapes. Gourds, corn stalks, and Indian corn are in abundance. During October, come see the ghosts in their trees, the scarecrows in their patch, and let the kiddos crawl through a tiny hay maze meant just for little kids. 

G&M Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch

Livermore | It twists, it turns, it dead-ends; it’s six green acres of good old-fashioned family fun. G&M Farms Cornfield Maze and Pumpkin Patch was voted Best Seasonal Attraction in the East Bay by Diablo Magazine. The Corn Maze is $8 adults / $7 kids (M-Th) and $10 adults / $9 kids (Fri-Sun). Children 5 years and under are free.

The Great Peter Pumpkin Patch & Hay Maze

Petaluma | This pumpkin patch located on a cheese farm features tons of free activities including learning how to milk a cow, a free corn pit, a free hay maze, and free hayrides. Plus you can dig for your own potatoes, pick your own organic pumpkin, eat some pumpkin ice cream, and listen to live music on weekends. Please note, 2022 info is not yet available, but we expect it to be similar to years past.

McClelland’s Dairy  – CLOSED

Petaluma | Get a little bit country and find your way through a free hay maze on a working dairy farm. During the month of October, this organic dairy farm becomes McClelland’s Organic Pumpkin Patch. Wander through over seven acres and pick your own pumpkin straight off the vine. Spend the day on a working dairy farm where farm admission is free and includes watching cows being milked, a petting farm, a free hay maze, seed sandbox, tire swings, and more. Additional activities (for purchase) include hay rides, a haunted house, a haunted forest, a pumpkin blaster (yes, fire 6 pumpkins through a giant machine gun for $18), bounce houses, a giant slide, organic food options and more. 

Swank Farms Corn Maze

Road Trip: Hollister | Worth the drive, Swank Farms Corn Maze was listed as one of the most insane corn mazes in America in Reader’s Digest online magazine. Info for 2022 is not yet available, but it should be similar to years past. In past years, unlimited entry to the park included the Maniac Maze, the Kiddy Corral, and Spooky Maze, Jumping Pillow, Cow Train Pedal Karts, and a slide. You’ll receive one pumpkin Sling Shot and one Corn Cannon. 

Find more epic corn mazes in our round-up of the Best Corn Mazes in the Bay Area. Last updated 2021

To find more pumpkin patches, check out this great roundup for 2022 from Marin Mommies.

Awesome Fall Fairs & Festivals

Fall in the Bay also means several big Bay Area events to look forward to.

Fleet Week
October 3-11, 2022

San Francisco’s largest annual civic sponsored event, San Francisco Fleet Week is a series of free, family-friendly events that honor the contributions of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. The highlight of Fleet Week is The U.S. Navy Blue Angels dazzling air show, taking place over three consecutive days. 

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
September 30 – October 2, 2022

One of the largest, free-est and beloved music festivals in the country is held annually the first weekend in October. Be one of over 750,000 attendees over the three-day musical extravaganza in beautiful Golden Gate Park.

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival (Oct. 15-16, 2022) & World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off  (Oct. 10, 2022)

Want to see a pumpkin that weighs almost as much as a Smart Car? Witness the humongous, mind-bending, Volkswagen-sized weigh-off champion pumpkin on display, plus, stare in awe at the mesmerizing and remarkably talented “Picasso of pumpkin carvers” sculpt and shape monster pumpkins into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.