Ready to head to the countryside for some leaf peeping and pumpkin picking? In addition to autumnal photo ops and an abundance of gourds, these farms in the DMV offer challenging corn mazes and tons of family fun. (If you’re looking for fall activities closer to home, there are also plenty of seasonal festivals in and around Arlington, too.)
MD Corn Maze
Get lost in the Land of Oz in this Wicked maze on the grounds of Anne Arundel County’s largest remaining farm—a dairy supplier that provided milk to the Naval Academy for more than a century. Since 2006, it’s played host to an annual fall fest and themed maze. Bring your phone to find clues hidden in QR codes along the way. (Or creep through the labyrinth in the dark on Flashlight Nights.) Once you find your way out, enjoy a hay pyramid, corn pits, pedal tractors, a jump pad, farm animals, ziplines, slingshots, hayrides and more. The farm’s fall festival and maze run Sept. 13-Nov. 2. with dogs invited the final weekend. Check the calendar for events, specials and ticket prices, which range from $17.95 to $24.95. Drive time from Arlington: About an hour. 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, MarylandÂ
Great Country Farms
The corn maze is now open at this popular Virginia farm, where a Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival runs Sept. 19-Oct. 31. Kids can bounce on jumping pillows, ride a cow train, take a swing at the Cow Pie Putt Putt course, navigate the farm ninja course and swish down a mega slide. On weekends, enjoy live music and roast marshmallows over an open fire. Tickets are $10 per child and $12 for adults (slightly more if purchased at the gate). Pumpkins are sold separately for 59 cents per pound. For fun after dark, check out the Family Flashlight Corn Maze Nights Sept. 27-28. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
Summers Farm
Get lost in a six-acre corn maze honoring Washington Capitals star winger Alex Ovechkin and his record-breaking 895 career goals. Now through Oct. 31, visitors can navigate a course featuring Ovi’s iconic jersey and milestone number while answering Capital-themed trivia along the way. Once you’ve emerged, continue the fun by careening down mega slides, picking out the perfect pumpkin and testing your mettle in the rugged farmer obstacle course. Quench your thirst at the Watering Trough with apple cider slushies, “dirty sodas” (a customizable soda with flavored syrups, similar to a root beer float, but with cream instead of ice cream), and local beers and wines. Wagon rides to the pumpkin patch are free. Admission to the fall festival starts at $16.95 weekdays and $20.95 weekends. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour, 15 minutes. 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown, Maryland
Cox FarmsÂ
This quintessential fall fest has pumpkins, a corn maze and much more. Slide down the giant, six-lane Dino Slide, plus numerous other hill slides, indulge in apple cider and kettle corn, greet the goats and pigs, swing, climb and jam to live music. Late night, the maze transforms into Fields of Fear, daring visitors to shriek past zombies, chainsaws, spiders and the occult in The Forest: Back 40, before hopping aboard a Dark Side Hayride. Cox Farms’ Fall Fest runs through Nov. 9. Return after Halloween for the spectacle of a pumpkin drop and catapult to dispatch the season’s last remaining pumpkins. Tickets range from $15-$30 and must be purchased online only. Drive time from Arlington: 40 minutes. 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, Virginia
Butler’s Orchard
This orchard’s annual Pumpkin Festival runs Sept. 20–Nov. 2. The admission price ($12 for any over age 2) includes hayrides, plus access to the Hilltop Hop jump pads, barnyard animals, giant slides, a twisted corn maze, playground and pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Weekends bring pony rides and face painting for an extra fee. Pre-purchased tickets are strongly encouraged, as the orchard sells out most weekends. Drive time from Arlington: 40 minutes. 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland
Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch
Open for fall fun Sept. 20-Oct. 31, this family-owned 131-acre farm offers weekend hayrides, you-pick pumpkins, a 15-acre corn maze, a corn cannon, jumping pillow and petting zoo for $12 per person. Stop by the general store for holiday decor, mums, gourds and pumpkin-spice baked goods. In addition, check the website for special events such as pumpkin succulent floral arranging, ladies nights, morning story times and goat yoga. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 6521 Holter Road, Middletown, Maryland
Liberty Mills Farm
The corn maze at this Virginia farm northeast of Charlottesville is currently the nation’s largest, ranking in USA Today’s top 10. Open through Nov. 11 and divided into four trails, the 34-acre maze—which this year sports an ocean theme—has something for visitors of all ages and abilities. The Story Maze takes about 30 minutes to complete, while the slightly trickier Trivia Maze takes closer to an hour to solve. The two most difficult courses are the Hole Punch Maze, which typically takes two to three hours, and the Mystery Maze, which has no maps to guide you. On Saturday nights through Nov. 4, see how you do in the dark (with a flashlight or headlamp) during the Flashlight Maze. There’s also a pumpkin patch (opening Sept. 27) and a farm store. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour, 45 minutes. 9166 Liberty Mills Road, Somerset, Virginia
Hollin Farms
This hillside farm may not have all the bells and whistles, but it’s a fun spot for kids who like getting dirty (i.e., all of them). In addition to pumpkins and apple picking, the property’s fall lineup includes dig-your-own potato and peanut patches, a huge field of cut-your-own sunflowers, and a pick-your-own fall vegetable garden (including kale, arugula, collards, mustard greens, bok choy and lettuces), with shovels and wagons available for public use. If your day of farm life works up an appetite, enjoy apple cider doughnuts made fresh every weekend throughout the fall. Stop by the farm stand to take home jams, jellies, pickles and other goodies. Check the website before you head out, as hours and offerings may change based on weather and crop conditions. Drive time from Arlington: About 1 hour. 1524 Snowden Road, Delaplane, Virginia
Larriland Farm
This family-owned and -operated farm has maintained pick-your-own fields since 1973. On weekdays in October, hop on a hayride that includes a stop in a PYO pumpkin patch, then navigate the farm’s corn maze on foot. On weekends, enjoy Halloween decorations, freshly pressed apple cider and apple fritters. Take a 20-minute, tractor-drawn wagon ride through the farm and spooky woods. The Boo Barn, designed for kiddos ages 4-6, includes a dark passageway filled with not-too-scary animated ghosts and goblins. Access to the farm is free, but each event carries its own fee. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine, Maryland
Miller Farms
This 267-acre farm in Prince Georges County has been family owned and operated since 1879. Family Fun Weekends beginning in October and extending through Nov. 2 include hayride farm tours, a corn maze, giant slides, jump pillows, outdoor play areas and visits with barnyard animals, plus apple cider doughnuts, homemade pumpkin or apple pie ice cream, apples and mums. Admission is $15 online for guests 2 and older, or $17 at the gate. Drive time from Arlington: 40 minutes. 10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton, Maryland
Temple Hall Farm Regional Park
Now through Nov. 2,visitors to this Loudoun County farm can pick pumpkins and sunflowers; meet and greet cows, goats, alpacas, sheep, pigs and chickens; and learn about the daily workings of a farm. An interpretive hiking trail teaches guests about the area’s native plants and animals. For restless kiddos, the farm has a jumping pillow, hill slides, yard games, corn box and pumpkin cannons. Tickets are $15 per person on weekends, and $12 on weekdays (kids 2 and under get in free). Each paid admission includes one pumpkin and sunflowers. Ticket sales are in person only. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 15855 Limestone School Road, Leesburg, Virginia
Yankey Farms
Situated in Prince William County, this farm has a pick-your-own pumpkin patch where you can choose your preferred gourd right from the spot where it grew. Due to weather conditions, the farm will open a little later than usual this year, on Oct. 5, and remain open daily through the end of the month. Activities for kiddos include a corn maze, hayride, farm animal face-to-face time, a cow train and a play area. Admission fee, although certain activities are $8 for participants over age 2. Pick-your-own pumpkins are 79 cents per pound. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 11812 Bristow Road, Bristow, Virginia
Wayside Farm
Visit this Berryville farm Sept. 20–Oct. 27 to peruse its 8-acre you-pick field laden with pumpkins of various shapes, colors and sizes. Reservations cost $21.68, and that gets your family an hour of pumpkin picking and includes your first $20 worth of pumpkins. Make a day of it by also reserving a time to enjoy (for another $19-$31.98) the 10-acre corn maze, pig races, play yard and hayrides (weekends only). Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
Shlagel Farms
On weekends from Sept. 28–Oct. 31, the fall festival at this 113-year-old farm has all the stuff you’d expect. There’s a hayride to the pumpkin patch, straw maze, corn boxes, slides and a petting zoo. Plus you can get seasonal fruit and veggies and farm-raised meat and eggs at the market. Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes. 12850 Shlagel Road, Waldorf, Maryland