Rows of pumpkins in an open New Jersey field on a crisp October afternoon with a red hay wagon and a golden corn maze in the background

Fall Guide for Essex County

Pumpkin Picking Near Bloomfield, West Orange & Montclair

Looking for a pumpkin patch this October? The farms below are all within easy reach of Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, and this guide organizes them farm by farm: where each one is, roughly how long the drive takes, what is actually on the grounds this season, and what to know before you go. Fairfield Farms in Essex County is the closest full pumpkin patch and corn maze, while the biggest maze in Chester, the pick-your-own fields in Bergen County, and the full farm days in Morris County are each a short drive out.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Drive times are approximate, and hours and admission do change, so confirm details on each farm's website before you head out.

The Short Version

What you need to know

The closest patch

Fairfield Farms in Fairfield is roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, or Montclair and the only full pumpkin patch with a corn maze in Essex County. Its festival runs through October 31.

The biggest maze

Stony Hill Farms in Chester runs a roughly 10-acre corn maze plus a Maze Fun Park with rides and games, about 35 to 45 minutes out.

Book ahead

Demarest Farms requires an advance reservation for picking, Alstede Farms sells timed entry online only, and Secor Farms wants weekend tickets booked in advance too.

Watch the hours

Fairfield runs festival activities 1 to 6pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends and Columbus Day, with hayrides until 5:30pm. Most farms wrap up by October 31.

The Farms

Farm by farm, closest first

Each entry lists the farm, its town, an approximate drive from the three Essex County towns, and the concrete activities on the grounds this season. Details were checked against each farm's own website in October 2026; prices and hours shift with the season, so confirm before you go. Anything that could not be confirmed is marked [unverified] rather than guessed.

Fairfield Farms & Greenhouses

Fairfield, NJ
177 Big Piece Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004

Roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, and the closest full pumpkin patch to Essex County.

Fall festival runs through October 31, 2026. Festival activities run 1 to 6pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends and Columbus Day. The farm store is open 10am to 6pm daily, and hayrides run until 5:30pm.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

Pick-your-own pumpkins in the field
Child-friendly corn maze
Daytime hayrides plus the Spooky Trail hayride
Goat family animal area
Rope maze, Big Bale Mountain, and a rolling tube ride
Pumpkin slingshot: hit the target and you win a pumpkin
Farm store with the farm’s own cider, donuts, mums, and produce

Good to know: Paid admission. In recent seasons wristbands ran about $15 for adults and children and $8 for seniors 65 and up, with the Spooky Trail hayride a $5 add-on and a nighttime hayride around $15. Weekend slots can sell out, so check the farm’s website for the week you plan to visit.

Stony Hill Farms

Chester, NJ
15 North Road, Chester, NJ 07930

Roughly 35 to 45 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, with the drive from Montclair closer to 35 to 40 minutes.

The Maze Fun Park runs daily from late August through early November in 2026, and pick-your-own pumpkins run from late September through October. Confirm hours on stonyhillfarms.com for the week you plan to visit.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

A giant 10-acre corn maze with a new theme each year
Smaller mini, rope, tile, and fence mazes
Hayrides included with general entry on weekends
Pick-your-own pumpkin patch, plus u-pick apples and vegetables
Maze Fun Park rides and games, the Mega Slide on weekends, and the Noah’s Ark playground
Trike racing and a pumpkin cannon
Farm market with baked goods, fresh cider, and a winery

Good to know: Paid admission. On nice weekends the maze park draws families from across the region, so buy tickets online ahead of time and arrive in the morning.

Demarest Farms

Hillsdale, NJ
244 Wierimus Road, Hillsdale, NJ 07642

Roughly 25 to 35 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair.

Pick-your-own pumpkins run daily from late September through October, 8am to 5pm. Hayrides run Thursdays and Fridays 3 to 4:30pm and Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 5pm. The farm market is open daily 8am to 5pm.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

Pick-your-own pumpkins, with advance reservations required
Hayrides
Family-friendly corn maze
Petting zoo
Farm market with fresh cider and apple cider donuts
Halloween light show in the final weeks before October 31

Good to know: Picking requires an advance online reservation with timed tickets, so book your weekend slot a few days out rather than just showing up. In recent seasons general admission ran about $8 per person for ages 2 and up, with parking free and the pumpkin priced separately.

Secor Farms

Mahwah, NJ
85 Airmont Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430

Roughly 30 to 40 minutes north of Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair.

Fall activities run from mid-September through the end of October. The farm is open 9am to 5:30pm daily; weekend fall activities run 9:30am to 4pm, and weekday hayrides, pumpkin picking, and the corn maze run 3 to 4:30pm with a reservation.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

Hayrides out to the pumpkin patch
Pumpkin picking
Two small corn mazes reached by hayride
Petting zoo with goats

Good to know: Weekend fall-activity tickets are booked online in advance, and pumpkins are not included with admission.

Hacklebarney Farms Cider Mill

Chester, NJ
104 State Park Road, Chester, NJ 07930

Roughly 35 to 45 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair.

Hours are seasonal and expand in peak October, then shift with the harvest, so check the farm’s website before you drive out.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

Pick-your-own pumpkins, apples, and sunflowers
Corn maze
Farm store set in an 1850s barn with baked goods, honey, jams, and local items
Cider donuts, hot mulled cider, and cider floats
Cider-pressing demonstrations offered free on most weekends

Good to know: A quieter outing with an old-school feel: you can watch cider get pressed right on the property.

Alstede Farms

Chester, NJ
1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester, NJ 07930

Roughly 35 to 45 minutes from Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, with the drive from Montclair closer to 35 to 40 minutes.

Pick-your-own runs through October with timed entry; last admission is 5pm and the fields close at 6pm in the fall season.

Visit the farm's website

What's on the grounds this season

Pick-your-own pumpkins, apples, and vegetables
Scenic hay wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch
The Giant A-Maze-Ing corn maze
The Evergreen Adventure kids maze
Giant Hay Pyramid, tractor tire slide, and a sunflower trail
Farm market and ice cream stand
Optional kids’ add-on activities such as pony rides, a bouncy house, a wagon train, and duck races

Good to know: Everyone needs a timed entry ticket bought online in advance, and guests check in during a reserved 30-minute window, so plan ahead, especially on weekends.

Before You Go

Planning your farm visit

A little planning keeps a farm day fun instead of frustrating. Here is the short checklist I give clients, and it applies to every farm on this page.

Confirm dates and hours online or by phone. Crop timing shifts with the weather, so the week you plan to visit is what matters, not what a roundup said in September.
Book weekend tickets ahead. Fairfield, Demarest, Stony Hill, Secor, and Alstede all sell timed or reserved entry in busy seasons, and the first nice weekends go quickly.
Keep the pumpkin price separate. At Secor and Demarest, admission and the pumpkin itself are priced separately, so budget for both.
Dress for the fields. Patches get muddy after rain, so boots, water, and a wagon all help on a long afternoon outside.

If a farm day does not fit your weekend, the Montclair and Bloomfield farmers markets both carry pumpkins and fall produce in October; I cover those in-town options, plus pricing details for every farm, in my pumpkin patches blog post.

A view into a tall golden corn maze in New Jersey on an October afternoon, with the maze path turning ahead and late-afternoon light filtering through the stalks

Sources

Where these details come from

Farm names, towns, addresses, hours, and activities were verified against each farm's own website in October 2026. Fairfield Farms' festival hours also appear in NJ.com's fall events guide. Drive times are approximate. Season hours and admission can change, so confirm on the farm's website before you head out, and any detail that could not be confirmed is marked [unverified] on this page.

Related: Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes Near Bloomfield, West Orange & Montclair, the companion blog post with pricing and in-town market options.

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