Best NJ pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes for 2017

Looking for your own "great pumpkin" in NJ this fall? The Garden State offers lots of festive seasonal fun, with pumpkins patches and weekend family friendly activities. Through Halloween, there are hayrides, corn mazes and petting zoos (not to mention cider doughtnuts for days)!

Just as with apple picking in NJ, there's some tips before heading out. Call ahead, as activity times may vary. Sites are open, weather permitting. It’s also good to have cash on-hand, instead of hoping they take cards.

If I missed a spot or if you want to share your fall fun photos, just tweet me @ProudJersey and at @NJ1015!

Central Jersey pumpkin picking & more:

VonThun Farms (Middlesex County)
519 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction
Call ahead: 973-329-8656
VonThun has a corn maze for Minions fans this year. There's also hayrides, farm animals, a bounce obstacle course and other family activities.

Giamarese Farm and Orchards (Middlesex County)
1555 Fresh Ponds Road, East Brunswick
Call ahead: 732-821-9494
Harvest Weekends with hayride tours, a corn maze, pony rides & more start Sept. 24.

Stults Farm(Middlesex County)
146 Cranbury Neck Road, Plainsboro
Call ahead: 609-799-2523

Cheesequake Farms (Middlesex & Monmouth Counties)
2095 US Highway 9, Old Bridge
Call ahead: (732) 721-5728
191 Rt. 34, Matawan
Call ahead: (732) 583-6780
Cheesequake Farms offers hayrides into the 'patch' at both locations, plus photo ops with an overall fall theme that changes every year.

Happy Day Farm (Monmouth County)
97 Daum Road, Manalapan
Call ahead: 732-977-3607
Happy Day Farm has lots to offer- starting with a “Curious George" themed 13 acre corn maze. There’s also a viewing zoo with tractor rides, sunflower maze, and other add-on activities like a jump-on pillow, pig races, pony rides and photo friendly spots.

A Casola Farms (Monmouth County)
178 Route 34, Holmdel
Call ahead: 732-332-1533
Casola has pumpkins, pony rides and petting zoo area. On weekends there's also a corn maze, face painting and Wild West Show. October adds Night Time Haunted Hayrides and the 'T'exas Chainsaw'-inspired Travis County Junkyard.

Wemrock Orchards (Monmouth County)
100 Wemrock Road, Freehold
Call ahead: 732-431-2668
Wemrock offers hayrides through a 'haunted' orchard, festive but not too scary. There's also Jersey fresh produce & baked goods at the year-round store, plus a tasting room that features NJ wines.

Argo's Farm (Ocean County)
1250 Lacey Road, Forked River
Call ahead: 609-693-3513
Argo's offers hayrides out to pick pumpkins and a corn maze. This year, the theme is JBJ Soul Kitchen, the community organization of Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea.

DeWolf's Farm (Ocean County)
58 West Colliers Mill Rd., New Egypt
Call ahead: 609-758-6288

Hallock's U Pick Farm (Ocean County)
38 Fischer Rd, New Egypt, NJ
Call ahead: 609-758-8847

K and S Farms (Mercer County)
831 Windsor-Perrineville Road, East Windsor
Call ahead: 609-758-7817
K and S offers a daytime 'family' corn maze and pumpkin picking. At night, there's the G-rated 'safe' area for a flashlight maze and pumpkins, plus the "Field of Terror".

Norz Hill Farm & Market (Somerset County)
116 South Branch Rd., Hillsborough
Call ahead: 908-371-COWS (2697)
Norz offers a corn maze, hayrides and lots of farm animals to visit. There's also a haunted Scare Farm on weekends from late September through Halloween.

Doyle's Unami Farms (Somerset County)
771 Mill Lane, Hillsborough
Call ahead: 908-369-3187

Schaefer Farms (Hunterdon County)
1051 Country Rd. 523, Flemington
Call ahead: 908-782-2705
Schaefer's has hayrides, plus a corn maze, farm animals, cow bounce house, and fall goodies at the farm stand. Schaefer's Frightfest opens Saturday, September 24th for weekends through Halloween.

South Jersey pumpkin picking & more:

R & J Farm (Atlantic County)
723 W. Herschel St., Galloway Township
Call ahead: 609-593-6183
R & J offers a corn maze, hayrides to the pumpkin patch, pumpkin stand and hay pit. On weekends there's also pony rides and face painting. Fall Opening day is September 23; check pricing to plan ahead. (Beginning Sept. 30, the farm offers the Cornfield of Terror).

Sahl's Father Son Farm (Atlantic County)
420 W. Pestalozzi Ave., Egg Harbor City
Call ahead: 609-965-9300
Aside from pumpkins, there's also hayrides, a corn maze, kiddie koral, mini mazes, pig races, some farm animals, a bounce pit & family games. Fall season starts September 23, check pricing to plan ahead.

Coombs Barnyard (Salem County)
20 Route 77, Elmer
Call ahead: 609- 364-2520
This year's Barnyard Bash is more of an open house style! On Saturdays in October (7, 14, 21, or 28) between the hours of 10-3, enjoy a hayride, pumpkin picking (from a REAL patch), visit with Barnyard Animals and enjoy a corn maze.

Maugeri farms (Gloucester County)
1991 Oldmans Creek Rd., Swedesboro
Call ahead: 856-249-9900
Maugeri offers lots of 'non-scary' family fun with hayrides, a kiddie hay bale maze, and Tiny Tots Hay Bale Treasure Hunt.

Johnson’s Corner Farm (Burlington County)
133 Church Road, Medford
Call ahead: 609-654-8643
Johnson’s Farm is one of the largest pick-your-own farms in South Jersey. The fall means hayrides into their fields for pumpkins (and apples). Weekend fun includes a corn maze, moon bounce, live music, animal farm and Discovery Barnyard.

Springdale Farms (Camden County)
1638 South Springdale Road, Cherry Hill
856-424-8674
There's pumpkin picking hayrides and also a chance for campfire hayrides. You can book a private hayride to your own lakeside campsite campfire.

North Jersey pumpkin picking & more:

Secor Farms (Bergen County)
85 Airmont Ave., Mahwah
Call ahead: 201-520-2595
Secor offers hayrides, a corn maze, petting zoo and hay maze. There's also a 'corn box' for the kiddies and photo ops with a “How Tall This Fall” display and other farm 'cut outs'.

Alstede Farms (Morris County)
1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester
Call ahead: 908-879-7189
Alstede Farms really is a year-round destination for seasonal fun. Aside from pick-your-own pumpkins & apples, there’s a store, petting zoo area, corn maze & cider mill tours.

Hacklebarney Farms Cider Mill (Morris County)
104 State Park Road, Chester
Call ahead: 908-879-6593
Hacklebarney has plenty of pumpkins and gourds, plus a 4-acre corn maze. And, cider hot dogs, which sound delicious! 

Ort Farms (Morris County)
25 Bartley Rd., Long Valley
Call ahead: 908-876-3351
Ort Farms celebrated 100 years in business last fall, and they're going strong! There's hayrides and a corn maze, hay pyramid, tractor playset, train, pony rides & farm store.

Hamilton Farms (Morris County)
130 Old Denville Road, Boonton
Call ahead: 973- 334-6528
Hamilton Farms has hayrides, farm animals, a hay maze and lots of fall goodies for sale.

Stony Hill Farm Market (Morris County)
8 State Route 24 (Rt 513), Chester
Call ahead: 908-879-2908
Stony Hill has a nearby Corn Maze & Fun Park with a 2017 theme of Sea Turtle Recovery.

Longmeadow Farm (Warren County)
561 Hope Blairstown Rd., Hope
Call ahead: 908-459-5351
Pumpkins is how Longmeadow got into the farm biz, and it's a tradition going strong. There's hayrides and lots of other Jersey fresh produce to bring home, too.

Heaven Hill Farm and Garden Center (Sussex County)
451 State Route 94, Vernon
Call ahead: 973- 764-5144
Heaven Hill offers its own The Great Pumpkin Festival, with pumpkins, hayrides, a corn maze, tractor rides, pedal go carts & farm animals. Plus, wine tasting and a market.

Proud Jersey Girl Erin Vogt’s first reporting gig involved her Fisher Price tape recorder. As a wife and momma of two kiddies, she firmly believes that life’s too short to drink bad coffee. A fan of the beach, Dave Grohl and karma, in no particular order.

Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook as ProudJersey.