Best Fall Activities Perfect for Families in Southern California

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 Find the best pumpkin patches, fall foliage and activities for your family.

Southern California isn’t renown for having seasons. Which is why we love it for the most part, right? However, the idea of falling leaves, cooler weather, pumpkin patches and pumpkin seasoned everything, and of course Halloween, is something we look forward to every year. So, we have a few ideas and traditions that bring the traditional idea of Fall to life. Here are some of the best places to “find fall” in Southern California.

Nothing screams Autumn like fall leaves and cooler weather. Here are some of the best places to see fall leaves and get out and enjoy the beauty of it all in Southern California.

Fall Foliage Around Southern California

• Oak Glen, Ca
• Big Bear Lake, Ca
• Julian, Ca
• Lake Gregory, Crestline
• Lake Arrowhead, Ca
• Idyllwild, Ca
• Jackson Lake, Wrightwood
• LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens
• Malibu Creek State Park, Agoura Hills, Ca
• Ice House Canyon, Mt Baldy, Ca
• Descanso Gardens
• Palomar Mountain State Park, Palomar Mountain, Ca
• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens, Claremont, Ca
• Fullerton Arboretum
• Bishop (a little outside of SoCal but definitely worth the trip)

And while you’re visiting make sure you participate in the perfect fall activities like:

Apple Picking

Apple Picking:

Check out Volcan Valley Apple Farm in Julian, Ca.

A number of orchards in the Oak Glen, Ca area have apple picking available throughout the fall season. My recommendations: Riley’s Los Rios Rancho, Parrish Pioneer Ranch, Snowline Orchards and grab apple cider donuts while you are there.

Also in Oak Glen is Willowbrook Apple Farm, and Riley’s Apple Farm.

Be sure to check out Brian Ranch in Llano, Ca.

And, See Canyon Fruit Ranch in San Luis Obispo, Ca. It might be best to check online or call first to make sure there are still apples ready to be picked.

Other fun fall activities you might want to try is: making your way through a corn maze, check out a petting zoo, take a wagon ride, pick out some vegetables at a farmer’s market, and visit one of the many fall/harvest festivals happening all over Southern California.

My favorite thing to do during this time of year is visit a pumpkin patch. And there are soooo many. And so many good ones, it might not hurt to try out a few. I mean, one can never visit too many pumpkin patches during the month of October, right?! A few fan favorites here in So Cal are found at:

Pumpkin Patches

• Live Oak Pumpkin Patch in Yucaipa, Ca
• Peltzer’s farm in Temecula, Ca
• Pasadena’s Pumpkin Patch, Pasadena, Ca
• Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch, Culver City, Ca
• Zoomar’s Petting Zoo, San Juan Capistrano, Ca
• Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch, Irvine, Ca
• Tanaka Farms, Irvine, Ca
• The Pumpkin Factory, Corona, Ca
• Orange Empire Railway Museum Pumpkin Patch Express, Perris, Ca
• Riley’s Farm, Oak Glen, Ca
• Descanso Gardens, La Canada Flintridge
• Bates Nut Farm, San Diego
• Carlsbad Strawberry Company, Carlsbad
• Underwood Farms, Moorpark; Ventura County
• Johnsons Brothers Pumpkin Patch, Huntington Beach
• Frostys Forest and Pumpkins, Chino
• Seasonal Adventures, High Desert
• Cal Poly Pumpkin Patch, Pomona,
• Tom’s Farm, Corona, Ca
• Mr. Jack-O-Lantern’s Pumpkin Patch, La Jolla, Ca
• Underwood Family Farm, Moorepark, Ca
• Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Farm, Laguna Hills, Ca
• Pumpkins in the Pines at SkyPark at Santa’s Village

Events

There are so many fun events to go to as well in Southern California. Some scary, some family friendly, but all are a good time.

Most theme parks offer haunted and family friendly events such as:

Knotts Spooky Farms and Knotts Scary Farm: go in the day for kids to trick or treat on weekends, or in the evening to be scared out of your mind.

Sea World– Halloween Spooktacular for the kids to go trick or treating and fun decorations or for the first time ever they are now doing a weekend night scare park.

Universal Studios– Halloween Horror Nights, and I’ve heard it’s really scary here.

Disneyland- Oogie Boogie Bash after hours and this is completely family friendly

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Hauntoween– Haunt O’ Ween is an immersive family-friendly playground full of Halloween adventures and fun! For 31 days, this haven welcomes families into a massive celebration with everything that Halloween has to offer! Incredible decorations, food and drink and even a whole village to trick or treat. Plus pumpkin painting, rides, games and more!

Nights of the Jack– walkable Halloween event and a feast for your senses.

LA Haunted Hayride– The annual event will feature a traditional hayride through the dark forest of Griffith Park, creepy mazes, trick-or-treating and guests can explore the fictional town of Midnight Falls as it celebrates its 13th annual Halloween Festival in the year 1985.

Pirates Dinner Adventure – Every Halloween Pirate’s Dinner Adventure puts together a fantastic Halloween show where the pirates are transformed into spooktacular nightmares for this live dinner event. Family friendly and a night of fun! Read all about it HERE

Haunt of Halloween- (Orange County) A one-stop shop of scares with a haunted maze attraction, a face-your-fears sensory attraction, an up-close horror pop-up, photo ops, reptile exhibit, pumpkin carving and decorating, trick-or-treating and more.

Or spend the day at SkyPark at Santa’s Village which transforms into a family-friendly harvest festival each weekend with a pumpkin patch, face painting, a Fantom Forest walk-thru haunted maze, cookie decorating, photo ops with costumed characters, pumpkin panting, skate nights, trick-or-treating, costume parties, live entertainment and more. Read about our experience here.

Most of the California zoos also do fun events and activities; look into those!

Activities

Carve a pumpkin. Go traditional and carve a face; or you can opt to paint a pumpkin, use stickers or even these neat “Mr. Potato Head” pieces. But, it’s fun to get those creative juices flowing and do something fun as a family.

Take a hike. Our favorite Halloween hike is found in Norco, Ca and is called Pumpkin Rock.

Hit up a fun amusement park celebration. Many like Sea World, Knotts Berry Farm, The Discovery Cube Science Center in Orange County and Los Angeles, Legoland, and even the aquariums like Aquarium of the Pacific and Scripps currently have discounted pricing on fun fall activities.

Dress up in fun costumes. We love doing DIY costumes for parties or trick-or-treating and think it’s been a very fun family tradition. Be it couples costumes, family costumes or just children’s costumes.

Or even hold your own Halloween party. We are huge fans of hosting your own “Murder Mystery Party“. It’s super fun and easy to do, and will be a huge thrill for all your guests.

Dinner and Games at Riley’s Farm in Oak Glen. We go to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow Show every year and can’t say enough good things.

Shop for spooky decorations at the coolest shop in Orange County: Roger’s Gardens; and maybe grab a meal at the extraordinary restaurant attached.

Fall is such a wonderful time of the year to enjoy the simple pleasures of life with those you love. Gather with family and friends and make this a season of memory making.

Leave a comment below sharing your favorite fall activity or tradition.