Darnell Farms Fall Hayrides and Corn Maze

Darnell Farms sits in a bend of the Tuckasegee River a few minutes outside Bryson City, and from the middle of September through the first day of November the back half of the place gives itself over to fall. Wagons run out to the pumpkin field, the corn maze opens, and the farm stand fills up with apples, mums and winter squash. This is a working second-generation farm rather than a built-for-October attraction, and that is most of the appeal.

Hayrides and the maze run Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., from September 12 through November 1. The farm itself is open seven days a week until 7 p.m., so a Monday stop still gets you produce and a DreamWhip, just no wagon.

The Hayride and the Pumpkin Patch

The wagon takes a one-mile loop through the fields and drops you off in the patch, where you pick whatever pumpkin you want, any size, included in your admission. Not a pre-cut one off a pallet by the door, an actual pumpkin still attached to an actual vine. Bring a tote or a couple of reusable grocery bags. Carrying a fifteen-pound pumpkin back across a field is a great deal easier with handles, and nobody thinks of it until they are already standing out there holding one.

Getting Lost in the Corn Maze

The maze is cut into standing field corn, so it walks and smells like the real thing. Expect uneven ground, closed-toe shoes, and clothes you do not mind getting dusty. Kids will happily burn an hour in there. Late afternoon is the prettiest time to go, when the light drops behind the ridge and the rows turn gold, though that also means finishing up as the light fades, which is worth thinking about with small children along.

What it Costs

One ticket covers the lot: the hayride, the corn maze and the pumpkin you pick out of the patch. Food and anything from the farm stand are extra. Pricing splits between weekdays and weekends, so a Wednesday or Thursday visit saves a family of four a real amount of money.

• Wednesday to Friday: $24.95 ages 9 and up, $14.95 ages 3 to 8
• Saturday and Sunday: $29.95 ages 9 and up, $17.95 ages 3 to 8
• Ages 2 and under: free

Prices confirmed with the farm for the 2026 season and can change, so check before you go.

The Rest of the Farm

The riverbank side has playgrounds, adult-sized swing sets and picnic tables, and the main stage outside the farm stand hosts live music and food trucks through the season. The stand carries the farm’s own produce plus local jams, honey, breads and jerky, and the DreamWhip counter, a soft-serve blended with seasonal fruit, is the thing regulars come back for. Plan on staying longer than you meant to.

Before You Go

October weekends are far and away the busiest stretch of the season, so go early in the day or come midweek if crowds matter to you. If the forecast looks wet, call the farm at (828) 488-2376 first, since wagons and mud do not mix and the farm posts changes to its Facebook page faster than anywhere else.

School and group field trips run separately, Wednesday through Friday from September 16 to November 6 at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon, with no trips on October 23. Those include the hayride, a talk about how the farm works, a pumpkin to take home and a field-trip-sized DreamWhip, booked through darnellfarms.com/field-trips.