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Nature|Wildlife & Farms

Here Are The 10 Absolute Best Pumpkin Patches In Colorado To Enjoy In 2024

Discover the best pumpkin patches in Colorado for family-friendly fall activities.

Updated Jul 31, 2024

Written by 

Christy Articola

A Colorado pumpkin patch is a place everybody loves to visit to pick out the perfect pumpkin. This activity is fun for the whole family and it's an annual tradition for so many people. I know I love these beautiful...sometimes round, sometimes oblong...orange orbs for some reason I can't really explain, and I bet you feel the same way too. If you're looking for the best pumpkin in Colorado (or many pumpkins...), we're here to help. This list will give you some great ideas about where to find the best pumpkin patch near me. Read on and get out there; it's never too early to adorn every inch of your property with pumpkins galore! Go! Now!

1. Anderson Farms: Erie (Sept. 25 - Nov. 2, 2024)

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Linda W/Tripadvisor

Anderson Farms is one of the longest-running pumpkin patches in the state, and it's also the largest. Also, choose from 26 varieties of squash, pumpkins, and gourds here, and enjoy a hayride and 25-acre cornfield maze while you're at it. Not only is this one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado, but it's one of the best pumpkin patches near Boulder.

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2. Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms: Littleton (Oct. 11-13, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

Enjoy this glorious pumpkin festival on one single weekend each fall! Come and get your pumpkin and celebrate everything autumn at this traditional family outing. This is one of the best Colorado pumpkin patches near me which includes a 10-acre pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and other activities. Read all about it on the Denver Botanic Garden's Chatfield Farms website.

3. Rock Creek Farm: Broomfield (Oct. 1-31, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

This impressive property has a 100-acre pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, corn mazes, plus tasty desserts like caramel apples. This is one of the best pumpkin patches near Denver. Read all about it on the Rock Creek Farm website.

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4. Maize in the City: Thornton (Check for 2024 dates when available)

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Management/Facebook

Located in Thornton, this celebration has pumpkins, corn launchers, five-minute escape rooms, pony rides, sand art, a hay bale maze, face painting, and bouncy bounces. Your whole family will have a blast. Discover more on the Maize in the City website.

5. Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch: Longmont (Saturdays and Sundays in October)

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Management/Facebook

Enjoy the farm store, carnival rides, bouncy rides, corn maze, pumpkin painting, and great views of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. For further details, visit the Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch website.

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6. Fritzler Farm Park: LaSalle (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Sept. 15 - Oct. 27, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle has pumpkins galore, a corn maze, pedal go-carts, a barrel train, carnival rides, a corn pit, yard games, face painting, and more, plus an outdoor haunted house on weekend nights.

7. The Patch: Kiowa ( Sept. 21 - Oct. 27, 2024)

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The Patch/Google

Pick your own pumpkin; go through the corn maze; pet the fuzzy farm animals, and participate in several other family-fun attractions. Learn more on The Patch website.

8. Miller Farms: Platteville (Labor Day-mid November, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

Miller Farms has been family-owned and operated for generations and today, we can enjoy fall in Colorado on its 180 acres of fields. Enjoy a hayride while learning about farm life and selecting fresh vegetables to take home.

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9. Cottonwood Farms: Lafayette (Sept. 28 - Oct. 31, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

With plenty of pumpkins from which to choose as well as farm animals, hayrides, a straw bale maze, and a corn maze, what could be a more enjoyable way to spend an autumn day than at one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado? Cottonwood Farms offers more information on its website.

10. Diana's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze: Cañon City (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays Sept. 21 - Oct. 31, 2024)

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Management/Facebook

This family-owned and operated business has an eight-acre corn maze and a fantastic pumpkin patch with a wide variety of different kinds of pumpkins from which to choose. Read more on Diana's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze website.

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A Colorado pumpkin patch is the best way to celebrate fall. Visit one of the best pumpkin patches in Colorado, or visit them all. Buy a pumpkin at every single one. Put them in every room of your house! Pumpkins everywhere! Happy fall, everyone!

Going on a pumpkin-focused road trip? Don't leave these items behind from our Ultimate Road Trip Packing List. And while you're traveling around, consider renting a Vrbo to take in the fall colors in Colorado.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/colorado/studts-pumpkin-patch/

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Nature|National & State Parks

The Audubon Important Bird Area in Colorado Where You’ll See More Than 100 Bird Species in a Single Afternoon

Looking for great places to bird-watch near Denver? The Denver Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield State Park is a wonderful option!

Published Oct 31, 2024

Written by 

Lisa Sammons

Bird-watching is a fun hobby with so many benefits. I love that it doesn't take too much knowledge to get into - even if you aren't able to immediately identify all our feathered friends by sight, the thrill of seeing a new species is so exciting! You also don't need a lot of equipment. While a pair of quality binoculars is helpful, it's not necessary, and you can certainly have a great time even just heading out with nothing at all. If you're looking to try out bird-watching in Colorado, it doesn't get much better than a visit to the Denver Audubon Kingery Nature Center. This delightful little area has been designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society thanks to the 345 birds that live or migrate through here. It's tucked away in Littleton and it's one of the best spots for observing nature near Denver, no matter what time of year it is.

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Chatfield State Park spans nearly 4,000 acres around Chatfield Reservoir, a sprawling lake surrounded by mountains and natural beauty. This is a stunning park, and there's a lot to enjoy here. The variety of landscapes means there are plenty of great hikes waiting to be explored. Whether you're looking to spend time on the water or prefer to trek through the woods, there's something for everyone at this magnificent park.

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Robert Greer/AllTrails

One thing you'll find in spades is wildlife. This state park is an important refuge for an array of species, and it's not uncommon to spot deer, coyote, elk, or snapping turtles. Some of the most-seen critters here, though, are birds. Nearly 350 different bird species reside here at some point during the year, and the best place to see them is the 8.6-acre section known as the Kingery Nature Center. This region of the park is maintained by the Denver Audubon Society and contains a nature center, gift shop, and native plant garden. The area around the nature center is filled with bird feeders, so it's a great place to relax if you're looking to spot some feathered friends.

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Emma Nogami/AllTrails

This section of the park also contains several miles of trails. These trails are open year-round and most are considered pretty easy, with flat ground. Each offers up beautiful scenery and a chance to witness birds in their natural habitats.

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Emma Nogami/AllTrails

Visit during May and you can check out the center's bird banding station, where scientist capture wild birds and band them for tracking. It's a fascinating outing for kids and adults alike, and not something that many get a chance to witness.

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Abbey Kiffe/AllTrails

For more information about the Denver Audubon Kingery Nature Center, check out the Denver Audubon Society website. If you'd like to learn more about the hiking opportunities here (or anywhere else in the world), check out our friends at AllTrails.

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Nature

The Incredible Colorado Ranch Where You Can Hang Out With Wolves

Published Sep 2, 2024

Written by 

Andrea Verschuyl

If there's one thing for which The Centennial State is known, it's its incredible natural beauty. From mountain peaks to rushing rivers, you can bet the landscape is populated by unique creatures that call Colorado home, too. If you're interested in a wildlife encounter in Colorado, I recommend visiting Divide's Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center. You won't need new hiking gear to get up close and personal with the critters here!

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Located under an hour from Colorado Springs, The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is a nonprofit sanctuary focused on public education and conservation programs. Tucked in the shadow of rugged mountainsides, it's the full-time home of various animals, including coyotes, foxes, and even wolves!

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Susan Rose/Flickr

Though the CWWC is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums today, it began in 1993 when founder Darlene Kobobel adopted a wolf dog named Chinook. Chinook had been scheduled for euthanasia, a fate that Kobobel discovered was all too common for wolf dogs. Her close relationship with this special pet inspired her to create a rescue for others like him.

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Susan Rose/Flickr

Before long, calls were inundating Kobobel's nonprofit, motivating her to focus on educational outreach. In the coming years, her goals developed, eventually forming the mission of today's Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center.

I recommend making reservations to ensure you get the best experience at CWWC. Naturally, the top-ticket item is an interactive encounter with the organization's ambassador wolves, but the standard tours are also incredibly worthwhile and informative.

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Susan Rose/Flickr

And don't forget the center's other residents! Foxes like Zak, who's pictured below, have earned cult followings online for their adorable antics.

While we may feel deeply for nature in the abstract, there's something incredibly moving about interacting with these charismatic creatures up close. Experiencing their personalities and behaviors firsthand gives new context to the importance of conservation.

Not to mention, whether you're visiting with family or with a group, you're bound to live with a smile on your face.

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Susan Rose/Flickr

If you're interested in a wildlife encounter in Colorado, you don't need to wait up by your trash bin at night or hope to bump into a bear on a hiking trail. Visit Divide's Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, a fantastic organization and a vanguard of our state's conservation movement. From humble beginnings, the CWWC developed into a nonprofit that's changed the lives of countless animals, touching many people's hearts in the process.

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Of course, the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is just one of many amazing businesses in Colorado that’s doing great things in the state. If you have another business you’d like to see profiled on Only In Colorado, please nominate them for a chance to be featured. And be sure to follow Only In Colorado on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know on the state’s events, restaurants, local businesses, and hidden gems.

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