Heads up: if you're going to go to Gilly's, you have to go now.
They're only open six days in the fall. Fridays and Saturdays only, three weekends: September 25 and 26, October 2 and 3, and October 9 and 10. This is one you're not going to want to miss.
It's super convenient, too. From anywhere in Castle Rock or greater Douglas County, head east on Plum Creek Parkway past the Douglas County Fairgrounds, take the first right at the roundabout onto Lake Gulch Road, and follow it southeast. Gilly's is on the right about a mile and a half down, almost at Crystal Valley Parkway. The patch sits on one of Castle Rock's original homesteads, built in 1889.
We went first thing, 10am on Saturday, September 26. There were a few people there before us, and it really started to fill in around 11. Checkout was easy: $5 a person or $20 for a family, and kids 3 and under get in free.
It's way bigger than I expected. I didn't know what to expect from their website, though I think they've added a few things to it recently.
What's out there at Gilly's
You come in past a wagon corral, a row of wagons you can grab or drop yours off at, and a sign with everything on it.
Photo stations. Trucks, pumpkins and hay bales, at least three setups: one right up front and two over to the left.
There's also an old motorbike parked in front of the Gilly's banner if you want to put your kid on it for a picture.
The animals. We hung out with the sheep first (there were two when we got there), then the two bunnies. Bunny food is 25 cents, and I think they'll give you quarters if you ask over at Faye's Face Paint, which we skipped but a lot of kids were loving. There are ducks, a box of ducklings, and a pen of chickens you can go say hi to. Watch out for the beaks.
Corinne's Corn Pit. A bunch of kids were in there throwing corn at one another.
Axe throwing. They're not real axes, and it's tougher than I thought it would be. I sent mine flying over the target. A couple of kids got theirs to stick.
Pumpkin checkers. Regular checkers is black and red. Theirs is green pumpkins against orange ones.
Marie's Maze. A little tougher than I was expecting. We eventually made it through. I saw a couple of people quit.
The ball toss. Their take on skee ball: you toss the balls at a homemade contraption instead of rolling them. A lot of fun. One heads-up: stay close to your kids there, because the little ones run right up to throw while bigger kids are tossing from further back.
Everything else. An obstacle course, a massive slide (it looked like the kids were having a lot of fun there too), Clara's Kiddie Corral, The Troo-Troo Train, Gilly's Playground, and an archway built out of pumpkin crates.
The Gilly's store
Once you're through, there's a Gilly's store with jams and bread. We grabbed a loaf. They also have caramel apples that are supposedly really good. We got the cinnamon one, which I've yet to try, but it looked amazing. So did the Oreo one, but we limited ourselves to one this time.
Overall, an awesome fall day if you need a little outing.
If you go
Gilly's Pumpkin Patch, 1433 Lake Gulch Road, Castle Rock, CO 80104.
2026 dates: Fridays and Saturdays only, September 25–26, October 2–3 and October 9–10.
Hours: 10am until dark.
Cost: $5 per person, $20 per family, kids 3 and under free. Tickets through Gilly's TicketsCandy page.
Timing: we went at the 10am opening and it filled in around 11.
Full details, photos and map: Gilly's Pumpkin Patch on the DougCo Directory. Season listing: Gilly's Pumpkin Patch 2026.
Make a day of it
Heading back toward I-25 on Plum Creek, stop at LaLa's Coffee & Boba for a coffee on the way in or out. Downtown, Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse on Wilcox opens at 9am Saturdays if you want brunch, and you can spend some time at Festival Park. Or head south and cut back through Crystal Valley for a drink at Oo•de•Lally Coffee.
More for the season: every patch compared in our Pumpkin Patches guide, the rest of fall in the Fall Events guide, trick-or-treat and haunts in the Halloween guide, and year-round ideas in Things to Do With Kids. Or see what's on this weekend.
Sources
- Our visit, Saturday, September 26, 2026, from the 10am opening: the activities, animals, store, admission prices and every photo on this page (DougCo Social).
- Gilly's Pumpkin Patch: 2026 dates, 10am-to-dark hours, admission ($5 individual, $20 family, free for children 3 and under), address and the 1889 homestead. gillyspumpkinpatch.com
- Signs on site: Marie's Maze, Corinne's Corn Pit, Clara's Kiddie Corral, Faye's Face Paint, The Troo-Troo Train, Gilly's Playground and the Wagon Corral.