Bob’s Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay: A no-frills, awesome spot for Halloween picking, and beyond

October 24, 11:50 AMSF Adventure Travel ExaminerMolly McCahan

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Bob's Pumpkin Farm, Half Moon Bay, CA.

Every year as a kid growing up in San Mateo, October signaled Halloween, which meant another fun school field trip to a pumpkin patch just over the hill in pristine Half Moon Bay. Picking out my favorite orange orb became a ritual then that continues now into adulthood. These days, when I head south from the city to do my pumpkin picking, which I still do every year, there’s only one place I go: Bob’s Pumpkin Farm.

This small, unassuming establishment offers none of the frills that the fancier (read: more crowded and expensive) patches provide. Don’t come here expecting the big corn maze, the fancy decorations, the pony rides, or the blow-up bouncy ball house. Bob’s is low-key, down-home fall goodness at its best. Kids and adults in the know can attest to the special quality of this place.

Goats in the animal farm at Bob's.

What you will find at Bob’s are endless glowing rows of pumpkins of all sizes, some still on the vine; a great assortment of mini pumpkins, gourds, squash, Indian corn, and hay also for sale; an animal farm complete with sheep, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens (which we city dwellers love); and a top-notch, affordable produce stand that sells some of the best non-sprayed, locally-grown, peas in the pod that I’ve ever tasted. And no need to worry about your wallet: Bob’s pumpkin prices are cheap compared to the competition.

To top it all off, there’s a peaceful, calm, unhurried atmosphere about this place that makes picking pumpkins here an ethereal experience. Especially for a city slicker like me, who relishes getting out into nature whenever the opportunity arises. Heck, I don’t even mind getting my hands dirty here. And that says a lot.

A new meaning to words "fall color."

How to get there:
From San Francisco, head south on Highway 280 until it hits Highway 1. (You can also take the Great Highway until it merges into Highway 35/SkylineBlvd.) Merge onto Highway 1 south, and continue driving through Pacifica and the coastal communities of Montara, Moss Beach, and El Granada. Continue to Half Moon Bay, and drive five miles past the Highway 92 junction. Bob’s will be on the left-hand side of the highway; look for the large produce stand. There’s plenty of free parking in the gravel lot.

By taking this route, you’ll not only get great views of the Pacific Ocean and stunning coastline, you’ll avoid the massive traffic jams on two-line Highway 92. Long lines of cars pile up as drivers wait to turn into and out of the crowded pumpkin patches, wineries, and other tourist attractions along this route; the lack of turning lanes makes driving here during October a mess. Yes, even now when the infamous Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival has passed.