10 Corn Mazes Worth Getting Lost In Near Roanoke
A Local Resource to Corn Mazes Across Southwest and Central Virginia
Words by Amanda Danaher
Eight-foot corn stalks can close in fast, and it only takes one wrong turn to lose track of whether or not you've already passed that same dead end twice. That's the whole appeal of a corn maze, and it's exactly why they've become one of fall's biggest draws for families in the Roanoke Valley.
Within about two hours of downtown Roanoke, you'll find some fall fun and family-friendly corn mazes. A few are close enough for a quick weekend outing. Others are worth building an entire weekend day trip around, especially the farms that pair their maze with a fall festival. And if you're looking for something a little different once the sun goes down, a handful of these mazes stay open after dark for visitors brave enough to navigate by flashlight.
Safety Tips for Navigating a Corn Maze
Although a corn maze is meant to leave you a little turned around, there are a few basics to keep in mind before you go. Stick together as a group, especially with younger kids, and agree on a plan if anyone gets separated. If you're visiting after dark, bring a real flashlight, not just your phone. Some mazes actually require one before letting you in.
Wear closed-toe shoes and watch your footing. Cornfields have uneven, sometimes muddy ground, especially after rain. Keep a phone charged and on you in case you need to call for help finding your way out. Most maze maps include a contact number for exactly that reason. And if you're visiting with a large group, it's worth splitting into smaller teams first, so nobody's trying to keep track of fifteen people winding through a massive maze of corn stalks all at once.
Where the Corn Maze Tradition Began
Long before anyone thought to cut a path through a cornfield, people were building mazes for entirely different reasons. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks constructed labyrinths as spiritual structures, and Greek mythology's Minotaur, trapped at the center of a labyrinth on Crete, remains one of the most enduring maze stories ever told.
The leap from ancient labyrinth to modern cornfield didn't happen until 1993, when Broadway producer Don Frantz built the first modern corn maze at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. As the story goes, Frantz noticed the patterns in farmland below him during a flight and later partnered with designer Adrian Fisher to bring the idea to life.
Together, they created a three-acre maze shaped like a dinosaur they called Cornelius the Cobasaurus. Word spread fast, and within just a few years, farms nationwide were carving their own mazes into their fields. Corn mazes have since become one of the most distinctly American fall traditions around, and Virginia has plenty of standout options to prove it.
Corn Mazes in the Roanoke Valley
Jeter Farm (Roanoke)
Location & Region
181 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Roanoke, VA 24012 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 20 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 26 through November 1, 2026. Hours: Saturdays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sundays, noon –6 p.m. Closed weekdays.
What to Expect
Jeter Farm's fall festival packs a lot into one visit, with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, wagon rides, a barnyard zoo, and a kids' zip line. Stop by their Country Store on-site for Virginia-grown goods, festival t-shirts, and farm books. Check out our guide to year-round family festivals.
Experience Tips
- Children 2 and under enter for free.
- The wagon ride out to the patch doesn't currently have a handicap-accessible option.
Layman Family Farms (Blue Ridge)
Location & Region
1815 Mountain View Church Road, Blue Ridge, VA 24064 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 30 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through November 1, 2026. Hours: Saturdays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed weekdays. Exceptions: Monday, October 12, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, November 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
What to Expect
Layman Family Farms is built for a full day out, from a giant corn maze and apple cannons to ziplines, jump pads, hayrides, farm animals, and no shortage of spots worth stopping for a photo along the way. On the food side, expect fall staples like apple cider slushes and funnel cakes, plus lunch options like pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
Experience Tips
- Children 2 and under get in free.
- A few extras run separately from admission, including pumpkins, flowers, food and drinks, gemstone mining, paintball, and apple cannons.
- The last entry is an hour before closing, so it's worth arriving early to fit everything in.
Southwest Virginia’s Corn Mazes
Sinkland Farms (Christiansburg)
Location & Region
3060 Riner Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 45 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through November 1, 2026. Hours: Thursdays and Fridays in October, 4–8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
What to Expect
Sinkland Farms offers a challenging corn maze and a huge pumpkin patch, along with giant slides, sunflowers, and daily pig races on weekends. Local arts and crafts vendors set up throughout the grounds as well. Keep an eye out for special events like the Great Punkin' Chunkin', plus live music on Saturdays and Sundays, with a rotating lineup of food trucks covering food and drinks.
Experience Tips
- Free entry for kids 3 and under.
- The farm offers wheelchair and handicap accessibility, including designated parking and accessible restrooms.
- Pathways are mostly grass, and the patch itself sits on dirt, but it's still manageable terrain for strollers and wagons.
Barksdale Farm (Rocky Mount)
Location & Region
5000 Virgil H Goode Highway, Rocky Mount, VA 24151 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 45 minutes
Season & Hours
Closed for the 2026 season.
What to Expect
Spreading across more than 500 acres in southern Franklin County, Barksdale Farm has been run by the same family for three generations. Although they will not be open for the 2026 season, in years past and future, kids get their pick of activities like corn and candy cannons, a cow train ride, a hayride out to the pumpkin patch, and even two separate corn mazes for families and toddlers. Weekends bring a rotating lineup of food trucks, plus fresh kettle corn.
Accessibility / Experience Tips
- Handicapped and special needs parking is available, plus a cart and wagon shuttle service to help visitors get from the lot to the action.
- The farm updates its Facebook page weekly with that weekend's food truck lineup, so it's worth checking before heading out.
Corn Mazes in Central Virginia
Joe’s Trees (Newport)
Location & Region
5110 Cumberland Gap Road, Newport, VA 24128 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 60 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through October 30, 2026. Hours: Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Farm Festival: Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4, 2026. Festival Hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
What to Expect / Attractions
Joe's Trees is home to a corn maze along with a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds, plus a mining sluice where kids can dig for gems and fossils. An on-site gift shop carries jams and seasonal decor, and they offer hayrides out to the pumpkin patch. Each year, the farm also puts on a Farm Festival featuring food and craft vendors along with live demonstrations.
Accessibility / Experience Tips
- Hayrides are available only on weekends and when weather allows.
- Check the farm's website or Facebook page before visiting as dates and hours can change.
Yoders’ Farm (Rustburg)
Location & Region
1134 Browns Mill Road, Rustburg, VA 24588 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through October 31, 2026. Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Tuesdays in October, 3–7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays in October, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Exception: Thursday, October 1, 3–7 p.m. Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
What to Expect
Yoders’ Farm corn maze is the real draw, complete with a leaderboard app that times your run and lets you compete against other visitors for a spot at the top. Beyond the maze, the farm grows a wide range of pumpkins timed to follow their strawberry harvest each June for better shape and color, pick your own straight from the field or choose from ones already picked. Hayrides run during daylight hours too.
Experience Tips
- Admission to the farm is free, and visitors only pay for the specific activities or products they choose.
- Visiting the corn maze after dark requires bringing a flashlight.
- The Snack Shack doesn't always follow the same hours as the rest of the farm, so it's worth checking ahead before heading out.
Blue Ridge Mountain Maze (Roseland)
Location & Region
462 Winery Lane, Roseland, VA 22967 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 1 hour and 50 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through November 8, 2026, weekends. Hours: Fridays, noon–6 p.m. (October and November only). Saturdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to Expect
Set deep in the mountains of central Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountain Maze lives up to its name. The giant corn maze is the star of the show, headlining the farm's Virginia Corn Maze Fall Festival each year. Round out the visit with a sprawling pumpkin patch, farm animals, and an obstacle course.
Experience Tips
- Music in the Mountains brings live music to the maze every Saturday from 6–9 p.m. No extra cost beyond admission.
- Bring a jogging stroller if you can. The terrain handles those fine, while small-wheeled strollers and pull wagons tend to struggle. Wheelchairs can navigate the maze, though expect uneven ground throughout.
- Follow the farm's Facebook page for updates, tips, and any insider deals before your visit.
Shenandoah Valley’s Guide to Corn Mazes
Endless View Farms (Crimora)
Location & Region
2513 Rockfish Road, Crimora, VA 24431 | Drive time from Roanoke: Roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes
Season & Hours
Open: September 19 through November 1, 2026. Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to Expect
Packing more than 25 activities into one property, Endless View Farms features a corn maze where visitors can also wander through acres of pumpkins, hop aboard a barrel train, bounce on a jump pillow, and slide down a 120-foot hay slide.
Experience Tips
- Kids 3 and under get in free. Military members, seniors, teachers, and healthcare workers can take advantage of a discounted rate with valid ID.
- Buying tickets online ahead of time lets you skip the line at the gate.
Back Home on the Farm (Harrisonburg)
Location & Region
2915 Willow Run Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 | Distance from Roanoke: Roughly 2 hours
Season & Hours
Open: August 29 through November 8, 2026. The Virginia Pumpkin Festival: October 10–11 and October 17–18. Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 3–7 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sundays, 12–5 p.m.
What to Expect
Although the furthest farm from Roanoke, Back Home on the Farm crams a lot into one visit, with a corn maze and pumpkin patch, climbing walls, obstacle courses, a carousel, farm animals, and a butterfly house. For something a little different, the farm even hosts an old-fashioned country tea.
Experience Tips
- Most activities, including the hayride, work fine with a wheelchair or stroller, though hills and uneven ground pop up in spots.
- Portable toilets with hand-wash stations are scattered around the property, and permanent restrooms sit in the main building.
- A few activities like the pig races are only on weekends.
Frequently Asked Questions About Corn Mazes Near Roanoke
Most open in mid-to late September and run through late October or early November, though a few, like Yoder's Farm and Seamans' Orchard, run on a full-month October schedule.
Jeter Farm, about 20 minutes from downtown Roanoke, offers a corn maze alongside a pumpkin patch, wagon rides, and a barnyard zoo. Layman Family Farms is next, just 30 minutes from downtown.
Admission varies by farm, generally $15 to $25 per person, with many offering free entry for kids age 2 or 3 and under.
Yes, though only a few. Yoder's Farm in Rustburg offers an after-dark maze experience and requires a flashlight, while other farms like Blue Ridge Mountain Maze stay open into the evening for live music and festival activities.
It varies by farm. Some, like Sinkland Farms, have grass and dirt paths most families manage fine with a stroller, while others, like Blue Ridge Mountain Maze, note that small-wheeled strollers can struggle with the terrain. Worth checking each farm's accessibility notes before you go.
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