Darnell Farms — Attraction in Bryson City

This is an awesome place and you should definitely go.

We went in October and they had several really cute fall displays set-up for guests to take photos with (the 2020 displays were better --but 2021 was still really nice). They sell produce, in the fall they sell pumpkins, and have quite a bit of stuff to entertain the kids. They allow guests to fish in the river, have a lot for kids, and great ice cream. They also have a lot of picnic tables so you can pack lunch if you like.

By topic: Admission/Parking: There is no admission charge, parking fee, or anything like that. We went on the hayride for which there was a charge (but I can't remember how much it was (not very much)). There is plenty of parking.

Playground: The farm has an awesome playground: really well-constructed swings (including baby style swings), a small jungle gym, seesaw, a tire swing, and a hollowed out (but alive) tree that kids can play in/around. The playground is really great --and allows parents to sit and enjoy hot chocolate or the Darnell Farm's "dreamwhip" while the kids play. The playground is also right next to a sizeable river providing a beautiful backdrop.

Hayride: My daughter LOVED the hayride. They had a farm tractor pull a long trailer where they had set hay bales to sit on. Our driver (didn't catch his name) was super nice, ensured people boarded and un-boarded safely, went at a safe speed, and ensured everyone had a great time. The hay ride took roughly 30 minutes. It went all around the farm and stopped at their pumpkin patch. My daughter LOVED looking at the variety of pumpkins and we got some awesome photos. The hayride ticket includes picking a pumpkin and taking it with you. Our hayride driver let us stay a little longer here --one of the guests had special needs and was really enjoying the pumpkin patch --and we all really appreciated the employee driver's kindness. The hayride then continued on and unloaded us at the corn maze. It was a little muddy --we went following a rain --so I recommend wearing shoes/boots you don't mind if they get a little dirty. The hayride driver continued (without us) to the other side of the hayride and set our jackets, picked pumpkins, etc., at a table for us when we came out of the corn maze. After the corn maze there was a covered area (similar to a green house) with a slide, hay pile, and little areas with corn kernels that the kids could scoop with provided little toys.

Produce: When we went in October they had a lot of pumpkins. They also provide little wagons to use and my daughter loved riding in the little wagon with all of her pumpkins. They have a lot of produce too and the prices are very reasonable. They also sold jellies, salsas (to include mango salsa!), and other similar things. They also sell "dreamwhips" which are essentially soft serve ice cream mixed with fruit. When we visit the area we always buy our produce here and make a point to visit. Darnell Farm also accepts credit cards --which is great if you want to buy a bunch of produce, dreamwhips, and a hayride.

Employees: All of the employees we met were super friendly. There was a young lady working the register and making the dream whips who was SUPER friendly and super kind.

Music: They also have a small stage where sometimes they have music --they had music when we visited and they were pretty good.

Schools: We've noticed that Darnell Farms opens to some of the local schools for the kids to learn about agriculture, bee keeping, etc. The students all seem to enjoy their visit and were all very well behaved.

I would recommend they improve their bathrooms facilities. Currently, they bathroom facilities consist of port-o-potties and portable sinks. They were clean and the sinks were stocked with soap, paper towels, etc. For changing the baby having a full bathroom would have been really helpful.

We ALWAYS make a point to stop in when we're in the area and ALWAYS have a great time. If you're anywhere near Darnell Farms, and particularly if you have kids, you have to make a point to visit...

We came yesterday with 9 of our family members to get pumpkins with my kids. We arrived and walked into the building to get tickets to ride the tractor ride to get the pumpkins and they charged $22 for my 3 year old to ride which is the same price as an adult which I thought was ridiculous, the lady who took the money was not easy to understand and was very snappy at us for not understanding why he was full price but we paid $81.28 for me, my husband, our 3 year old and 3 month old to ride.. we waited for the tractor and got on with our family of 9. There was approximately 20 people on the wagon that took us to the patch. We got our pumpkins and on our way back there is a field right beside the handicap parking behind the massive orange pumpkin inflatable ,when the tractor driver whose initials are MH took us and started cutting donuts with us on the wagon. We had no way to hold on to our children which like I said were 3 months old and 3 years old. There was also another baby on the wagon who could barely sit up and 2 other kids a little older not over 6 I’d say. The tractor driver went around about 4 times in a figure 8 sliding us back and forth on the seats with enough acceleration we did not know which way we were headed. Each round he would go faster and I just knew the wagon was going to tip. If it had, there would have been no way for us to keep our children and ourselves from getting seriously hurt. I think if they are comfortable doing things like that, they should ask the paying customer if that’s something they are comfortable with before just throwing us around. We are hesitant to return because of the outrageous price for children to get a pumpkin and then drive wreck-less with everyone was a little much. There was only one person who acted like they enjoyed it but all the rest were not happy and wanted off. Just thought someone should know because we weren’t expecting it...

Always an awesome culinary AND culturally rich experience. Every season has so much to offer, and this local family run destination is where ALL the locals get fresh produce, entertainment, refreshments---all things authentic to the area. AND they make deliveries as well, but trust me, there is nothing better than visiting in person if the opportunity is presented. This is agri-tourism at its finest, and I drive from a county away just to get to see the farm at work & to feast my eyes on the stunning array of choice produce, mountain-made jellies, jams, preserves, butters, relishes, honeys, and the best quality locally harvested home-grown goodness on the planet. It's actually a feast for all the senses, but the taste speaks for itself. Sure, you'll be doing them a favor by contributing to the viability of this local agricultural business (which we all know is absolutely critical), and that's a GREAT benefit, but you will get additional satisfaction in the nostalgic ambiance and wholesome flavors that make me proud to be a local and a returning customer every chance I get. In fact, I'm getting my shoes on & heading over...