Fall in Los Angeles runs warm and dry, with September highs in the low 80s°F and thinner crowds once summer ends. The season packs in Halloween haunts, Día de los Muertos, pumpkin patches, beach days, and Thanksgiving, all under some of the most comfortable sightseeing weather of the year.
In most of the country, fall means sweaters, raking leaves, and shorter days. In Los Angeles, it means warm beach afternoons, haunted mazes and Día de los Muertos processions, pumpkin patches under an 80-degree sun, and the city’s icons without the summer crowds. There’s plenty to do this season, and it’s one of the easier times of year to get around the city.
Fall in LA crams a lot into three months, so this guide is sorted by category, letting you jump straight to the part that fits your trip. You’ll get the full Halloween rundown, the cultural events worth planning a night around, where to find pumpkins and a little fall color, the best beach and hiking days of the year, and what to expect if your trip lands over Thanksgiving. Stick around to the end for the easiest way to see the city’s highlights while you’re here.
More than 20,000 five-star reviews in, we still don’t take it for granted when people hand us an afternoon of their trip. We’re the local guides who show you LA’s icons the easy way, with someone else handling the driving, the parking, and the stories along the route.
Whether you’ve got a spare 2 hours or a full 7.5-hour day, we have the perfect tour for it. Browse our tours and find your fit.
Table of Contents
- What Fall Is Like in Los Angeles
- Halloween in Los Angeles
- Día de los Muertos and Fall Culture in LA
- Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Fall Color
- Fall Beaches, Hikes and Outdoor Days
- Thanksgiving in Los Angeles
- Seeing LA’s Highlights in the Fall
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Fall Is Like in Los Angeles
Fall in Los Angeles means warm days, cool evenings, and fewer people at the big attractions. For the weather alone, it’s a favorite time of year to go to Los Angeles, a lot like spring in Los Angeles. Here’s what to expect from the weather and the crowds:
Fall Weather in LA
Spring and fall bring LA’s mildest, driest stretches, and fall gives you some of the best weather of the year for being outdoors.
- September and October: Warm and dry, with highs often in the low 80s°F and clear skies.
- Santa Ana winds: Hot, dry gusts blow in from the inland deserts and can spike the temperature for a few days at a time.
- The ocean: Still warm enough for a swim well into October.
- November: Cooler and a little greener, with the first real chance of rain later in the month.
As summer in LA winds down, September and October land among the best months of the year for warm, dry days, an ideal time to be outside. For a month-by-month guide to weather and crowds, our guide to the best time to visit Los Angeles covers every season.
What to Pack for Fall in LA
The weather swings between warm afternoons and cool evenings, especially near the coast, so layers do the job:
- A light jacket or sweater for evenings and coastal breezes
- Sunscreen and sunglasses, since the fall sun still packs a punch, especially on Santa Ana days
- Comfortable shoes for the Walk of Fame, the markets, and the trails
- A swimsuit if you’re hitting the beach in September or October
Fewer Crowds After Labor Day
Once Labor Day passes, the summer crowds ease off and the big attractions feel far less packed than they do in the summer months. Hotel and flight prices tend to drop in September and October, which makes fall a good-value window. The exception is Thanksgiving week, when crowds and prices jump again, so book early if that’s your timing.
Halloween in Los Angeles
Los Angeles takes Halloween seriously, and it’s one of the best things to do in Los Angeles in the fall. The range runs from movie-set-quality scream parks to pumpkin trails you can bring a five-year-old to, and the city’s seasonal events keep coming through the end of the month. Here’s how the Halloween events break down:
Universal Studios and Other Theme Park Haunts
The big theme-park events are the headliners of the season, and each has its own flavor. They sell out on peak nights, so grab your tickets early:
- Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood: Haunted houses that immerse you in movie-quality scares, plus scare zones and the Terror Tram on select nights from September into early November. It’s a separately ticketed event and not recommended for children under 13.
- Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park: Running since 1973, this is the longest-running Halloween theme-park event in Southern California, with around ten mazes and more than a thousand monsters in the fog. Recommended for ages 13 and up.
- Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia): Roller coasters in the dark plus mazes and scare zones, about 40 minutes north of Hollywood.
- Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort (Anaheim): The family-friendly pick, with seasonal rides and attractions and the separate-ticket Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure.
For current dates and lineups across all of them, the Discover Los Angeles Halloween guide keeps a running list.
Haunted Places: Hayrides, Mazes and Immersive Scares
Away from the theme parks, the scares get more local and more varied. These rank among the best haunted attractions in the area:
- Los Angeles Haunted Hayride: A wagon ride and haunted attractions on the old zoo grounds in Griffith Park.
- Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor: Mazes and hidden speakeasies across the decks of the retired ocean liner in Long Beach.
- Night of the Jack: A walk-through trail of thousands of hand-carved, illuminated jack-o’-lanterns at King Gillette Ranch near Calabasas, and it’s family-friendly.
- Immersive haunted theater: LA’s live, walk-through horror productions put you inside the story instead of watching it. These change year to year, so check what’s running before you book.
Family-Friendly Halloween Attractions
Plenty of the season’s family-friendly activities are built for younger kids:
- Carved at Descanso Gardens (La Cañada Flintridge): A mile-long evening trail of illuminated jack-o’-lanterns and light displays, gentle enough for all ages.
- Pumpkin patches across Los Angeles County (more on those below).
- Boo at the L.A. Zoo: The zoo runs a family Halloween event most years, with décor, crafts, and trick-or-treating.
Discover LA keeps a family-friendly Halloween list that’s handy if you’re traveling with kids.
The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval
On Halloween night, one of the largest Halloween events in the world takes over Santa Monica Boulevard. The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval closes more than a mile of the boulevard for costumes, DJs, food, and hundreds of thousands of revelers, and it’s free to walk right into. It skews adult and gets crowded, so it’s a leave-the-kids-at-home kind of night.
Día de los Muertos and Fall Culture in LA
Fall in LA isn’t only about scares. Some of the season’s best events are about food, music, and remembrance.
Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever
The Día de los Muertos festival (also written Dia de los Muertos) at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the largest Day of the Dead celebration outside Mexico, held on a Saturday in late October. It’s a ticketed event, and costumes and face painting are part of the tradition. Expect:
- More than a hundred hand-built ofrendas (altars) honoring loved ones
- Aztec dancers in full regalia leading a ceremonial procession
- Live music, food vendors, and art across the historic grounds
For a first-time visitor, it’s one of the most striking cultural experiences the city puts on all year.
Downtown LA has another option. Olvera Street, near Union Station, hosts its own Día de los Muertos celebration each fall, with a nightly procession and altars in the historic plaza.
Oktoberfest, Rooftop Bars and a Festive Fall
Beer halls and breweries across LA run Oktoberfest celebrations through September and October, with live music and long tables of sausages and steins. Fall is also when the city’s arts and culture season kicks back into gear, from gallery openings to concerts, and the mild evenings make it prime time for the city’s rooftop bars before winter cools things off.
Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Fall Color
If your idea of fall involves hayrides, cider, and a little color on the trees, LA can do it, though you sometimes have to drive a bit for the good stuff.
Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes
- Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch: A longtime favorite close to the city and easy to fold into a trip.
- Underwood Family Farms (Moorpark): The full farm experience with a corn maze, tractor rides, and animals, worth the drive out, and it doubles as a berry farm earlier in the year.
- Local farms across Los Angeles County set up smaller patches through October.
Fall Color Around Los Angeles County
LA doesn’t do dramatic fall foliage the way New England does, and it’s better to know that going in. What you get is pockets:
- Descanso Gardens, the Huntington, and the L.A. County Arboretum, all botanical gardens, show some seasonal color and are easy day visits.
- Angeles National Forest climbs high enough for real autumn color on a scenic drive.
- Oak Glen, up in the San Bernardino Mountains, is the classic fall day trip for apple picking and the best colors in the region.
- Echo Park Lake and its swan boats make for a calm, pretty afternoon closer in.
For even more seasonal ideas, our LA fall bucket list rounds them up.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Farmers Markets
The Original Farmers Market at The Grove is a good stop any time of year, and fall brings seasonal produce and a festive feel to the stalls. Coffee shops citywide roll out pumpkin spice lattes, and the farmers markets scattered across the city lean into squash, cider, and late-harvest fruit. It’s an easy way to feel the season without leaving town.
Fall Beaches, Hikes and Outdoor Days
The warm, dry weather is the real gift of an LA fall, and it makes the outdoor activities some of the best on the calendar.
The Best Beaches for a Fall Day
The ocean holds its summer warmth into October, and with the peak crowds gone, the beaches feel roomy again. From Santa Monica and Malibu to Venice, these are some of the best places for a fall beach day:
- Santa Monica: The pier, the wide beach, and easy access from the rest of the city.
- Venice: The boardwalk, the canals, and the skate scene at a calmer fall pace.
- Malibu: Quieter coves and a scenic Pacific Coast Highway drive once the summer traffic clears. Our Malibu day trip guide maps out the coast, and if you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, our 2-hour Malibu open-air tour cruises up the coast from the Santa Monica Visitor Center & Cafe.
If you’re deciding where to lay down a towel, our guide to the best beaches near Los Angeles breaks down the coast.
The Best Hiking and Hollywood Sign Views
Cooler mornings make fall one of the better times for a hike:
- Runyon Canyon: A short, steep climb above the Hollywood Hills with city views up top.
- Griffith Park: Miles of trails and some of the best angles for the hike to the Hollywood Sign.
- Griffith Observatory: A great Sign view plus the planetarium and skyline, right in the middle of the park.
For more trails around the city, our best hikes in Los Angeles guide has the full list.
Thanksgiving in Los Angeles
If your fall trip stretches into late November, Thanksgiving in LA has its own rhythm, and it’s the start of the city’s slide into the holidays.
What Thanksgiving Week Looks Like
Thanksgiving week is one of the busier, pricier windows of the fall, so book flights and hotels ahead. Most major attractions stay open through the long weekend, and the city starts shifting into festive mode, with holiday lights going up around Rodeo Drive and The Grove by the end of the month.
Things to Do Over the Long Weekend
Turkey Trot fun runs kick off Thanksgiving morning across the region, and the shopping districts get busy right after. For where to eat and what’s on, our Thanksgiving in Los Angeles guide covers the weekend, and our LA holiday events guide picks up as the city rolls into December.
Seeing LA’s Highlights in the Fall
With all this spread across a city that’s famously hard to get around, the last piece is figuring out how to actually see it.
How to Go Around Los Angeles Without a Car
LA’s attractions sit far apart, and the traffic and parking between them eat into a short trip fast. Plenty of visitors skip the rental car altogether. Our guide to getting around Los Angeles without a car lays out the options, and if you’re still shaping your days, the first-time LA itinerary guide helps you fit the pieces together.
The Easy Way to See the Icons
Fall’s warm, dry afternoons are made for sightseeing, and covering the top sights in one trip beats stitching them together yourself. Our sightseeing tours in Los Angeles are among the easiest fall activities in Los Angeles to slot into a trip.
- Our Half Day Best of LA Tour runs 5.5 hours on a climate-controlled coach through Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, the Santa Monica Pier, The Grove, and Griffith Observatory, with free time to explore at each stop.
- The 2-hour Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Homes Open Air Tour rolls through Hollywood, the Hills, and Beverly Hills in the open air, with a local guide and the celebrity neighborhoods cameras-ready.
Both leave your evenings free for a Halloween event or a rooftop dinner. However you spend the season, the warm days make the City of Angels easy to enjoy. Browse our tours and pick the one that fits your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fall in Los Angeles
What is the weather like in Los Angeles in the fall?
Fall in LA is warm and dry. September highs often reach the low 80s°F, and clear conditions usually hold through October before cooling gradually in November. This is also Santa Ana wind season, which can push temperatures up for a few days at a time. Rain stays rare into early fall.
Is fall a good time to visit Los Angeles?
Fall is a popular time to visit. The summer crowds thin out after Labor Day, hotel and flight prices tend to ease in September and October, and the weather stays warm enough for the beach. The main exception is Thanksgiving week, when crowds and prices spike, so book ahead if that’s your window.
What are the best Halloween events in Los Angeles?
The headline Halloween events include Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, and Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach for scares, plus the free West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval on October 31. For families, Carved at Descanso Gardens and local pumpkin patches are gentler picks.
When is Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever?
The Día de los Muertos festival at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is usually held on a Saturday in late October. It’s a ticketed event and the largest Day of the Dead celebration outside Mexico, featuring more than a hundred altars, Aztec dancers, live music, food, and art.
Are there pumpkin patches in Los Angeles?
Yes. Pumpkin patches set up across Los Angeles County through October, from Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch close to the city to full farm experiences like Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, which adds a corn maze and tractor rides.
Can you see fall foliage in Los Angeles?
Not in a dramatic way. LA doesn’t get the sweeping color of the East Coast, but you’ll find pockets at Descanso Gardens, the Huntington, and the Los Angeles County Arboretum. For real autumn color and apple picking, Oak Glen in the San Bernardino Mountains is the go-to fall day trip.
What is there to do in LA over Thanksgiving?
Most major attractions stay open, Turkey Trot runs happen Thanksgiving morning, and holiday lights start going up around Rodeo Drive and The Grove by late November. Expect bigger crowds and higher prices that week, so plan and book early.
What should I pack for a fall trip to Los Angeles?
Layers are the key. Afternoons stay warm while evenings turn cool, especially near the coast, so bring a light jacket, sunscreen and sunglasses for the strong daytime sun, comfortable walking shoes, and a swimsuit if you’re visiting in September or October.
What’s the best way to see LA’s highlights in the fall?
Fall’s warm, dry weather makes it a comfortable time to cover the icons in one trip. A guided sightseeing tour handles the driving, parking, and navigation for you, so a half-day tour can take in Beverly Hills, the Santa Monica Pier, The Grove, and Griffith Observatory without renting a car.
