Skip to main content
Fall is here and—for many Portlanders—it couldn’t come soon enough. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief as that relentless sun is smothered by gray clouds and rain.
If you’re looking to strut beneath autumnal clouds and celebrate the seasonal change, look no further than Sauvie Island and its collection of corn mazes. Autumnal zest is deeply programmed into these places. Around every corner lie fields of hot apple cider, hay rides and pick-your-own pumpkin patches.
At the center of these is the corn maze, which—if done correctly—should create a looming sense of disorientation, a twinge of impending doom, and a test of your mental fortitude among the tall stalks.
For the purposes of this review, we took on three of the island’s best known mazes.
First up is Bella Organic, a maze with geographic advantage—it’s the first farm you’ll see as you make the turn on Northwest Gillihan Road. It was by far the busiest, with families and a school field trip pouring in to pick their jack-o’-lanterns.
Bring cash. Bella is the only maze of the three we reviewed that doesn’t accept cards for food or maze tickets.
From the sky, the farm’s maze reads “United Against Hate.” You might have to unite against your own hate as—despite receiving a map upon your entrance—you will find yourself quickly turned around. A bit of rage-peaking as you retrace your steps through the word “Hate” is perfectly customary.
Despite a tremendous amount of cheating—making small cuts through the corn—this maze took the longest time to traverse. Bella’s maze is also the only one we reviewed that allows dogs. But if you decide to bring your pooch, make sure they can wait patiently while the aforementioned families and teens stop to take selfies.
Bella Organic, 16205 NW Gillihan Road, bellaorganic.com 9 am-6 pm Monday-Friday, 9 am-10 pm Saturday-Sunday, through Nov. 1. $6 for youths and seniors, $8 for adults, cash only.
This year, The Maize at the Pumpkin Patch is shaped in honor of the 90th anniversary of the St. Johns Bridge. It’s extremely organized and has checkpoints throughout so you can mark your progress.
Strangely there’s a trivia component to this maze. Each sign poses questions related to a sheet you hopefully picked up at the entrance. Out of numerous trivia subject choices, you may choose to answer questions about U.S. history, such as: “How many people lost their lives due to 9/11?”
The Maize at the Pumpkin Patch is the cleanest we visited. Nets hold corn back from the neat, planned paths, which make it a lot less hard to get lost in.
Still, you may get caught behind a couple trying to have a fun fall date. Pay no attention to their looks over their shoulders. You are simply following your path. If they want privacy, there are a ton of little offshoots to canoodle in.
The Maize at the Pumpkin Patch, 16511 NW Gillihan Road, portlandmaize.com. 9 am-6 pm Sunday-Thursday, 9 am-10 pm Friday-Saturday, through Oct. 31. $6 for youths and seniors, $8 for adults.
At our last maze—at Topaz Farm—the ticket seller warned, “It’s real muddy in there.” That’s also how we would describe the Topaz Farm maze. If pressed, we might further elaborate that it certainly gives you the feeling that, yes, you are indeed trudging through a field of corn. Even the image of the maze is three half-shucked ears of corn, but unless you’re prepared for the slop, you’re probably not making it to all the checkpoints.
Topaz Farm, 17100 NW Sauvie Island Road, topazfarm.com. 10 am-6 pm Tuesday-Friday, 9 am-6 pm Saturday-Sunday. $5 for youths and seniors, $10 for adults.
Whichever maze you choose, you won’t completely lose sight of our modern times. Masks are required, even outdoors—a mandate somewhat followed by visitors once inside the tall stalks. But whether you’ve got a date, a family outing, or you’re just three goth kids picking out the best pumpkin to carve 666 into, strap on your rain boots and hit the mazes for a seasonally good time.