It’s time to plan a day trip or a road trip to one of the many pick your own apple orchards in our area, and load up on our great selection of NC grown fruit.  Obviously this is a wonderful family trip, or extended family / groups of families trip. It is also a fun & different date trip, if you plan out the rest of your stay well. Since we know you need more scoop than just the apple picking, we’ve also included tips on places explore in some of our favorite towns near the orchards.

Near Charlotte & Lake Norman…

Patterson Farm

3060 Millbridge Road. China Grove, NC 28023
Picking Season: Mid-September through Mid-October, Hours 9am-5pm
Call for Conditions: 440-729-1964

On Saturdays and Sundays you can hop on a wagon and ride out to the orchards for your favorite variety and pick as many as you like – just a few to eat or bushels to store for winter. During the week you can pick your own apples as well but you will be directed to the orchard where you will walk to the trees loaded with ripe apples.

Carrigan Farms

1261 Oak Ridge Farm Highway. Mooresville, NC 28115
Picking Season: September 11 to Mid-October
Call for Conditions: 704-664-1450

Stop by for hayrides by day or night, pick your own crops such as apples, strawberries and pumpkins, or arrange to take your child’s class on a field trip. Make a reservation for a hayride during the months of September, October or November. Night time hayrides are on the hour from 6:00pm until 10:00pm. Look at the checklist below for what you should bring to your hayride:

• Hot Dog Sticks or Straightened Clothes Hangers
• Mustard, Ketchup, Coleslaw, Chili (should be in a thermos)
• Quilts, Jackets, Coats
• Card Table (for buffet style hot dog fixin’)
• Drinks (hot drinks should be in a thermos to stay warm)
• Hot Dog Buns
• Eating Utensils, Napkins, Handi-Wipes
• Potato Chips, Marshmallows
• Lantern/Flashlight

Road Trip Pickin…

Sky Top Orchards

1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd. Zirconia, NC 28731
Picking Season 2016: Mid August to late October, Hours 9am to 6pm
Call for Conditions: 828-692-7930

Take the quick 90 minute drive to Flat Rock and up to Skytop Orchards for a true North Carolina fall experience. Take their  advice and arrive early, it will be like you have the mountain all to yourself.  Between the views, famous apple cider donuts and apple cider, farmer’s stand and petting zoo, a visit to Skytop is a full day of fall favorites.  And thanks to their easy downloadable map, you can even plan which types of apples will be ready for you when you visit. Sky Top’s U-Pick season typically runs from opening day in August until the end of October. Be sure to check their picking schedule page to make sure we are still offering u-pick when you plan your visit.

Make a day of it:

Explore nearby Flat Rock with its kid-friendly finds:

• Flat Rock Cinema
• Flat Rock Playhouse
• Carl Sandburg Home Historic Site.

Or, if you’re grown persons only,  here for a day date,

• Shop Little Rainbow Row
• Wander through The Studios at Flat Rock
• Try dinner at Season’s at Highland Lake
• Top off the day with a sweet treat from Flat Rock Village Bakery

Apple Hill Orchard

2075 Pleasant Hill Ave. Morganton, NC 28655
Picking Season:  August 13th- Late October
Call for Conditions: 828-437-1224

Back in 1955, Apple Hill Orchard started growing apples just south of Morganton.  Since then, the Pre­witt family has seen it grow to include a cider mill, a coun­try store, you pick apples, edu­ca­tional and group tours, and even a bak­ery.  The beautiful orchards are best viewed from one of their Saturday Wagon Tours, which start at 10:30 am and run every 15 minutes.  Be sure to view what’s in season with their Harvest Calendar before your trip.  Apple Hill produces several 600 gallon batches of cider each year, and its country store and bakery are filled to the brim with fresh apple treats.

Make a day of it:

Take advantage of the beautiful scenery and nearby wineries with:

• A hike to nearby Linville Falls
• Linville Falls Winery
• Fonta Flora Brewery
• Silver Fork Winery

For the kids, adventure over to

• The Museum of North Carolina Minerals
• Spruce Pine Gem Mine.

Historic Orchard at Altapass

1025 Orchard Rd. Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Picking Season: Early July to Mid-October, Starting September 11, 10am-6pm
Call for Conditions: 828-765-9531

Make a pit stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway to pick apples by the peck or half peck (say that five times fast) at the Historic Orchard at Altapass. This Orchard has a ton of history, dating back over 100 years, trails, programs and plenty of apples. Once you’re done picking, stick around for one of their live music shows offered on the weekends. Keep up with their website for a full list of events and to see which types of apples are ripe for picking.

Hendersonville….

Now you’re in Apple Country. Make a day of it in Hendersonville when you visit any of these orchards:

Venture into Hendersonville, where the kids will love:

• Elijah Mountain Gem Mine
• The Western North Carolina Aviation Museum.

If you’re with the girls or a date, try:

• A wine tour by trolley, or
• Needful Things Antique Mall.

In Asheville, soak up the colorful views  and good eats at:

• Blue Ridge Parkway, or
• A tour of the Biltmore Estate
• Wicked Weed Brewing.

Coston Farm and Apple House

3748 Chimney Rock Rd. Hendersonville, NC 28792
Picking Season: Now to Late October, Monday through Saturday 8am-5:30pm and Sundays 11am until 5:30pm
Call for Conditions: 828-685-8352

The Coston family has been managing their property, which includes a U-pick orchard, country store, fresh produce and pumpkins, bakery and gift shop for over 30 years. Most orchard sites have a handy APPLE RIPENING SCHEDULE, with approximate dates by variety, in case you have a favorite or two or ten. Once you’ve picked all you can pick, many websites offer recipes for all those apples.

Stepp Farm’s Hillcrest Orchard

170 Stepp Orchard Dr. Hendersonville, NC 28792
Picking Season: Early August to Mid-Late October, Hours 9am to 5pm
Call for Conditions: 828-685-9083

There’s plenty to do at Stepp Farm’s Orchard: hop on a group educational farm tour, take a wagon ride, pick your own apples and more. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, make your way to their Country Market to shop their fresh selection of gifts and treats, including apple cider and apple butter. Pack a picnic for a scenic lunch.

Grandad’s Apples

2951 Chimney Rock Road. Hendersonville, NC 28792
Picking Season: Early August through Mid-October, Hours 9am-5pm
Call for Conditions: 828-685-1685

Visit Grandad’s for the day and enjoy a variety of fun activities on a 80 acre family farm located in Hendersonville NC near Asheville. Select pre-picked apples fresh off the trees daily from bins inside the store or venture out in the orchard to pick for yourself. In Grandad’s pumpkin patch you will find pumpkins and jack o’lanterns in every size and shape. At Grandad’s Barn and Country Store, you will find a great selection of fall harvest decorations, apple peelers, apple bakers, and other apple gifts.  And of course apple turnovers, apple bread, caramel apples, cider slushes and hot cider.

Lyda Farms

3465 Chimney Rock Road. Hendersonville, NC 28792
Picking Season: Mid-August to Late November
Call for Conditions: 828-685-3459

Beginning in mid-August, early varieties of crisp, tasty Hendersonville NC Apples, such as Fuji, Gala, Ozark, and Gingergold are available. By Labor Day, Red and Golden Delicious apple varieties are available just in time for the NC Apple Festival. In early October, Rome Beauty, Granny Smith, Stayman Winesap and Fuji apples are available. The farm has family fun activities, including a self-guided tour around the barnyard to observe farm animals in a working farm setting, as well as an authentic fresh fruit and vegetable roadside market.

Justus Orchard

187 Garren Road. Hendersonville, NC 28792
Picking Season: Mid-August to early November
Call for Conditions: 828-243-2420

The Justus Family has been growing delicious NC Apples in Hendersonville for more than Four Generations. You can tour the orchard picking apples, stop by the pond to see the ducks, visit the farm animals, let the kids take a ride on the Cow Train through the orchard, visit Apple House for pre-picked Apples, Honey, Jams, Jellies and Preserves and other homemade goodies.  Visit the Bakery which offers homemade Fried Apple Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Apple Cider, Cider Slushies, Caramels, Apple Bread and more. You can also find fresh Mountain Cabbage, Hot Boiled Peanuts and a selection of fresh local vegetables.