New York may be better known for its skyscrapers, offices, high-end shopping and flashy apartments, but the area also has some really lovely orchards and farms that are a perfect destination for a nice family outing in fall.
You can simply ditch the smartphones and iPads for the day and bask in quality time with one another, making happy memories.
In New York, the apple picking season starts in September and continues right the way through October.
In this article, I’m delighted to tell you all about the best spots in New York for apple picking, and fruit picking in general.
Quick Tip
But before I delve into the details, I just want to give you a quick tip – please be sure to check the website of any apple-picking spot you want to visit, just in case the opening times, or other details have changed since this article was written.
And without further ado, let me share the details of my favorite New York apple-picking spots with you!. Here goes!
(The following apple-picking spots aren’t listed in any particular order.)
Situated in New York’s Hudson Valley, Love Apple Farm has been proudly serving the community for well over 50 years. The farm spans 80 acres and is open all year round.
They have dedicated U-Pick orchards for apple picking, and you may also find various berries, peaches and plums as well when they’re in season. Their fruit picking typically runs from July through October.
If you decide to go, you simply have to check out the bakery’s apple cider donuts – they’re amazing!
Other baked goods available include pies, cookies, croissants and sweet treats. And there’s also a Grab 2 Go Home menu (sometimes you can eat in) featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and more. You can order online for curbside delivery.
There is also a farm zoo and playground. And they occasionally hold events, such as kids’ day, so that might be something you want to look into if you’re interested.
Location: 9 Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell JCT, NY 12533
Fishkill farms have been in the Morgenthau family for over 100 years, and is 270 acres wide. They grow organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs all year round.
Their pick-your-own fruit offering starts in the summer and runs for several months. But fruit picking is by reservation only, which you can do on their website.
Their apple season starts when summer apples begin ripening as early as mid-August. And if you head there for apple picking during fall, you will also find pumpkins there as well.
If you’re a fan of cider, you may also be interested in reserving their cider tastings, which run all year round. And while there, you can treat yourself to a nice brunch.
The Soon’s family orchard has been around for over a hundred years. They offer tours and events, and they have a farm store where you can buy produce, baked goods, cider and more.
They also have The Tap Room at Orchard Hill Cider Mill, where you can taste Soons Sweet Cider’s Cool Cousin, an award-winning pommeau (think apple brandy), and of course cider as well. It’s also a great place to grab a bite to eat.
Their apple picking runs for one weekend a year only, specifically on Labor Day weekend. And if you’re interested, you can also pick peaches there in August, or pumpkins in September.
Their rows of apple trees run 700 feet long. They have a great variety of apples that they grow, including the likes of gala and golden delicious apples.
There’s a very informative FAQ section about apple picking on their website.
Location: 169 State Route 94 South Warwick, NY 10990
Situated just 3 miles south of the historic town of Warwick, Pennings Orchard offers scenic vistas that are perfect for making memories. They have 15 different varieties of apples available for visitors to pick.
Although reservations are not required, it’s best to ring up beforehand to check on how the crop is doing for the varieties of apples that you’re interested in picking.
They offer group field trips which include a hayride, seeing farm animals in the barn, 5 pounds of apples, a fun kiddie maze, and a play area as well.
They have a very informative website, explaining the best way to pick apples, how best to store them, and how you can use them to make delicious recipes.
Location: 1335 White Hill Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Just an hour north of New York City, Wilkens Farm, which has been around for well over a century, grows a variety of crops, which includes a wide variety of apples, pumpkins, and peaches, that you can come and pick yourself.
It’s particularly good for apple picking because they have 13 different varieties of apples to choose from. Their website lays out when each of the varieties are ripe for picking.
All between September and October. There’s also a further 8 varieties of apple that you can buy from their farm market.
There’s also a fun corn maze, and you can choose a real Christmas tree to take home. There is also a winery, and there are 3 shops there, a bakery, an apple farm market, and a gift shop called the country market.
Location: 62 Granite Springs Road, Granite Springs, NY
Stuart’s Fruit Farm is a lovely place situated roughly an hour away from New York City. It began as a cattle farm as far back as 1828, but later evolved into an agricultural farm instead.
It grows flowers, vegetables, fruit and even Christmas trees as well. It grows a staggering 21 varieties of apples, and from September through to November, the public are invited to come and pick their own.
It also has its own market and bakery, where you can buy various produce and baked goods, such as apple cider donuts.
They also offer school tours throughout September and October, where children can learn about apple growing, pick their own apples and pumpkins, and have a free apple to eat.
Described as Hudson Valley’s most scenic and rustic pick your own orchard and pumpkin patch, it’s a mere 50 miles from New York City, and is a great place to visit for a family fun day.
There are 19 varieties of apple to choose from that ripen at different times from early September through to late October. You don’t even have to make a reservation.
In addition to apple picking, there’s also peach and pumpkin picking as well. And you get to have tractor rides, meet farm animals, and check out their honey bee observation hive. They even host a spooky movie night and a night of lights.
There’s a farm stand that offers the likes of fresh pressed apple cider, homemade apple cider donuts, and raw honey. You can also grab a bite to eat at BP BBQ.
Originally operating as a cattle farm, in 1998, Greig Farm was converted to an agricultural park, and their old dairy barns have been opened to several local entrepreneurs to set up shop here.
Here, the community is welcome to enjoy scenic farm trails and pick seasonal fruits and vegetables. Visitors can pick their own asparagus, strawberries, snap peas, blueberries, apples, blackberries and pumpkins.
Their apple picking season runs from the end of August through to the end of October, and there are 11 varieties of apples to choose from.
There are farm trails, a koi pond, goats to feed, and a farm market and café that’s perfect for foodies.
Prospect Hill Orchards is situated on the westside of the Hudson River, and has been around for over 200 years and through the lives of seven generations.
And if perhaps you’re looking for an apple picking experience with the greatest variety of apples to pick, then this is the perfect place, since there are a staggering 30 varieties of apples there to pick.
They do fun kids days, and they host the Johnny Appleseed Cider Fest, with cider pressing, scarecrow building and scavenger hunts.
Prospect Hills actually has 3 locations for apple-picking, namely Homestead Farm at Prospect Hill, The Hilltop Farm at Prospect Hill, and Clarke’s Family Farm.
Location: 130 Hardscrabble Road, North Salem, NY 10560
This is a lovely family owned and operated farm, where there are not only apples to pick, but also farm animals to visit.
Apple lovers can take a stroll through their hilltop orchard, enjoy live country music, apple cider donuts, pumpkin picking, and barbecue food, too.
They host a wealth of events, including an annual Easter egg hunt, several pick-your-own events, pizza nights, and live music. It’s a great place for kids events, since there are school tours, nature-based workshops, and much more.
It’s also the home of Hardscrabble Cider, a micro farm cidery, that serves of variety of great drinks and food.
Location: 3810 Middle Country Rd, Calverton, NY 11933
Windy Acres Orchard is a family owned and operated farm, where the owner is a 5th generation farmer who specializes in growing produce for the public to pick their own.
Apples are just one form of produce available for the public to pick, but they also have a great range of berries as well, including the likes of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and gooseberries.
And that’s not all, you can also pick peaches, pumpkins, grapes, nectarines, sour cherries and grapes. You can also pick sunflowers and run around their corn maze.
This lovely you-pick produce farm is exactly as the title describes it – cheerful!
And it’s not just for apple picking – you can also have fun picking out your favorites in a broad range of produce, including the likes of tomatoes, cherries, sweet pepper, cucumbers, grapes, peaches, green beans, and jalapeños.
The Dr. Davies farm has been running since as far back as 1836. There are 27 different varieties of apples for you to pick together, spread across 65 acres of land.
And unlike most other pick-your-own apple farms and orchards, their apple picking runs through to late November! But please note, reservations are required.
You will also find some great produce for sale at their farm stand, which is open every day.
They offer fun group trips, where students can hide in the corn maze, pick pumpkins, enjoy hayrides and donuts, and more besides!
Lewin farms is a family farm now in its fourth generation, and was the first ever pick-your-own-farm on Long Island.
In addition to apple picking, there are a great many other fruits and veg you can pick there too, such as pumpkins, broccoli, cabbage, watermelon, eggplant, and even Christmas trees.
The apple picking opportunity there lasts from late August and all the way through October, and occasionally longer still. And this coincides with the availability of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and pumpkins to pick.
Their farm stand is open for Spring, Summer and into October. There you can sample their produce and baked goods.
Wrap Up
I hope you ‘ve enjoyed browsing through. I’m sure you’ll agree that you’re absolutely spoiled for choice! Provided the weather stays good for your trip, you’re sure to have a great time whichever farm or orchard you pick.
Hi, my name is Amelia Haslehurt and I am a food blogger. As you can guess, I am passionate about what I eat, but what is most important to me when reviewing is high quality, fresh, organic, delicious ingredients.
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