The Best Places To Go Apple-Picking In New England
It's that time of year again. We're pulling our warmest sweaters out of storage, craving soups and stews, and thinking about the holiday season. Before we deck our halls, though, it's time to celebrate fall in all its colorful glory. This is the time of year for trips to see the fall foliage and celebrate with warm apple cider, golden brown crusted apple pies, and maybe even some apple fritters. You know what that means! It's apple-picking time!
We've got a list of some of the best places to go apple-picking in New England for you in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Before we get to that, keep these tips in mind: Rest the fruit in the palm of your hand, with your thumb at the base of the stem, then gently twist and lift up instead of pulling down. Don't store bruised apples with unbruised ones or they'll all go bad faster. Make sure to keep them refrigerated when you get home with your apple haul, and keep those stems on. They'll stay fresher for longer. One thing to note: Most of these places don't allow pets, so check beforehand. Happy fall, everyone!
Connecticut
First up, Connecticut. The Averill Farm orchard in Washington Depot has quite a history. It's been in the same family for 10 generations, since 1746. In addition to apples, you can grab some pumpkins, cider from the farm's own orchard, jams, jellies, and even some yummy apple cider doughnuts. They're open rain or shine.
Bishop's Orchards in Guilford is open for apple-picking from late August to late October, and they have a whopping 20 types of apples to grab. If you visit on the weekend, you can take a tractor wagon ride. The season crosses over with their pumpkin-picking season, so if you're a pie aficionado, this is a great place to start. They have peaches, berries, and pears at other times of the year as well.
Lyman Orchards in Middlefield was voted Connecticut's Best Pick-Your-Own Farm by CT Magazine as well as one of the top 10 places to pick apples in the country! The place has been around since 1741, and their season runs through mid-November. The apples here are Eco-certified, and there are 30,000 trees with 27 varieties.
Rose Orchards in North Branford has been in the family for 11 generations, since the 1600s! You can pick your own apples, visit corn and hay mazes, pick pumpkins, and grab some ice cream and pies. They also have a creamery, so while you're there, you can purchase some custard to make some pie à la mode with those apples.
Maine
In Maine, Cayford Orchards in Skowhegan grows 57 types of apples, and unlike many places, they charge by the bag instead of the pound, so there are no surprises when you get to the scale. They've also got fresh cider. In early October you can grab some Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Johnathan or Macoun, and in the middle of the month you can pick Ida Red, Northern Spy, and Red Delicious. (Forget the ones you got at school. Red Delicious apples are fantastic right off the tree.)
Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick was voted No. 1 best apple orchard by USA Today in 2023. They've got apple varieties like Jonagold, McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Empire to pick off the tree, as well as others in a tent. They also have pumpkins and blueberries. You can take shuttle rides, grab kettle corn, coffee, fresh fruit smoothies, and doughnuts. They even have music and a senior discount.
Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner has been around for over two centuries, and features McIntosh, Ginger Gold, Empire, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious. In addition to picking your own apples, the orchard has a hard cider shop, serves apple cider and maple doughnuts, and has a breakfast spot called Maple Sugar Shack, where you can get some breakfast crepes, French toast, and more.
New Hampshire
Washburn's Windy Hill Orchard in Greenville, voted No. 1 apple orchard by WMUR viewers, has everything you need for apple-picking. There are over 700 apple trees on the property. They've got McIntosh, Cortland, Royal Gala, Red Delicious, and Macoun apples. There are also wagons that can take you to their pumpkin patch so you can grab pumpkins as well. There are apple cider doughnuts for sale that you can eat with soft serve ice cream or in a cider doughnut sundae. There is also a corn maze and a gift shop and bakery with cold, frozen, and hot mulled apple cider, warm apple crisp, and homemade apple pies.
Stone Mountain Farm in Belmont has 40 types of apples with high-density orchards, meaning you can pick most of these without ladders. There is a farm stand that is open until Halloween, and on weekends, you can pick your own apples and hit their doughnut truck. For fall picking, the late season apples include Red Cameo, CandyCrisp, Pink Lady, Red Joanaprince, Empire, Spartan, Macoun, Golden Delicious, Aztec Fuji, and Granny Smith.
Carter Hill Orchard in Concord has apples for picking from Labor Day through Indigenous Peoples Day. Later in the season, they have Cortland, Gala, Macoun, Snow Sweet, Crispin, Braeburn, Gibson Golden, Mutsu, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady. The orchard also started New Hampshire Cider Works in 2006, which makes cider with its own hand-picked apples. Don't miss the cider doughnuts, pies, and whoopie pies at their bakery.
Rhode Island
Jaswell's Farm in Smithfield is part of the area's "Apple Valley" and has been around since 1899. Varieties for pick-your-own include Cortland, Empire, and Macoun, and though you can walk in, they recommend you make a reservation. You can also pick pumpkins by the pound. If you're peckish while picking, they have a concession stand, though it's worth calling first to make sure it's open. There's also sunflower picking and a market and bakery with eggs, baked goods, and more. The farm was rated seventh best apple orchard in the country in 2021 by USA Today.
Old Stone Orchard in Little Compton started this high-density orchard in 1988, so you won't have to use ladders much. There are 13 types of apples here, and five types of pumpkins to pick. This is a great choice if you're bringing kids — they have lots of animals around, including ducks, pigs, turkeys, goats, and their elderly beagle named Diesel. You can purchase sunflowers and pears as well.
If visiting animals is your thing, Pippin Orchard in Cranston has friendly goats to pet. You can also grab apple doughnuts and pies, honey, candy apples, cider, syrups and fresh eggs. The orchard covers 17 acres and is environmentally friendly, mulching its own grass instead of adding herbicides or fertilizers. There's no per-person price for apples, and the orchard doesn't weigh what you grab. It charges by the bag, which can hold up to 12 pounds of apples.
Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow has a wide variety of apples for picking (which is updated daily) including Cortland, Macoun, Mutsu, Spartan, Red and Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Empire, Gala, Jonagold, and Ambrosia. There are other varieties in their farm store, as well as peaches, blueberries, and Shiro, Damson, and Stanley plums at different times of the year. There is also a Halloween bash and hayrides all season. You can pick up apple cider doughnuts, explore a "monster maze," and see farm critters (it's not a petting zoo but is still adorable) including mini-ponies, chickens, rabbits, goats, and pigs.
Belkin Family Lookout Farm in South Natick has pick-your-own varieties including Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Cortland, and Jonagold apples. It offers a ticket that includes 5.5 pounds of apples to pick, a 2-acre corn maze, a beer garden, and playground with goats and sheep, peddle tractors, a hedge maze, lawn games, and an apple bounce pad on weekends. It also has an outdoor restaurant with picnic tables with snacks like wagyu hamburgers with porcini bacon jam.
Bolton Spring Farm in Bolton has been around for 87 years and allows you to pick your own McIntosh, Cortland, Ida Red, Rome, Crispin, Spencer, Blushing Gold, and Empire apples, depending on the date. (This orchard is cash only.) There is also a pumpkin patch and a bakery featuring mouthwatering hot apple dumplings, hot apple crisp, and cider spiced doughnuts. It also has a farm stand and a country store.
Vermont
Burtt's Apple Orchard in Cabot has Empire, Golden Delicious, and Pixie Crunch, as well as Ashmead's Kernel, and Pomme Gris. You can grab some pumpkins while you're there as well. Even better? The adults in your group can grab some hard cider on certain days. There are cider doughnuts, of course, and a playground, a golden apple hunt, and a corn maze for the season. Other times of year there are pears, cherries, and elderberries to pick. You can also grab homemade apple cider vinegar, apple cider, and organic maple syrup.
Shelburne Orchards in Shelburne has McIntosh, Liberty, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy, Empire, Fuji, and Mutsu available for picking. Its store has cider doughnuts, apple brandy, apple cider, and pumpkins. It's also home to Dead Bird distillery, which brews its own brandy with apples from the orchard and offers apple brandy tastings on weekends. There's also a taco truck on weekends, and you can even buy apple trees to plant!
Champlain Orchards in Shoreham has raspberries, pears, and 30 apple varieties. If you want to make a full day of it, Champlain has Friday outdoor movie nights in its cider garden, with cider, caramel dipped apples, popcorn, and a 20-foot movie screen. Snack on your apples (and a snack menu with offerings such as heirloom potato leek tarts and charcuterie boards) at the garden's picnic tables, and finish the day roasting marshmallows at its fire pit. There are lawn games you can play as well.