The South's Best Apple Orchards

Charlottesville, Virginia

Ring in fall with a trip to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick some delicious apples, devour warm apple cider donuts, sample flights of hard cider (kid-friendly options available too!), and venture out on a festive hayride. In the Country Store, pick up some of their best-selling apple butter that tastes heavenly on just about anything; but their impressive lineup of homemade jams, jellies, fruit syrups, pancake mixes, and artisan gifts are popular grabs too. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Markham, Virginia

The first apple trees were planted on this orchard in the late 1700s, and the historic orchard has been in the Stribling family since 1819. Explore its 30 acres of apple trees, and pick a peck or bushel of delicious apples of all varieties. You can set up a picnic on site with goodies you've grabbed from the Harvest House—everything from apple (and pumpkin) butter to local cheeses is fair game there. striblingorchard.com

Poolesville, Maryland

This family-friendly farm is perfect for a Saturday outing this fall. Pick your own apples, take a hayride to grab some pumpkins, visit the cute farm animals, and grab a caramel apple or fresh fall produce on the way out! No one will be getting bored here. homestead-farm.net

Winchester, Virginia

It's clear that almost every visitor to this orchard goes for the apple picking and comes back time after time for the apple cider doughnuts—seriously, people rave about these things and gladly stand in line for them on busy days. But on a toasty autumn day, don't overlook the popular apple cider slushie. Beginning on September 1st, the pick-your-own season officially begins on the 325 acres of apple orchards with many different varieties of juicy apples. And kids love the festive cow train and scenic wagon rides around the property! markermillerorchards.com

Woodbine, Maryland

For over 40 years, Larriland Farm has been providing a family-run pick-your-own experience for all seasons, with apples, berries, and gorgeous flowers all making their rotation. Visitors go crazy for the warm made-to-order apple fritters and hot apple cider. The Straw Maze and Boo Barn are popular attractions for kids, and the stunning fall color in the region makes for a perfect backdrop for all of your picking adventures. pickyourown.com

Hendersonville, North Carolina

At this fourth-generation working farm and orchard, you'll find a warm and inviting atmosphere with friendly staff and a family-oriented feel. You can shoot apples out of their festive apple cannon, find your way around a 5-acre corn maze, and take a wagon ride through the 40-acre orchard. Apple and pumpkin donuts, homemade jams and jellies, and the occasional barbecue food truck appearance will keep you full and happy throughout your visit. steppapples.com

Blue Ridge, Georgia

This family-owned orchard in the beautiful North Georgia mountains has been serving up Southern hospitality and darn-good apples for over 70 years now. It's a place that values the experience and makes sure there is something for everyone, kids and adults, hip and traditional. Along with the "u-pick" apple experience, you can get your fresh apple fill in the market. Visitors can't stop talking about the warm fried pies and flights of hard ciders for tasting (generous pours and a perfect level of sweetness is the consensus!). The scenery is so stunning in the fall that Mercier Orchards offers to host charming, rustic weddings perfect for the Southern bride. mercier-orchards.com

Germantown, Maryland

Now at over 300 acres, this family-run farm had humble beginnings when a couple purchased a log house with 37 acres and raised their family and business from there on. The bustling Farm Market began as a small stand under an apple tree behind that log house, but now is a large facility bursting with fresh produce, baked goods, homemade preserves, and seasonal gifts. One of their most popular attractions is Pumpkinland (started as a high school project by one of the family members) that is a festive display of fairy tale characters made entirely out of pumpkins. The two-weekend long Pumpkin Festival offers hayrides, pick-your-own pumpkins, a straw maze, a pumpkin cannon, and pony rides. butlersorchard.com

Ellijay, Georgia

This farm is all about having fun. It offers so many family activities besides picking apples that it attracts a hearty crowd every weekend throughout the fall. (So get there early!) Cow milking, pig races, petting zoo, train rides, apple cannons, ziplines, and a fresh-stocked market will keep everyone busy. Find crisp apples to bring home, but make sure to grab some fried apple pies and pumpkin rolls while you're there. reeceorchards.com

York, South Carolina

This charming family-run apple orchard is only open from mid-August to Christmas and gives an authentic experience in the smaller-than-most orchard. The apple reigns supreme at this farm, with pick-your-own apples, apple cider donuts (these are supposedly amazing), apple butter, and a hard cider bar where you can sample flights of the different hard cider brews. The annual Apple Harvest Festival is something to look forward to with live music, apple butter making, blacksmith demonstrations, a barbecue truck, and hayrides. windyhillorchard.com

Georgetown, Kentucky

The great-great-grandfather of the current owner of this Kentucky farm started it as a farm for tobacco and cattle, which remained the focus until the early 1990s when the family decided to plant vegetables and apple trees. The Farm Market that displays the beautiful fresh produce and specialty goods was once the tobacco barn, and the original shed is now the Sweet Apple Café and Bakery. Visitors pick apples, watch their kids partake in the activity-filled play area, and enjoy the fresh-pressed apple cider and homemade fudge (for which the farm is known). evansorchard.com

Ellijay, Georgia

Since this farm is only open September through November, you better mark your calendar so not to miss out on apple picking, pig races, and wagon rides. The annual Apple Pickin' Jubilee is filled with family fun, whether you want watch festive cloggers and live music on stage or try your hand at milking a cow. The warm apple fritters seem to be the most favored fall treat, but the fried apple pies and apple cider donuts aren't ones to miss either. While most farms have corn or straw mazes, this is the only place where you'll find an apple tree maze. hillcrestorchards.net

Hendersonville, North Carolina

This orchard makes sure to give visitors the best apple picking experience they can by raising 17 varieties of dwarf-sized trees that make picking easy and accessible for everyone. The Apple House Bakery offers caramel apples, apple cider slushies, apple cider donuts, and whole apple pies to-go. On the weekends, make it an all-day venture and picnic by the pond with their delicious on-site barbecue. justusorchard.com

Augusta, Missouri

Since 1854, this family-owned farm has kept its historic, cozy charm from its early days as a humble grain and livestock farm to its modern transition into an apple orchard and vegetable farm. The market on the grounds is a century-old barn that's maintained its original timber frame. You can pick your own apples and pumpkins throughout most of the fall season, and the market stocks homemade apple butter and around 20 different kinds of preserves (stock up on these to give as hostess gifts during the holidays!). centennialfarms.biz

Idalou, Texas

Previously known as Apple Country at Hi-Plains Orchard, The Orchard is home to over 6,000 apple and peach trees with juicy fruits that can be picked by hand or purchased at the store and café. The annual Apple Butter Festival is a go-to event that is full of apple treats, delicious barbecue, and activities like apple sling shots and cannons. You can find more of the farm's fresh produce and goods weekly at the local Lubbock Downtown Farmers Market. theorchardtexas.com

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Take one look at this charming old-fashioned farm, and you'll be ready to pick some apples for a homemade apple pie. At Grandad's, you can explore the 5-acre corn maze and visit the barnyard corral full of farm animals, and make sure to stop in the Country Store and Bakery to snag some holiday goodies like chow chow and apple butter. On the warm earlier days of fall, cool off with the popular cider slushies and apple ice cream—they are customer favorites! grandadsapples.com

Platte City, Missouri

This spot is all about no-fuss authenticity. You can stroll through the rows of apple trees, pick some of the perfectly ripe crop, and visit the rustic barn store for treats and gifts. It's not overly big or marketed as a wonderland—it's just a little farm in the foothills of the Missouri River where you can get a tasty pumpkin cookie, witness their honey bees at work, and feel transformed in time. alldredgeorchards.com

Portland, Tennessee

Bottom View Farm has created its own little Western-inspired town about 30 miles north of Nashville, complete with authentic buildings, a lake (called Catfish Larry's Paylake), a home-style restaurant, and an annual fall festival. There's plenty of excitement aside from picking your own apples and pumpkins, such as a zipline, hayrides, a hay maze, and delicious homemade ice cream. bottomviewfarm.com

Versailles, Kentucky

This farms boasts year-round pick-your-own crops, with strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins bringing visitors in from all over. Kids love spending the day at the playground that features a 90-foot-long slide, an apple mountain, gem-mining, and a three-story tree house. Customers visit the store to stock up on the fresh pies and to hopefully catch the delicious samples of cider donuts, jams, and salsas while shopping. eckerts.com

Paris, Kentucky

This peaceful orchard gives the beautiful scenery of the Kentucky countryside and the fall-favorite ventures that always ensure tasty treats and fresher-than-anything produce. You can sample their apple varieties in the market before setting off on your picking, giving you a good idea of which variety to take home. The fresh-baked fruit breads, muffins, and cookies are customer favorites and will surely give the autumn-inspired flavor you're looking for. reedvalleyorchard.com