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Where to Pick Your Own Apples - We Got you!

by Andrea Vaccarelli

Whether you’re looking for peace among the trees with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop or a farm where the kids can unleash their energy in corn mazes and on jumping pillows, these pick-your-own apple orchards are just 90 minutes away from home.

Butler’s Orchard

Drive Time: 45 minutes

This farm features 23 varieties of fruits and vegetables, ensuring there’s something to pick throughout the year. Apples are ripe for the picking this month and next. Admission is $3 online or $4 at the gate. Making a reservation ensures your spot, but walk-ins are welcome if space allows. When booking your time slot, you can choose from three sizes of apple bags that hold 3-12 pounds of fruit, priced between $10 and $28. Admission also includes access to the Farm Park, which features giant slides, a playground, and farm animals. Note that the park will close on September 16 for the Pumpkin Festival, running from September 21 to November 3. // 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland

Great Country Farms

Drive Time: 1 hour

Spanning 400 acres, this farm offers a wide array of activities, including two pumpkin jumping pillows, a cow train, mini golf, mazes, a farm ninja course, and a new mega slide—so visitors might need a nudge to head to the orchards. Apple picking is available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, September Fuji, Ruby Jon, and more. Apples are priced at $1.99 per pound, in addition to the farm admission fee starting at $12. The Fall Apple Harvest & Corn Maze runs through September 30, with a 1.5-acre corn maze and a 15-acre play area to explore. On weekends, enjoy live music, cider pressing demonstrations, and marshmallow roasts. Additionally, First Responders Days, offering free admission for emergency workers and their immediate families, are from September 7 to 15. Prefer a nighttime adventure? Check out the schedule for Family Flashlight Corn Maze Nights. // 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia

Hartland Orchard

Drive Time: 1 Hour

Apple picking kicked off on Labor Day weekend and runs through October at this family-owned farm, offering a wide selection of varieties, including Smokehouse, Greening, Stayman, and Granny Smith. Plus, from September 15 to November 5, you can enjoy fresh apple cider as well. // 3064 Hartland Lane, Markham, Virginia

Hollin Farms

Drive Time: 1 Hour

Established in the 1950s, this Blue Ridge Mountain farm offers pick-your-own apples, including varieties like Wolf River, Empire, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Idared, Grimes Golden, and Shizuka. You can mix and match your apples for $20 per peck. While you’re there, don’t miss the chance to dig up your own potatoes for $1 per pound, and explore other fall veggies like broccoli raab, arugula, and mustard greens. Although the farm doesn’t have playgrounds or animals, it does feature a bakery open on weekends, where you can enjoy apple cider doughnuts and other delicious treats. // 1524 Snowden Road, Delaplane, Virginia

Homestead Farm

Drive Time: 1 Hour

Open seven days a week, Homestead Farm has a $4 admission fee, plus $2.19 per pound for the apples you pick. You can fill your container with varieties like CrimsonCrisp and Jonagold. Don’t forget to visit the market for apple cider and fresh veggies to take home, including tomatoes, okra, beets, and kale. // 15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville, Maryland

Larriland Farm

Drive Time: 1 Hour

Attention, hayride enthusiasts! Starting September 21, enjoy a 20-minute hayride around the property on Saturdays and Sundays for $4, where you’ll pass through a stream and woods adorned with handcrafted storybook characters. After the ride, head to the orchard to pick your apples. Currently, you can find Autumn Crisp and Daybreak Fuji, but with 26 varieties grown on this 50-year-old farm, be sure to check the website for the latest updates before your visit. // 2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine, Maryland

Mackintosh Fruit Farm

Drive Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

No reservations are needed to pick Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Queen’s Blush apples at this farm, which also offers you-pick Asian pears, eggplant, and herbs. For adults, the Cider Room features local hard ciders, wines, craft beers, and appetizers like charcuterie boards and pretzel bites. Families can enjoy the Mackintosh Farm Café, serving quiche, chicken pot pie, and delicious pumpkin and apple cider doughnuts. In fact, this farm is the first stop on the 302-mile Virginia apple cider doughnut trail. // 1608 Russell Road, Berryville, Virginia

Marker-Miller Orchards Farm Market

Drive Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

With a history dating back to 1908, this family-owned farm offers 12 varieties of apples for picking during September and October, including Yatika Fuji, Nittany, Red Delicious, and Rome. Consider visiting on October 12 for the Apple Harvest Festival, where you can enjoy homemade treats like apple cobbler, apple cider, apple pies, turnovers, and even apple pie ice cream and doughnuts. The event will also feature live music, local crafters and vendors, and a cow train for a scenic ride around the farm. // 3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester, Virginia

References: Arlington Magazine

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/pick-your-own-apples-orchards-farms-dc-maryland-virginia/.

Where to Pick Your Own Apples - We Got you!

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