11 places to go apple picking near Philly

Fall has arrived, and for fruit lovers, that means one thing: It’s apple-picking season. As the cooler weather settles in, what’s better than baking pies to bake and sipping on cider?

In the Philly area, there are more than a few orchards where you can hand pick apples for peak autumnal fun. Whether you’re into the crisp, sweet taste of a Gala apple or the crunchy, tart Granny Smith, you’re sure to get your fill.

Here are some great local orchards ready for your apple-picking adventures, complete with apple cider doughnuts and apple pies to snack on.

This list is in order from closest to farthest from Philly.

Pick a bagful of Red and Golden Delicious, Stayman, and Rome apples at Duffield’s Farm in Sewell. Then, take a hayride and snack on apple cider doughnuts. Small bags (8 to 10 pounds) and a hayride combo ticket is $20, and large bags (18 to 20 pounds) and a hayride ticket is $35.

📍280 Chapel Heights Road, Sewell, ↔️ 20 miles away from Center City, 🕑Monday to Friday noon to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 📞856-589-7090, 🌐 duffieldsfarm.com, 📷 @duffieldsfarm

Stop by the farmstand and sign-up for apple picking. The Media farm boasts about 25 apple varieties including Honey crisp, Gala, and Smokehouse, which comes from a 100-year-old tree. The admission fee is $3.50 per person, then pay what you pick by pounds and volumes with buckets and bags offered.

📍29 Copes Lane, Media, ↔️ 21 miles from Center City, 🕑Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 📞 610-564-0794, 🌐 indianorchardsfarm.com, 📷 facebook.com/IndianOrchards

This Delco orchard is a must-visit, thanks to the 25 types of apples they grow throughout the season, like Granny Smith, Stayman Winesap, and Macoun. Fill a two-quart bag for $11 per person. Get tickets online.

Don’t miss: Linvilla offers tons of baked goods at their farm market, including fresh-made apple cider doughnuts — a seasonal favorite.

📍 137 W. Knowlton Road., Media, ↔️ 22 miles from Center City, 🕑 PYO, Monday to Sunday. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Market, Sunday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (through October) 📞 610-876-7116, 🌐 linvilla.com, 📷 @linvillaorchards

This Bucks County orchard has resumed apple picking this fall with their pick-your-own crop of Jonagold, Mutsu, and Golden Delicious apples. Bring your own bag and purchase the fruit for $1.89 per pound.

Don’t miss: You can take a free hayride from Styer’s stand to the orchard (or the pumpkin patch) for that classic fall farm feel.

📍 97 Styers Lane, Langhorne, ↔️ 26 miles from Center City, 🕑 Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 📞 215-702-9633, 🌐 styerorchard.com, 📷 @styerorchard

This Chester County orchard offers pick-your-own apples typically through early November. This season, expect 36 different varieties of apples like Mutsu, Gala, and Pink Lady — but it’s best to call ahead or check Facebook to see what is available. Pricing for bags varies by size. It’s $3 per person (over three years old) to enter the field for picking.

Don’t miss: Highland Orchards’ farm market can satisfy your sweets craving with their beloved apple cider doughnuts

📍1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road., West Chester, ↔️ 41 miles from Center City, 🕑 Market, Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 📞 610-269-3494, 🌐 highlandorchards.net, 📷 @highlandorchardsinc

Located about a mile from their main outpost, Terhune’s pick-your-own apple orchard has four dozen varieties — and no entrance fee. Purchase bags for $9, 13, 26 no tickets are required. And through Oct. 31, there’s a fall festival filled with family fun with pony rides, live music, and more.

Don’t miss: Terhune also features an on-site winery, and a bakery with apple cider doughnuts.

📍 13 Van Kirk Road., Princeton, N.J., ↔️ 42 miles from Center City, 🕑 Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m📞 609-924-2310, 🌐 terhuneorchards.com, 📷 @terhuneorchards

Reservations are required for weekend apple picking at this Bucks County farm, but you can still pick on Thursdays and Fridays without a reservation. They grow over 30 varieties of apples seasonally, according to their website, including Pixie Crunch, Fuji, Keepsake, and Pink Lady, with other types coming later in October.

Don’t miss: Solebury’s farm market is an apple-lover’s paradise thanks to its applesauce, apple butter, apple chips, fresh cider, apple cider doughnuts, and cider slushies. They’ll even do mail order for applesauce.

📍 3325 Creamery Road., New Hope, ↔️ 45 miles from Center City, 🕑 Thurday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 📞 215-297-8079, 🌐 soleburyorchards.com, 📷 @soleburyorchards

Weaver’s Orchard grows a wide selection of apples on some 18,000 apple trees across 35 acres of land, like Crimson Crisp, Golden Delicious, and Jonagold, among others. No reservations are required to pick your own apples, but you will need to use Weaver’s Orchard containers ($24 to $42) to hold your haul.

Don’t miss: If the actual apples you pick aren’t enough, check out the market for everything from apple cider doughnuts to apple dumplings, as well as apple cider pressed on-site.

📍40 Fruit Ln., Morgantown, Pa., ↔️ 53 miles from Center City, 🕑 Market, Monday to Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PYO, Monday to Thurday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 📞 610-856-7300, 🌐 weaversorchard.com, 📷 @weaversorchard

At Sunhigh, you can pick your own or get pre-picked apples. Choose from five varieties on the fields, and a handful of additional varieties in the barn. Find Cortland, Matsu, Fuji, Stayman and Granny Smith. There is no entrance fee or minimum per person requirements, just pay for what you pick. Bags come in peck-size (10 to 12 pounds) for $11 and half-bushel (20 to 24 pounds) $20.

📍3617 Limestone Road, Parkesburg, ↔️ 54 miles from Center City, 🕑Thursday noon to 5 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (mid September through end of October), 📞 484-909-3323, 🌐 sunhighorchard.farm, 📷@sunhighorchard

Apple picking season is expected to run through Nov. 6 this year at Brecknock Orchard. Get out there to pick a variety of apples that includes Golden and Red Delicious, Jonamac, and Cortland before they’re gone. And if veggies are more your thing, they are offering pick-your-own on more than 40 types of pumpkins, squash, and gourds.

Don’t miss: Brecknock’s farm market has tons of homemade items like apple dumplings and pumpkin rolls, plus apple cider and fruit slushies. They even have local delivery and curbside pickup.

📍 390 Orchard Road., Mohnton, Pa., ↔️ 63 miles from Center City, 🕑 Monday and Tuesday , Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 📞 717-445-5704, 🌐 brecknockorchard.com, 📷 @brecknockorchard

Take the drive to Lehigh County for a pick-your-own visit to this orchard, where some 30,000 trees offer varieties like Cameo, Wine Crisp, Maslin Pink Lady, and more this October.. Each person aged three and up needs to buy at least a quarter-peck bag ($9.99 to $46.99) to enter the orchard, though larger sizes are available, too.

Don’t miss: Grim’s Fall Festival is open weekends through Oct. 29 and includes activities like a corn maze and hayrides.

📍 9875 Schantz Road., Breinigsville, Pa., ↔️ 68 miles from Center City, 🕑 Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last picking bags sold at 5 p.m.), Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last picking at 5:30 p.m.), 📞 610-841-1417, 🌐 grimsorchard.com, 📷 @grimsorchard

This article has been updated since it first published. Steven White contributed to this article.

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