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The Best Apple Picking Spots Near NYC

By Emily Frost | September 23, 2015 11:08am | Updated on October 24, 2016 2:43pm
 We've selected the best options for apple picking near the city. 
The Best Apple Picking Near NYC
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NEW YORK CITY — Apple picking season is now in full swing and it lasts through the end of October. The city is surrounded by orchards: upstate, in New Jersey and Connecticut. 

While the weather is still nice enough for frolicking outside, rally your troops and speed off to one of these great orchards. You can enjoy all the traditional treats of the season since these farms and orchards have pies, donuts, and in one case even wine, for indulging.

For the Adults

Terhune Orchards
330 Cold Soil Rd., Princeton, NJ
Driving Distance: About an hour and 40 minutes from Midtown
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for apple picking
Winery: 12 to 5 p.m. Friday - Sunday

Apple picking can be hard work, with all that reaching and carrying. But Terhune Orchards offers the perfect way to cap off the day, with wine tasting in their on-site tasting room. The orchard has 12 different wine varietals made with fruit from its vineyards and orchards and will offer you five tastes for $5. Bottles are also available for purchase at the Farm Store. 

Let Your Kids Do the Work

Beardsley Cider Mill and Orchard
278 Leavenworth Road, Shelton, CT
Driving Distance: Closer to 2 hours
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. only on weekends

This orchard has planted dwarf trees that only grow about 10 to 12-feet high and have low-hanging branches to make apple picking easy for kids. Rather than struggling to hoist up your child, let them get the thrill of picking their own apples all by themselves at Beardsley. Don't leave without checking out their 12 varieties of pies. 

Variety is the Spice of Life

Barton Orchards 
63 Apple Tree Lane, Poughquag, NY
Driving Distance: Anywhere from 1 hour and 20 minutes to 2 hours
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, open until 6 p.m. weekends
Admission: $3

This large farm has a corn maze, pumpkin picking, live bands on the weekends and, of course, tons of apples. The orchard lists 10 different types of apples that are good for picking in September, including Red Delicious and Gala. There's another 10 that will be in season in October. 

Petting Zoo Included! 

Silverman's Farm
451 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT
Driving Distance: Anywhere from 1 hour and 20 minutes to 2 hours
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, animal farm until 5 p.m.

Cortland and Empire apples are available for picking right now at this Connecticut farm, but the real reason for the trek is the added bonus of the farm's petting zoo. Buffalo, llamas, deer, emus and exotic birds.

For the Car-less

Alstede Farms
1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester, NJ
Driving Distance: About an hour and 40 minutes
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

If you're not up for a car trip, Alstede Farms is easy to get to by a combination of public transportation and taxi. And the farm not only has apples, but lots of other attractions, including pony rides and homemade ice cream. 

Take New Jersey transit to Gladstone Station in Gladstone and call Village Taxi at (973) 543-9550 for a short ride to the orchard. If you also want to check out the town of Chester before apple picking, you can hop aboard the free shuttle that runs in a loop from the center of town to the orchard.

Low Spray Apples

Fishkill Farm
9 Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell, NJ
Driving Distance: One hour and 30 minutes
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fishkill Farm uses sustainable farming practices and operates a low-spray policy, which means it sprays less pesticide than other farms, according to the orchard.

In addition to apples, there's a farm store that offers eggs from pasteur-raised hens, vegetables and of course, cider doughnuts.