Apple picking fun, plus apple donuts, apple pie, apple cider, and wine

If you haven’t been to Carter Mountain for apple picking, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s a festival every day on the mountain and it’s just a short drive up I-64 towards Charlottesville. They are open daily 9am – 6pm. Timed tickets required for entry as well as driving tours. Food, apples, and more are available for purchase.

Cqrter Mountain is an orchard within driving distance of Richmond where you can pick your own apples and sample cider and donuts.

The fresh air and beautiful mountain scenery from atop Carter Mountain is a lovely escape from the city. They are open 7 days a week for apple picking, or you can grab apples already picked. Visit the country store or head by the bakery. You’ll also find plenty of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. There are plenty of activities every weekend during Apple Harvest Celebration including:

Pick Your Own Apples (the orchards are massive and fun!)
Hayrides, occasionally
Lunch from the Mountain Grill
Wine Tastings
Apple Pie
Famous Apple Cider Donuts
Fresh-pressed Cider

Read the options on Carter Mountain’s website carefully. Planning ahead will make for the best apple season experience. Carter Mountain is located at 1435 Carters Mountain Trail, Charlottesville, VA 22902, tel: 434.977.1833

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

More apple orchards located a drive from Richmond:

•Chiles Peach orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd. Crozet, VA 22932 Field report: Pick your own apples and ready-picked in their farm market + pumpkins. For updates on apple availability, visit https://chilesfamilyorchards.com/chiles-peach-orchard/fruit/.

•Drumheller’s Orchard, 1130 Drumheller Orchard Ln Lovingston, VA 22949 Available at their market: Fresh made Apple Cider donuts, fresh pressed apple cider (unpasteurized), fresh picked apples, apple butter…everything apples.

•Fruit Hill Orchard, 2745 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy Palmyra, VA 22963/Monday – Saturday 10-6/Closed Sundays

Graves Mountain

•Graves Mountain, 205 Graves Mountain Ln Syria, VA 22743 – The Apple Harvest Festival is held the first 3 weekends in October.

•Henley’s Orchard, 2192 Holly Hill Farm Crozet, VA 22932 is a smaller, family-owned orchard in Crozet. Apples, apple cider, hard apple cider and wines, delicious apple cider donuts and other baked goods, pumpkins, hay rides, pony rides and petting zoo.

•Rinker Orchards, 1156 Marlboro Rd. Stephens City, VA 22655

•Showalters Orchard and Greenhouse, 17768 Honeyvile Rd. Timberville, VA 22853 Pick Your Own varieties include: Albemarle Pippin, Gold Rush, Fuji, Arkansas Black, Pink Lady, Stayman, York, Turley Winesap, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Red Delicious, Golden Delicioius. Shop the Orchard Market, Old Hill Cider Tasting Room Open 11a-5p

You can explore more pick your own farms around the Richmond area from this useful website.

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.