Every September, as soon as the air starts to trun crisp, we get ready for apple picking season! My feed fills up with the same three or four apple orchards — the ones in Westchester that are gorgeous, sure, but also packed wall-to-wall by 10am on a Saturday. If you’ve ever waited forty-five minutes for a parking spot just to fight someone for the last low-hanging Honeycrisp, you know exactly what I mean. and not to mention the lines for food and drink.
So here are three spots I actually go back to every fall — a little further out, a lot less chaotic, and honestly prettier for it.
1. Stuart’s Farm
This is our favorite! Tucked into Granite Springs, Stuart’s has that classic small-family-farm feel that’s getting harder to find. The orchard rows are quieter, the foliage around the property is genuinely stunning this time of year, and the whole thing feels less like a theme park and more like, well, a farm. Bring cash if you can — smaller local spots like this often run more smoothly with it — and budget time to wander, not just pick and leave.
Don’t skip: the apple cider donuts. Warm, cinnamon-sugar-dusted, worth the trip on their own. We often go just for the farm store goodies!
2. Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm
Wilkens, out in Yorktown Heights, is a little bigger than Stuart’s but still nowhere near the chaos of the lower-county spots. There’s something for every age range here, which makes it a solid pick if you’ve got a toddler in a carrier and a middle schooler who thinks they’re too old for this — both will find something to do.
Don’t skip: the farm store. It’s stocked with local jams, honey, and baked goods that make for an easy hostess gift all season.
3. Barton Orchards
A little further out, but worth the drive. Barton has that big, sprawling, golden-light kind of beauty in October that makes every photo look like it belongs on a fall mood board. It’s also close to a handful of great small-town restaurants, so you can easily turn the trip into a full day out — pick apples in the morning, grab a late lunch somewhere local on the way home.
Don’t skip: going on a weekday if your schedule allows it. Even Barton’s easy pace gets noticeably busier by early afternoon on weekends.
*There are plently of smaller farm along the way, so you can just stop at those instead*
The general strategy
All three of these share the same magic: real small-business energy, foliage that doesn’t need a filter, and apple cider donuts that make the drive worth it before you’ve even picked a single apple. My move is always to go early, bring a bag for the donuts to survive the car ride home (they won’t), and treat the drive out as part of the day, not just the means to get there.
Have a favorite spot I didn’t mention? Tell me in the comments — I’m always adding to the list.
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