The days are growing shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and apples are ripe for picking. It’s time to get outside and enjoy these lovely days while you can, and there’s no better way to get in the fall spirit than by visiting an apple orchard. Don’t want to pick apples? Don’t worry. There’s tons to do at these orchards.
1. Wasem Fruit Farm
This family-owned farm offers more than just apples, so if you’re looking for a variety of fresh fruit, Wasem Fruit Farm is the place for you. In addition to apples, the farm should also have raspberries ready to pick. If you go in October, you can pick a pumpkin or two for carving.
In order to pick apples under the U-Pick option, you’ll need to pick a minimum of a half bushel, which will cost you about $15. For more information about what kinds of apples the farm has available click here.
To ensure that your apple picking is a success, you may want to consider bringing your own step ladder and measured containers. The farm does have containers you can use, but you’ll have to pay a fee. If you get hungry while picking, you can buy a few delicious donuts made onsite every day.
Wasem Fruit Farm is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Nov. 1. It’s located at 6580 Judd Road Milan, MI, 48160. Driving directions can be found here.
2. Wiard’s Cider Mill and Apple Orchard
Founded in 1837, Wiard’s has it all – orchard, cider mill, corn maze, and a hayride. The Country Store and Bakery offers fresh pies, jams, honey, and apple sauces.
In order to do U-pick at Wiard’s, you’ll need to purchase admission to Wiard’s County Fair. You have two options – the Saturday and Sunday fair, which has $15.50 admission per person, or the Wednesday through Friday fair, which has $9.50 admission per person and starts Sept. 25.
Included with your admission is access to several play areas, a mini golf course, a petting farm, a corn maze, and hayrides. You can definitely make a day of it at Wiard’s.
Wiard’s is located at 5565 Merritt Road, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197. For a map and driving directions, click here.
3. Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill
If you’re not interested in picking your own apples, check out Plymouth Orchards. The cider mill on site offers a look at how fresh apple cider is pressed, and you can munch on a fresh donut while you wander through the farm animal and picnic area.
Hayrides through the orchard are available on both the weekdays and the weekends. They’re tractor-pulled and hay free. Weekday rides last about 10 minutes and cost $2 per person. There’s also an optional stop in the U-pick pie pumpkin patch.
Weekend hayrides last about 20 minutes and cost $3 per person. These rides stop in the U-pick pumpkin patch, where you can select a pumpkin or two for carving.
Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill is located at 10685 Warren Road, Plymouth, MI 48170. The Cider Mill is open seven days a week from Sept. to Nov. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Apple Charlie’s Orchards
Apple Charlie’s is a U-pick orchard that promises fun for the whole family. There’s no admission price for the orchard, and parking is free. Apple Charlie’s offers delicious apple cider and, you guessed it, fresh donuts.
The orchard has a variety of apples for U-pick, including Red and Yellow Delicious, Jonathan, and Macintosh. A half bushel of U-pick apples runs about $20.
If you want to do more than pick apples, you can visit the animals on site and feed them. Bags of animal food are available to purchase at $3 for one bag or $5 for two bags. Later in the season, pumpkins are available for purchase.
Apple Charlie’s is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s located at 38035 S. Huron Rd, New Boston, MI, 48164. For more information, check out the orchard’s Facebook page.
Apples All Around
If you plan on picking apples, go ahead and stock up on apple recipes ahead of time, and be sure to cover the basics. I suggest starting with a good, old-fashioned apple pie recipe, a cider recipe, and an applesauce recipe. After that, well, the sky’s the limit.