Best Apple Picking In Minnesota
Apple picking orchards throughout the entire state are going all out to gain some customer traffic for their fall festivals that are offered to celebrate the start of a new season. These are the top five picks and everyone should bring their friends and families out to enjoy all of the delicious fruit selections. Come on out and enjoy some fall fun, festivals and a wide variety of apple picking.
Related: Check out our previous piece on the Best Places To Go Apple Picking Near The Twin Cities
Aamodt's Apple Farm
6428 Manning Ave.
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 439-3127
www.aamodtapplefarm.com
This apple farm would be great for a Minnesota tourist to explore while they are vacationing or just taking some time out to visit a close friend. It offers orchard tours all year round for schools and church groups for a small fee, and for visitors hoping to get a closer look at the farm's workings. Aamodt's has hot air balloon rides and also has a neat apple barn and bakery to select some yummy treats to take home. The farm's Honeycrisp apples are ready to be picked from their branches, so come on out and get some fresh and delicious apples before the ripe season passes.
Photos: Fun Fall Activities
Afton Apple Orchard
14421 S. 90th St.
Hastings, MN 55033
(651) 436-8385
www.aftonappleorchard.com
In addition to apples, Afton Apple Orchard had raspberries, blueberries, sweet dark cherries and rainier cherries. The fruits are good but the experience is even better. The orchard's unique playground and straw mountain will wear your kids out. Plus, a petting farm, train and 15-acre corn maze will keep the whole family entertained. Beyond just fruits, the farm also sells pre-made pies that you can bake in your oven, as well as jams, pies and other treats.
Related: Best Places To Go Apple Picking This Fall Near The Twin Cities
Pine Tree Apple Orchard
450 Apple Orchard Road
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
(651) 429-7202
www.pinetreeappleorchard.com
Love the orchard atmosphere but don't want to do the work of picking apples yourself? Pine Tree Apple Orchard has delicious fruits — and phenomenal baked goods — at the on-site store. If anything, the biggest challenge is navigating the crowds at this popular orchard. The baked goods alone are worth the wait, but there are lots of other things to do here. The farm hosts events from school tours to private parties. In fact, if you enjoy your first visit to the farm, you can come back on October 22 for the Run for the Apples five-mile race, which has been drawing runners from around the state since 1991.
Pleasant Valley Orchards
17325 Pleasant Valley Road
Shafer, MN 55074
(651)-257-9159
www.pleasantvalleyorchard.com
This lovely apple orchard overlooks some beautiful scenery in the St. Croix Valley. Visitors rave about the atmosphere. While other orchards are crowded and expensive and can feel commercialized, Pleasant Valley offers the relaxed apple-picking experience of a bygone era. The fruit is high quality and when you're done munching, there are also bakery goods, hayrides, kid corrals and cool nature trails for the whole family to enjoy.
Homestead/ Moondance Orchard
1080 Country Road 92
Maple Plain, MN 55359
(763) 479-3186
www.facebook.com/HomesteadMOONDANCE-Orchard
Customers rave about the family atmosphere and helpful, knowledgeable staff at Homestead/ Moondance Orchard. With 28 acres and 8,000 trees, you'll have lots of fruit to choose from — and you won't have to fight the crowds to get to it. In addition, a small animal petting zoo and horses on the property will keep your family busy, even after you're done picking fruit.
Misty Wesley is a freelance writer covering all things Minnesota. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
