When summer slows down and the air gets a bit crisp, it’s apple season. Although apple season runs from July to November, autumn is the best time of year to go upstate to go apple picking at an orchard. In October the leaves are changing, the weather is cooler, and orchards host different fall-themed events to attract visitors.
There are a bunch of apple orchards within a two-hour drive of NYC. The best and most cost-efficient way to visit multiple orchards in one day is by car.
Renting A Car
You can easily rent a car for less than $100 out of LaGuardia Airport or your local rental car company. We chose to rent a car out of LaGuardia because it gave us the flexibility to turn in the car late at night because our local Hertz and Enterprise were only open until 5 p.m. and we didn’t want to feel rushed on our adventure upstate. The price per person of a full five-seater car will cost between $15-$20 each.
Taking The Train
If you’re under 25 years old or traveling solo, you can opt to take the Metro North or other public transport upstate. The price of a train ticket will vary based on how far north you’re traveling and whether you’re traveling during peak hours or not. After you arrive upstate via train, you’ll likely need to take an Uber or taxi to reach an orchard.
Between the $30 round-trip train tickets and scarce Ubers to and from orchards, it is typically cheaper to rent a car. If you’re unable to rent, pick one orchard and spend the day there instead of hopping around.
When To Go
As tempting as it can be to take a sick day and escape upstate during the week, the best days to go apple picking are on the weekends because more orchards will be open and hosting fall events.
The best time for a fall day trip upstate is when the leaves have turned from green to bright orange, red, and yellow during peak fall foliage. You can stay up-to-date on the changing of the leaves on iloveny.com’s Fall Foliage Report which is updated every Wednesday afternoon.
The Day Trip Plan
For this day trip, you’re going to visit three orchards and cideries. You’ll start your day at the most northern point in Red Hook, NY (not to be confused with Red Hook, Brooklyn) and you’ll work your way down the Hudson Valley while making stops at orchards.
Here is a plan for a day of leaf peeping and apple picking upstate:
The Drive
For the most scenic drive, take the Taconic State Parkway or the Palisades Interstate Parkway. The Taconic will take you through Westchester which is best if you’re driving from Brooklyn or the east side of the city while the Palisades will take you up through New Jersey. Both parkways have trees on both sides and are more scenic than Interstate 87.
Rose Hill Farms
Perched on a hill in Red Hook, NY, Rose Hill Farms is my favorite apple orchard. It has it all from a cidery and food trucks to apple picking and cider donuts. It’s about a two-hour drive north of New York City, just east of the Hudson River.
Apple picking is $20 for a peck (about 30 apples) and $32 for a half bushel (about 20 lbs). You can also pick your apples by the pound for $2.50 per pound which most apple orchards don’t allow you to do. There’s also a mini pumpkin patch and pumpkins for sale at the farmstand.
The apple trees were abundant and filled with ripe apples that were ready to pick. We got cider from the cidery and apple cider donuts and enjoyed them while sitting by the fire pit to stay warm on a chilly day.
The cidery has alcoholic cider and beer on top, plus snacks, cider, and wine bottles to take home with you. It’s a great place to cozy up and enjoy some cider.
Twin Star Orchards
Save your appetite for lunch at Twin Star Orchards and Brooklyn Cider House in New Paltz, NY. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Rose Hill Farms. Twin Star is the orchard that supplies apples to the cider brand Brooklyn Cider House. They’re one and the same. If you see a red barn that says “Brooklyn Cider House” or their motto “Ugly apples are delicious” you’re in the right place.
On fall weekends, there’s live music, Oktoberfest cuisine like sausages and pretzels, and barbecue. They also serve wood-fired pizza and burgers during the week and also on weekends.
For u-pick, ½ a peck of apples is $14, a full peck is $22, and ½ a bushel is $38. Honestly, the apples are few and far between here. You’re visiting this orchard for the food, cider, and fall vibes. Pick your apples at Rose Hill Farms instead where it’s more affordable and more abundant.
Westwind Orchards
If you’re looking for a nicer place for lunch, you can skip Twin Stars and visit Westwind Orchards instead. The food here at Westwind Orchards is a bit more upscale with elevated pasta dishes and pizzas. Westwind does not offer u-pick apples — their orchard is exclusively used for their ciders. They do have a cidery and farmstand where you can try and buy the different ciders they produce. Westwind is also about a 45-minute drive from Rose Hill Farms.
Angry Orchard
Angry Orchard is the bottled cider everyone knows and loves. Their taproom in Walden, NY is actually open year round. It’s a great place to stop on your way home because it stays open until 8 p.m. so you won’t feel rushed.
Popular Orchards To Avoid
There are many orchards like Fishkill Farms, Barton Orchards, and Outhouse Orchards that will charge you an admission or parking fee just to visit. They market these ticketed events as “fall festivals” with hayrides and live music. While places like Fishkill Farms can make sense for a group splitting a bushel of apples, it doesn’t give you the opportunity to hop in between farms due to high costs.
If you’re looking for a more affordable fall festival, Harvest Moon has ticketed weekend events for only $15 per person, which is a great price compared to the $30+ per person at other orchards like Barton Orchards.
Other Orchards With Reasonable Pricing
Here are a few other orchards in the Hudson Valley that don’t require reservations or admission fees:
Pennings Orchard and Cidery
Masker Orchards
Soons Orchards
Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm
Enjoy your day upstate!
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