October is here, and that means fun fall activities like hayrides, apple picking and visits to the pumpkin patch are well underway here in Massachusetts. There are a wide variety of farms and orchards throughout the state that offer pick-your-own apples, and spending a day at a local Massachusetts orchard (preferably with some freshly-made cider donuts afterward) is one of my favorite things to do.

Below, find some of my recommendations for the best places to go apple picking in Massachusetts in the fall.

Apple Orchard at Cider Hill Farm.

Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury

45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury MA 01913

Located on the North Shore of Massachusetts on the border of New Hampshire, Cider Hill Farm is one of my favorite spots to go for apples each year. There’s no entry fee, and groups have the option of purchasing a peck for $20 (recommended for 2-4 people) or a half bushel (recommended for 4-6 people) for $35.

The farm offers complimentary hayrides up to the apple orchards where pickers can choose from more than 15 varieties of apples. The farm also has a corn maze and a barn where children can feed the chickens. The Farm Store offers fresh produce, along with a wide variety of pumpkins, gourds, mums and gifts. The bakery makes cider donuts fresh each day, along with pumpkin whoopie pies, caramel apples, apple pies and more. They also make hard cider on premise, and offer complimentary tastings of their four seasonal ciders: Spring, Summer, Harvest and Winter. A great spot to take the family. 

Farm Store at Cider Hill Farm.

Hayride at Cider Hill Farm.

Apple Tree at Cider Hill Farm.

Honey Pot Hill Orchards, Stow

138 Sudbury Road, Stow MA 01775

Located west of Boston in the town of Stow, Honey Pot Hill Orchards is one of the most popular pick-your-own orchards in Massachusetts. The orchard offers a wide selection of apples, including the fan-favorite Honeycrisp, along with a selection of pears. Pricing for apple picking is $18 for a medium bag and $28 for a large bag.

Hayrides are available for $2 per person, and they also offer three different hedge mazes, including the Big Green Monster Hedge Maze which takes an hour to complete at 1.5 miles in length! The farm has goats, sheep and bunnies that you can pet, and also offers a farm store with fresh-pressed apple cider, apple pie, pumpkin pie and more. Known especially for their warm apple cider donuts, you can purchase six for $4.50 – a bargain! It’s worth noting that they only accept cash, so make sure to visit the ATM before you go.

Belkin Family Lookout Farm, Natick

89 South Pleasant Street, South Natick, MA 01760

Belkin Family Lookout Farm is located closest to Boston in nearby South Natick. Lookout Farm offers a wide variety of fruit for picking, including apples, pears, peaches and plums (based on availability depending on at which point you visit in the season). There is a train that come every few minutes (which children love) to transport guests around to the various orchards and picking areas.

One of my favorite reasons to visit Lookout Farm is their onsite brewery (at which the train makes a special stop!). Lookout Taproom is open Wednesday-Sunday, and offers locally-brewed beer and cider on tap. Current offerings include an American IPA, an American Kolsch, a Stout and a Peach Belgian Wit, along with a few varieties of hard cider. Food is also available to order in the taproom. It’s a nice feature that offers a little extra fun for adults while the children play.

It’s worth noting that Lookout Farm is one of the more expensive options, as they do charge an admission fee on top of the cost of fruit. Admission fees are $12/child and $15/adult on weekdays and $15/child and $18/adult on weekends. The cost to pick your own fruit is an additional $14 for a small bag, $22 for a medium bag or $36 for a large bag. Included with the cost of admission are train rides, a farm maze, a bouncy house, activities like face painting, and more – so you get your money’s worth!

Russell Orchards, Ipswich

143 Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA 01938

Russell Orchards, located in Ipswich, was the first orchard I ever visited in Massachusetts, and remains one of my favorites to this day. It’s also one of the more affordable options in the area, especially if you go on a weekday. Weekday rates include a $4 entry fee per person over 4 years old (which can be credited back toward your fruit purchase when you check out), and apples picked cost $1.95 per pound. Weekend rates are $20 for a 10 pound bag, which can be split between up to 4 people, which includes a hayride to and from the picking site.

There is a beautiful pond on site (great for taking photos!), as well as an area for kids to pet the barnyard animals. The bakery offers homemade cider donuts, pies, muffins and more, and they also have a winery on premise, with tastings of their hard ciders and fruit wines available Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. 

Grounds of Russell Orchards.

Apple Picking Map at Russell Orchards.

Colleen apple picking at Russell Orchards.

Smolak Farms, North Andover

315 South Bradford Street, North Andover, MA 01845

Located in North Andover, Smolak Farms offers both a standard orchard and an antique orchard that offers more than 20 varieties of heirloom apples (which are hard to find elsewhere). 

One of my favorite reasons to visit Smolak Farms is that they also offer an on-site pumpkin patch! You can pick your own pumpkins on weekends, and pumpkins are available at their farm stand on weekdays. Their farm stand offers a food court area with burgers, hot dogs and pizza, along with cider donuts, candy apples, popcorn and more. They also have an ice cream stand where you can get homemade apple pie and apple crisp along with an ice cream cone.

In terms of pricing, Smolak Farms charges $25 for a peck bag, $40 for a half bushel bag and $45 for a half bushel basket. They also offer hop-on/hop-off hayrides throughout the farm and orchards for $5 per person. On weekends in the fall (including all four weekends in October) the farm offers a Children’s Festival which features a bouncy house and super slide, face painting, airbrush tattoos, spin art, access to the playground and animal areas and more. Admission for the Children’s Festival is $12 per child and free for adults.

Which local orchards do you love the most? Keep the conversation going in the comments!