The best apple picking farms and orchards near NYC

Choose from 10 kinds of apples—Macintosh, Cortland, Rome Beauty, Red Delicious, Empire, Macoun, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Jonagold and Golden Delicious—at this upstate farm, which also sports a lush pumpkin patch, herb and rose gardens, hayrides and petting zoo. Best of all, you can leave the basket behind and indulge in the on-site winery. 82 Four Corners Rd, Warwick, NY (845-986-1684, applewoodorchards.com). Daily 9am–5pm; $28/half bushel, no admission or parking fees. Sept 5 through late October.

A 220-year-old white oak marks the center of this 122-acre farm filled with 25 apple varieties—everything from Cortland to Macintosh. Even if you’re not into pommes, you can still enjoy a petting zoo, weekend hayrides, a haunted house (in October) and a five-acre corn maze. 63 Apple Tree Ln, Poughquag, NY (845-227-2306, bartonorchards.com). Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat, Sun 9am–6pm. $3, children under 2 free (includes petting zoo, hayrides, kids' special events); fun pass $9.50 (includes admission, corn maze, haunted house and family theme park). Apples: $15/10lbs, $24/20lbs. Through Nov 2.

Though it's home to more than 4,000 apple trees spread across 35 acres, this Hudson Valley farm—originally built by Dr. Lucy Virginia Davies and her husband, Arthur, in 1891—is less than a half hour from the George Washington Bridge. Reward yourself after a day of picking and tractor riding with a bottle of fresh-pressed cider. 306 Rte 304, Congers, NY (845-268-7020, drdaviesfarm.com). Daily 10am–4pm after Labor Day. 25lbs/$37.

This farm caters to the seasons. In fall, expect plenty of apple-picking opportunities, and on select weekends leading up to the Christmas holiday, you can choose a tree from its crop of evergreens. In addition to a corn maze, Hurds offers an apple launcher, an "eco-discovery trail" and a cow-train ride (Holstein-painted go-karts rigged up to a tractor). At the Kids Corral, tykes can pedal trikes, meet farm animals, feed fish off a dock and take on a giant slide. Don't forget to grab a pumpkin out of their patch before you head home. 2187 Rte 32, Modena, NY (845-883-7825, hurdsfamilyfarm.com). Wed–Sat 9am–5pm. $14, children under 3 free. $20/half bushel of PYO apples; pumpkins 50¢/lb. Season begins in late August.

An impressively large garden gnome, Chomsky, stands as sentry at the entrance to Kelder's Farm. The spot offers all the classic fall farm amusements: a petting zoo, hayrides and a corn maze. The biggest draw is a minigolf course ($3.75) designed by artist Maria Reidelbach, coauthor of Miniature Golf (said to be the first book ever bound in artificial turf). The whimsical course is constructed from recycled tractor wheels and other repurposed farm implements. Along with the standard pick-your-own apples, the space is lined with plenty of vegetables, herbs, flowers and other types of fruit—including pumpkins—that you can pick along the way. 5755 Rte 209, Kerhonkson, NY (845-626-7137, kelderfarm.com). Daily 10am–6pm; $1.50/lb. Through October.

Its name is no lie; tending to more than 15,000 fruit trees is proof enough that this farm hearts its harvest. Along with fall faves like a market and a petting zoo, the orchard features weekend pony rides, a Mexican cantina and an old-fashioned ice cream shop, which serves homemade cones and sundaes made from their own fruit. 1421 Rte 9H, Ghent, NY (518-828-5048, loveapplefarm.com). Daily 9am–5pm. Apple prices subject to change.

At this 44-year-old homestead (which started out as a dairy farm), you can pluck more than 20 different varieties of apples that grow on dwarf apple trees. Also available: wagon-led farm tours, fresh cider at the Milk Pail country store and a pumpkin patch with more than 58 varieties of gourds weighing up to 150 pounds. And for the first time, RubyFrost, a new apple just released by Cornell University will be available for picking—just be sure to check their website for weekly updates on its availability. 1346 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY (631-537-2565, milk-pail.com). Fri–Sun 10am–5:30pm; free admission, $43/half bushel. Sept 8 through October.

This venerable orchard has been around since 1712 and boasts special monthly offerings including apple-and pumpkin–picking in October (plus their annual Harvest Festival), and in November freshly baked Thanksgiving pies are up for sale. Sample a homemade quiche or pick out a pumpkin to take home. 2 South Mountain Rd, Pomona (845-354-0369, theorchardsofconcklin.com). Sat, Sun 10am–5pm for five weekends (call for availability). $9 (includes 1/2 peck bag), children under 3 free. Pole rentals for $2 with $5 deposit. Season begins Sept 20.

Its name may not inspire hunger pangs, but Outhouse's mouthwatering selection of homemade doughnuts, fudge, pies and other goodies will. No sweet tooth? Then gnaw on a smoked turkey leg, one of the other savory options available here. Our favorite part of the farm is its selection of PYO apples, including Red Delicious, Cortland, McIntosh, Empire, McCoun and more. After filling up on food, you can pay a visit to the farm animals and saunter over to the hayrides on weekends. 130 Hardscrabble Rd, North Salem, NY (914-277-3188, outhouseorchardsny.com). Daily 9am–5pm. $25/half bushel.

There have been fruit-bearing trees here for more than 200 years, but the farm's approach to sustainability is very 21st century. Eco-friendly practices like minimal pesticide use and substituting mulch for synthetic fertilizers helped the orchard get certified by Eco Apple, a program of the organic/fair trade nonprofit Red Tomato. But Stone Ridge is, primarily, apple-crazy: There are more than a dozen kinds of organic apples for visitors to pick—including classics like McIntosh, Cortland and Stayman—but much of the land has been given over to newer breeds growing on smaller, more densely planted trees, which manager Elizabeth Ryan says puts less stress on the soil and produces bigger and sweeter fruit. Take a bite and judge for yourselves. 3012 Rte 213, Stone Ridge, NY (845-687-2587, stoneridgeorchard.us). Daily 9am–5pm; $9/5lbs, $17/10lbs, $20/27lbs. Labor Day weekend through late October.