The latest update for The Best Apple Picking Farms in NJ is written by Lindsay Podolak.
As we bid farewell to sunny summer days, it’s time to celebrate all that is wonderful about fall–cozy sweaters, crisp evenings and best of all, apple picking. New Jersey is home to dozens of family-owned and operated farms that pride themselves on growing juicy apples each September and October.
Whether you feel like spending a quiet day roaming around a quaint apple orchard or want to bring the whole gang to a lively fall festival, you’re sure to find the perfect autumn outing at one of these New Jersey farms.
Quick Click Guide: Select an NJ Region below to find apple picking farms near you.
| North Jersey | Central Jersey | Jersey Shore | South Jersey |
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North Jersey
Alstede Farms
Address: 1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester
Price: Mon-Friday – $19.99; Weekends & holidays – $24.99 (includes a quarter-peck bag for you to fill with apples)
Details: This fan favorite farm boasts fields full of juicy apples ripe for picking. Their Fall Family Fun Days also include pony rides, wagon train rides, a corn maze, and plenty of barnyard animals. Stop by the farm store for delicious homemade treats.
Why I like it: New this year is the Truck Band Stand; an outdoor spot with free live music for you to enjoy on the farm.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Demarest Farms
Address: 244 Wierimus Road, Hillsdale
Price: $7 per person general entry (plus $12 for a bag that holds approximately 10-12 lbs. of apples)
Details: Demarest grows 14 types of apples in their pick-your-own orchard. Admission to their fall weekends includes a hayride, a playground, and a petting zoo kids can visit. Their farm store is brimming with seasonal produce, a huge salad bar, homemade food, and apple cider donuts.
Why I like it: Check out the schedule of family-friendly drive-in movies on their website.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Donaldson Farms
Address: 358 Allen Road, Hackettstown
Price: Free entry
Details: No reservations here, so drop by any weekend for the Fall Harvest extravaganza. There’s plenty to do, such as picking apples, hayrides (for $2 fee), and the nine-acre corn maze. There’s also fresh food for sale, like kettle corn, cider donuts, and candy apples.
Why I like it: Weekdays offer smaller crowds to pick apples in peace.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Longmeadow Farm
Address: 561 Blairstown Road, Hope
Price: Free entry
Details: The apples are the main attraction at Longmeadow Farms (you’ll find Gala, Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, and more!). But there’s much more to see, like pumpkins and a berry patch, as well as homemade jams, jellies and honey.
Why I like it: The annual Harvest Festival is the first weekend of October each year; of course, it offers craft vendors, live entertainment, and yummy local food.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Mackey’s Orchard
Address: 284B County Route 519, Belvidere
Price: $2 per person to pick apples, free for children under 3 (plus the cost of apples)
Details: Mackey’s grows over 100 varieties of apples that are ripe for picking during September and October. After a hay ride to the apple picking hill, visit their farm store for homemade goodies; for instance, they have ice cream, fresh produce, delicious soup, and local honey.
Why I like it: Mackey’s Ice Cream Barn has 42 varieties of hard ice cream plus some soft serve flavors.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Sun High Orchards
Address: 19 Canfield Avenue, Randolph
Price: $2 entry fee, children under 5 are free ($10 fee for a half-peck apple bag)
Details: Bring the whole gang to Sun High Orchards in Morris County for some laid-back apple picking and hayrides. Their farm store offers treats like homemade ice cream and apple cider donuts, as well as fresh fruit pies. In addition, picnic tables are available outside for lunch.
Why I like it: The supply self-serve stacks of firewood all year long; just fill up your trunk and put the money in the mailbox!
More info: Click here to visit the Facebook page or you can give them a call.
Windy Brow Farms
Address: 359 Ridge Road, Newton
Price: $10 for a 4-quart bag, or $18 for an 8-quart bag
Details: You can pick your own apples seven days a week from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm during apple season. The farm grows over 45 types of apples, as well as 15 varieties of peaches, cherries, nectarines, plums, and apricots. In fact, the first fruit trees here were planted in 1920, some of which still bear fruit today.
Why I like it: The farm bakes artisan bread and fruit pies fresh daily.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Central Jersey
Giamarese Farm & Orchards
Where: 155 Fresh Ponds Road, East Brunswick
Price: $3 entry fee, plus the cost of apples (children under 4 are free)
Details: Cameo, Nittany, Sun Crisp, and Golden Delicious apples await every weekday at Giamarese Farm & Orchards. Meanwhile, you can also purchase fresh produce and plants at the greenhouse and farm market.
Why I like it: Weekend events include hayrides, pony rides, and a corn maze.
More Info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Melick’s Town Farm
Where: 472 County Road 513, Califon
Price: $2.99 entry fee, plus the cost of apples
Details: Melick’s Town Farm is open seven days a week from July through early November; the types of apples they offer include Fuji, Empire, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Cameo, Red Delicious, and Macoun. Their second location in Oldwick has apple picking as well, in addition to a hard cider tent each weekend.
Why I like it: Playing in the corn maze and on the tractor are both free for the kids.
More Info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Phillips Farms
Address: 91 Crab Apple Hill Road, Milford
Price: Free entry
Details: Head over to Phillips Farms on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to pick tasty apples from the orchard. In fact, they offer early bird hours for senior citizens and those in the high-risk medical category. This sixth generation family farm prides itself on selling fresh produce as well as being responsible stewards of the land.
Why I like it: Phillips Farms has a second pick-your-own location at the new Farm Market in Milford. This location also has wagon rides on the weekend.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Terhune Orchards
Address: 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton
Price: Free entry, but you must purchase a Terhune bag for apples (prices vary by size)
Details: You can enjoy a lovely fall day at Terhune Orchards. This family-run winery and farm is just outside of Princeton, and offers all kinds of fall fun. For instance, Terhune has apple picking, live music, pumpkin painting, and a Hale Bay Maze.
Why I like it: Terhune’s winery lets you sample their 16 types of wine.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Jersey Shore
Battleview Orchards
Address: 91 Wemrock Road, Freehold
Price: Free entry
Details: Battleview Orchards grows apples such as Cortland, Granny Smith, and Fuji. Their fields open for public picking in late August. But aside from the orchard, their well-known country store offers apple cider, fresh cider donuts and Dutch Apple Pie.
Why I like it: Hayrides are available on weekends starting September 26.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Eastmont Orchards
Address: 181 Country Road 537 East, Colts Neck
Price: Free entry (they price apples by the pound)
Details: If you’re looking for great apple picking without the fall festival hoopla, head to Eastmont Orchards in Colts Neck. You can spend a laid back afternoon picking the apples grown throughout the season, like Cameo, Empire, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn.
Why I like it: Their website offers short videos with tips on how to pick the best apples.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Stiles Farm and Nursery
Address: 172 South Delsea Drive, Cape May Courthouse
Price: $2.50/lb.
Details: The hours vary, as do the produce that’s available each day to pick; but Stiles Farm usually has strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, and pumpkins. They are cash only here, however, though you don’t need a reservation to stop by.
Why I like it: Bags of 25 dropped apples are just $10, and great for deer bait!
More info: Click here to visit the Facebook page or you can give them a call.
South Jersey
Duffield’s Farm
Address: 280 Chapel Heights Road, Sewell
Price: $12 entry fee, includes a hayride plus a bag of apples
Details: Gala, Jonagold, and Golden Delicious are among the types of apples you’ll be find on the trees here. Note, however, you must purchase tickets online in advance to visit this farm.
Why I like it: Food trucks, pony rides, a barnyard, and corn maze make this a great trip for kids!
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Hill Creek Farms
Address: 1631 State Highway 45, Mullica Hill
Price: $30 per vehicle (includes a $15 voucher for apples at $1.95/lb.)
Details: After a brief educational video on how to best pick apples, you get free run of Hill Creek Farms; which includes three orchards full of over 17,000 apple trees.
Why I like it: Hill Creek grows dwarf trees, meaning the branches are low to the ground; so kids can enjoy the trip without ladders or boosts!
More Info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Johnson’s Corner Farm
Address: 133 Church Road, Medford
Price: $5 weekday entry fee, $6 weekend entry fee (plus cost of apples)
Details: Spend a day of country fun at Johnson’s with gem mining, a corn maze, live music, and farm animals. Pick your own apples and stop off at their ice cream window for a taste of fall; including pumpkin ice cream and cider slushies. Yum!
Why I like it: For a small upgrade fee to your ticket, you can take the Sunflower Stroll; this walk among sunflowers ends with you picking your own to take home!
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm
Address: 2691 Monmouth Road, Jobstown
Price: $8.95 entry fee plus cost of apples (children under 2 are free)
Details: This year’s new Park N’ Pick lets families drive their cars out to the picking fields and grab apples. Your ticket gives you access to the apple, pumpkin, and sunflower fields, as well as the corn maze.
Why I like it: You can also buy tickets for Evenings on the Farm, a Friday and Saturday fall event. You’ll find local wine, live music, and a firepit.
More info: Click here to visit the website or you can give them a call.
Hero (Top) Feature Image courtesy: famveldman/Adobe Stock
Additional Body Images (in order) Courtesy:
Demarest Farms / Facebook
Terhune Orchards / Website
Battleview Orchards / Facebook
Johnson’s Corner Farm / Website