Nestled In North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains Is A Massive Apple Orchard Famous For Family Fun

Fall is the season for apple picking, when orchards around the country draw couples, families, and solo pickers eager to participate in the pastime. You can find some of the country's best apple orchards on the West Coast or visit a beautiful family-owned New York apple orchard in the Northeast. But if you want to enjoy apple picking while soaking up mountain vistas and Southern nostalgia, Sky Top Orchard is the place to go.

Located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, Sky Top Orchard was ranked among the top three apple orchards in America by USA Today's 10Best Reader's Choice Awards. That's high praise, considering the competition includes the circa-1943 Mercier Orchards and family-owned Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, founded over 110 years ago. Sky Top has also been entirely family-owned and run since 1968. What started as a happy discovery of apple trees on purchased land has become one of the best spots in America for family-friendly apple picking. You can pick more than 20 apple varieties on the sprawling orchard, with different types ripening depending on the time of the year.

Picking season runs from July to October every year, so you have ample time to embrace the tradition. In the fall, you'll likely find Fuji, Red Delicious, Pink Lady, Stayman Winesap, and other varieties on the trees. Regardless of what's available, you can usually purchase other types pre-picked and ready to eat at the fruit stand. The farm market offers plenty of other goodies as well, including cinnamon doughnuts, apple cider pressed on site, homemade pies, and fresh North Carolina honey. This is only the stem of the apple when it comes to family-friendly fun.

While Sky Top may be an apple orchard at its core (pun intended), it wins over families with its array of fun attractions. One of the most popular is the hayride, a must for any orchard visit. Kids and adults can sit on hay bales in a trailer as a tractor pulls them around the farm, offering views of the fields and the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Another great option is the Bee Train, which also involves a tractor pulling kids along in individual bee-shaped mobiles.

Usually, it's best not to play with your food. But when you're visiting Sky Top Orchard, you may want to make an exception. The orchard has a shooting range where kids and adults can fire apples from cannons at targets across a lake. Don't worry, the apples aren't wasted. They're happily gobbled up by the sheep and geese roaming the opposite shore. Sky Top also has a playground with swings and slides, a bamboo forest, and gemstone panning in its lake. If you want to meet some of the local animals, you can visit the on-site barn, which houses bunny rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, and more.

Sky Top Orchard is about a 40-minute drive from Asheville or 20 minutes from Asheville Regional Airport. The airport serves mostly East Coast and Southern cities, including Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. You don't need to reserve a spot for picking (U-pick), but the orchard can get busy in the peak fall season. Upon arrival, you need to check in to get your picking instructions and pay. Fruits should be washed before eating, and you can only pick in the areas you're given. If Sky Top is too far from home, there are plenty of other apple-picking spots along the East Coast.