Apple Picking is the Best Fall Activity for Everyone
Doesn’t everyone have a favorite fall activity? I absolutely love apple picking at Carter Mountain! My friends, Brooke and Taylor, introduced me to this beautiful orchard when they were living in the area. They were studying for their doctorates, and we were all on tight budgets. We easily spent our whole grocery budget just on apples, donuts, and cider that visit lol!
For the past 2 years, Mike and I have visited Carter Mountain Orchard. Every year, I get more and more excited about it. There’s no better view of Charlottesville than the top of the orchard.
What I Wore
I was so happy that it was finally cool enough to wear this BP Chunky Thermal Cowl Neck Sweater. This sweater sold out at Nordstrom because it was so popular, but a very similar option is this beautiful H&M Oversized Cowl-neck Sweater in Beige. I got a Small in the sweater, but I wish I had ordered a Medium because it fits a little cropped.
The pictures make it look like it was warm and sunny, but we were freezing haha! These black Quay It’s My Way sunnies are my go-to on days when the sun is super bright.
5 Tips to Consider Before Apple Picking:
1. Bring an apple picker!
-Some of the best-looking apples are up in the tippy tops of the trees. According to my phone, we walked 2.5 miles around the orchard. 99% of that walking was spent looking at empty trees! We arrived around 2pm on Sunday afternoon and had to walk down the road by the blueberry bushes in the overflow parking.
2. Go early or on a weekday
3. Check out the Carter Mountain Orchard Map
-I don’t know about you, but I like to have a plan.
4. Wear solid walking shoes
-Take it from me, Frye boots are not solid walking boots. You will be walking on gravel, a steel uphill climb, and on rotten apples.
-The road you walk to get to the trees is dusty and graves
5. Bring your own container!
-Be a friend to the environment and look cute with a wicker basket!
Carter Mountain grows 13 Types of Apples
Apple picking season runs from mid/late August to late November. You can purchase 13 different types of apples and there are 7 varieties to pick-your-own. The “pick-your-own” apple variety includes: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Pink Lady (my fave!), Stayman, Winesap, did anyone read this full sentence? I feel like all apples pretty much taste the same. Except for Honeycrisp and Pink Ladies. Let me know in the comments if you think otherwise! York, Rome, Red Delicious, Albemarle Pippin, Honeycrisp, and Gala are some others that you can buy pre-picked.
Check out Huffpo’s Apples to Apples: A Rundown Between the Different Varieties if you are interested in learning more about the uses for apples. Carter Mountain does an awesome job of providing up-to-date info for visitors. Don’t forget to look online at their Fruit Availability Chart before you start your picking to map out your visit. I was surprised to learn that this orchard also offers pick-your-own peaches from June to September and pre-picked sweet cherries, nectarines, gourds, and pumpkins.
Pick-your-own Veggies & Flowers
According to CM website, there is the option to pick your own veggies and flowers! I didn’t see this when we went to the orchard, but we were pretty laser-focused on getting to those apples before the kids did.
There is so much to love about this orchard! I hope you enjoyed reading about our favorite fall activity! Comment below and let me know your favorite type of apple or apple recipe 🙂
xx, Chelsea
