When it is apple season, Virginia is the ultimate pick-your-own destination. There is a bounty of apple orchards across the commonwealth, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Shenandoah Valley--with a vast array of apple varieties to match. Each landscape enriches the apple picking experience with a variety of flavors and activities. You may prefer the taste of apples from the limestone soils of the Valley or the opportunity to explore several Virginia landmarks and historical sites along your way. Either way, apple picking in Virginia is more than just a day on the farm.
Virginia apples can be used for pie making, cider, applesauce, apple butter and just plain snacking. Each Virginia apple ripens and is ready to pick at different times of the season, which begins in late August and continues through October. Gala apples, a common favorite, are one of the earlier varieties available. Stayman apples are a perfect all-purpose apple, but are not available until October. Other Virginia apple varieties include: Granny Smith, Pippin, Fuji, Rome, Red and Golden Delicious, Jonathan, York, Winesap, Cameo, Jonagold, Ginger Gold, Braeburn, Macintosh and Pink Lady.
There are several orchards close to the major metropolitan areas of Northern and Central Virginia. If you want to venture further from home or visit someplace new, consider trips to the Blue Ridge Highlands, Chesapeake or Shenandoah Valley. All are easily accessible by major transportation routes. A detailed list of orchards by geographical area is available on the Virginia tourism website.
After you have narrowed down the apple variety and location, consider what else each area offers. If you are traveling with children, they may tire of apple picking. Visit Virginia landmarks and historical sites. Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, is located in Charlottesville right next to Carter Mountain Orchards. If you head to orchards in the Shenandoah Valley or Blue Ridge Highlands, take a drive along part of the 105-mile Skyline Drive, which runs the extent of Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive offers magnificent views, several overlooks and hiking trails. There are even easy hikes for children or the less adventurous in your group. Luray Caverns is another must-see Virginia landmark just ten minutes from the central entrance of Skyline Drive.
However, most orchards offer more than apple picking. Some have pumpkin patches, walking trails, picnic areas, petting zoos, corn mazes or festivals complete with music, apple cider tasting, games and activities for the kids. For example, you can pick-your-own apples at Graves' Mountain farm in Madison County, Virginia, then fish the well-stocked trout pond. Or, in September, drive into the nearby town of Madison for the Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival, where you can grab a bite to eat and tour Kemper Mansion.
Apple picking can be fun for all ages. Even the youngest participants can pick apples off the ground or pluck fruit from low hanging boughs. However, apple harvesting may include climbing up ladders or into trees--not something for young children or the elderly. But most of the climbing you do will be limited to your walks through the orchards. Farms in the hilly Virginia piedmont--parts of Central and Northern Virginia--and the Blue Ridge mountains will require more hiking than orchards in tidewater Virginia along the Chesapeake.
Remember to dress for the weather. The late summer climate in Virginia is hotter than October, when the weather starts to cool. If you are picking apples in Central Virginia, you will have high humidity and high temperatures through mid-September, at best. If you want early apples without the hot and humid weather, opt for orchards in the Shenandoah Valley or Blue Ridge. Temperatures are several degrees cooler and humidity levels more manageable in these parts of Virginia.
You'll also want sturdy shoes to walk through the orchards and to keep traction on ladders or branches. Consider dressing in layers--so if you get warm you can peel off a layer of clothes.
