The Best Orchards For Apple Picking In Minnesota

For those who love making apple picking and related activities a part of their fall tradition, late September through October is the peak season for doing so.

While experts say that the exact timing can vary by apple type, with mid-season apples like Honeycrisp ready in mid-September and late-season varieties ripening later in October, anytime during the peak season is a lot of fun because the experience is about more than just getting apples.

In Minnesota, there are a lot of places to enjoy the apple harvest season, but where are the best places to go for an enjoyable day? I decided to do my best to find out, and while it's not an exact science, I think these locations are great places to start.

The Best Places For A Fun Apple Picking Experience In Minnesota

I've gone to a few places over the years and have enjoyed them all, but I am far from an expert, so I decided to dig a little deeper. I polled my friends throughout the state and then leaned on AI to ask where the best places to pick apples were in Minnesota.

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These are the places that came up the most frequently as the best places to visit in the state, which I've listed in random order.

Aamodt's Apple Farm in Stillwater, Minnesota

'A historic, family-run orchard known for its U-pick apples, wagon rides, bakery, winery, and shop selling apple-themed products and wines.'

Apple Jack Orchards In Delano, Minnesota

Pick your own bushel from what's available each day, which they post online, or buy a pre-picked bag in the apple market. There's also a corn maze, a corn pit for kids to play in, an apple cannon, and a pumpkin patch. You can also take a ride on the cow train or on a wagon.

Ferguson's Minnesota Harvest in Jordan, Minnesota 

'A top-ranked orchard offering a large corn maze, corn pit, gem mining, wagon rides, a farm market, and a bakery with apple cider donuts.' They actually have four popular locations, two of which are in Wisconsin.

Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, Minnesota

'A large orchard with a wide variety of activities, including pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, corn mazes, wagon rides, and a large bakery'

Deer Lake Orchard in Buffalo, Minnesota

'A classic orchard experience with U-pick and pre-picked apples, wagon rides, corn maze, pedal carts, inflatable obstacle course, jumping pillow, apple canon, and a lot more. There's also live music on weekends and a pumpkin patch that opens September 27.

 LuceLine Orchard In Watertown, Minnesota

This popular orchard offers U-pick and pre-picked apples, including Minnesota-developed varieties, along with a vineyard and nature trails. There are also a lot of free activities, like the new life-sized Legos, a new corn coliseum, ziplines, pedal car track, and more.

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For a fee, you can enjoy the jumping pillow, hay rides, 30-acre corn maze, kiddie train, giant carnival 3-lane slide, and a spinning pumpkin ride.

You and your family can't go wrong visiting any of those 6 orchards above, but I know there are likely other ones not on that list that also provide a wonderful experience. Feel free to share your favorite Minnesota apple orchards with us through our mobile app.