Best Orchards for Vermont Apple Picking
September 12, 2026
Listen to the Podcast
Vermont apple picking season is officially here with McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala, and heirloom varieties available at local orchards.
Beyond apple picking, Vermont apple orchards are also where you’ll find farm stands, kids’ activities, cider donuts, live music, and more.
Pick apples at Sunrise Orchards in Cornwall with varieties like McIntosh, Honeycrisp, and Golden Russet and and heirlooms Esopus Spitzenburg. The orchard also has a farm market, cider and baked goods, plus live music and lunch served on weekends.
Sunrise Orchards owners Chris and Barney Hodges returned to the family farm after pursuing careers in geology and teaching. Over the past 25 years, they’ve grown Sunrise into a mainstay of Vermont apple production while focusing on responsible farming and caring for the land. (1333 North Bingham Street, Cornwall; sunriseorchards.com)
Open daily at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mad Tom Orchard in East Dorset
Mad Tom Orchard was planted in 1940 by the Parson Family. Now operated by Sylvia and Tom Smith, Mad Tom Orchard features many varieties, including McIntosh, Cortland, Gala and Honeycrisp.
Mad Tom Orchard is a hilltop orchard with apples, maple syrup, cider and donuts—and some of the best scenic views you’ll find in southern Vermont. (2615 Mad Tom Road, East Dorset; madtomorchard.com)
Hours: Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday.
Cobble Knoll Orchard in Benson
Cobble Knoll Orchard in Benson features several varieties of apples, including popular options like Mac, Honeycrisp, Autumn Crisp, and Cortland.
The orchard also offers rare cooking apples such as Calville Blanc D’Hiver, Rhode Island Greening, and Zestar. If you love making cider, will find dedicated varieties like Dabinette, Ellis Bitter, and Franklin Cider apples.
The orchard also has flowers for picking and pumpkins for sale, as well as apple cider donuts, hard cider, and homemade apple pies. (1672 East Road, Benson; cobbleknollorchard.com)
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Burtt’s Apple Orchard in Cabot
Burtt’s Apple Orchard, located on a former dairy and maple farm, has been offering pick-your-own Vermont apple picking since 2009. Featuring over 40 varieties of apples, Burtt’s includes everything from Honeycrisp to McIntosh to Ginger Gold.
Burtt’s includes cider donuts, a corn maze, activities, a pumpkin patch, and playground. (283A Cabot Plains Road, Cabot; burttsappleorchard.com)
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yates Family Orchard in Monkton
Yates Family Orchard includes 28 varieties of apples in an orchard originally planted in the 1930s on scenic Monkton Ridge. The orchard, located on a quiet dirt road near the Hinesburg-Monkton town line, was purchased by Jessika Yates and her husband, Steven, in 2008.
The orchard has expanded in recent years, and the property includes a farm stand with cider donuts, specialty products and more. Pick Honeycrisp, Honey Gold, Ozark Golds, Haralson and Northern Spy in the orchard. You’ll also find creemees, live music, yoga, and more.
Be sure to indulge in the orchard’s signature dessert—the Dreamee—a hot, fresh cider donut topped with Vermont maple soft serve ice cream. (1074 Davis Road, Hinesburg; yatesfamilyorchard.com)
Hours: Open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays open until 7 p.m.
Wellwood Orchards in Springfield
Wellwood Orchards in Springfield been owned and operated by Roy Mark since 1981. He and his four daughters run the pick-your-own orchard, which also grows blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, pumpkins and more.
At the orchard, you’ll find Paula Reds, Ginger Golds, Macintosh, Cortlands and Honeycrisp.
Stop by the orchard’s country store and grab some maple syrup and cider donuts, or take your kids to the on-site petting zoo. Don’t miss a car show at the orchard on Oct. 10, 2026. (529 Wellwood Orchard Road; Springfield; wellwoodorchards.com)
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hackett’s Orchard in South Hero
Founded in 1967, the family-owned Hackett’s Orchard in South Hero is where you’ll find apples, cider donuts and fresh cider. Through the fall season, enjoy tractor rides on weekends.
Spanning 50 acres, the orchard cultivates over 30 varieties of apples, including popular types like Honeycrisp, McIntosh and Cortland. (86 South Street, South Hero; hackettsorchard.com)
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Champlain Orchards in Shoreham
Champlain Orchards features more than 220 acres of fruit trees. Located in the Champlain Valley, the orchard typically harvests over 100,000 bushels of ecologically grown apples in a season. Champlain Orchards also produces hard cider, apple butter and maple syrup. (3597 VT-74 West, Shoreham; champlainorchards.com)
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cider garden open Saturdays, noon to 7 p.m., Sundays noon to 4 p.m.
Scott Farm Orchard in Dummerston
Located on the iconic Kipling Road in southeastern Vermont, Scott Farm Orchard grows more than 130 varieties of heirloom apples.
Scott Farm Orchard is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been in active cultivation since 1791. The orchard is owned by The Landmark Trust USA, which also owns Rudyard Kipling’s house, Naulakha, next door. (707 Kipling Road, Dummerston; scottfarmvermont.com)
Hours: The annual Heirloom Apple Day Festival is Oct. 11, 2026. The Farm Market is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. -courtesy photo / Scott Farm
Shelburne Orchards
Shelburne Orchards is a family-owned enterprise led by the legendary Nick Cowles, who was born on the property in 1950. The orchard, which his father purchased 70 years ago, began with 500 trees. It grew from 2,000 trees in the 1970s to over 8,000 trees today.
Pick-your-own varieties include Honey Crisp, Gala, McIntosh and more. The orchard’s farm store sells apples, donuts and Nick’s own Dead Bird apple brandy. Enjoy wagon rides, live music, and more. (216 Orchard Road, Shelburne; shelburneorchards.com)
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday.
-Nick Cowles, owner of Shelburne Orchards in Shelburne, Vermont.
Happy Vermont Podcast
Nick Cowles has spent most of his life at Shelburne Orchards, which his father purchased in the 1950s. Nick loved growing up at the orchard, but he didn’t expect to run the orchard as an adult.
In this 2023 podcast episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper chats with Nick about apples, apple brandy, and how running the orchard changed his life for the better.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find podcasts.
This story was originally published in 2023 and updated for 2026.