Apple picking is a time honored tradition in autumn. Fresh apples ring in fall with apple pies, applesauce, apple crisp and hot cider. The farms of Morris County, New Jersey offer a lot of family fun, great fall foliage and even pumpkins. Here are some of the best places in Morris County to go apple picking.
Alstede Farms (Chester, NJ)
- Alstede Farms located at 84 Country Road in Chester, NJ is a great farm to visit from spring through fall. It is a very large farm that has a great deal of places to pick your own throughout the seasons. They do charge their visitors to enter their farm a fee of $5.00.
- In fall, it has a vast orchard with Machintosh, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Empire, Jonah Gold and Red Delicious apples to name a few. There are also vegetables and flowers that can be picked near to the orchard. There are also two large fields of pumpkins adjacent to the orchard. There is also a large farm petting zoo.
- There are a lot of family fun activities in the fall at the farm. Hayrides ($3.00), Moonbounce ($3.00) and Pony Rides ($6.00) are a few of the activities in addition to picking. A massive hay maze is free for kids to explore and play.
Riamede Farms (Chester, NJ)
- Riamede Farms located at 122 Oakdale Road in Chester, NJ is a massive apple orchard that believes in old fashioned fun. They are the oldest pick your own orchard in all of New Jersey. They have trees that date back to the 1970’s that still produce apples.
- This is a farm of peaceful family fun. No commercialism, no fees to enter. There isn’t a moon bounce or pony rides. Here the quiet of nature merges with family run farm fun. They do make some very tasty apple cider donuts though!
Sun High Orchard (Randolph, NJ)
- Sun High Orchards at 19 Canfield Ave in Randolph, NJ opens in late spring and closes right around Christmas. They are family run and always there for the community. There is a free petting zoo where you can spend $0.50 on some carrots to feed sheep, goats or bunnies. A picnic grove with tents for shade graces the land before the orchard. Adjacent to the farm is a market where fresh cookies, homemade ice cream and farm fresh produce can be found.
- Sun High is a smaller orchard with a lot of variety. They do not charge admission for picking and you only pay for the apples you pick. There is a generous pumpkin patch in the front of the farm in the fall.
Wightman Farms (Morristown, NJ)
- Wightman Farms is located at 1111 Mount Kemble Ave Morristown, NJ. This is also a family run farm that offers a vast orchard that has been in the hands of the Wightman family for three generations.
- This farm does require a family membership with a fee of $11 (2011) in order to pick apples on weekends only. There are corn mazes, a pumpkin sling shot, hay rides and a farm market store.
The author is a resident of Morris County and has personally visited each of these farms with her family on several occasions over the last five years.