Boston Area's Best Places For Apple Picking

What better way to spend a fall day than to head out with family and friends to a local farm to pick your own (PYO) veggies, fruits and pumpkins? The most fun thing to pick are apples which are healthy, filling, stay fresh long, are low in calories and taste great. These local farms have plenty to do beyond just picking apples including rides, animals, gift shops, bakeries and plenty more.

For a wide variety of apples to pick late summer through fall, Belkin offers Cortland, Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, Macoun, Fuji, Golden Delicious and more. It also has Asian pears, peaches and nectarines, plums and pumpkins too! Besides picking your own fruits, take a train ride through the orchard, visit the Children's Play Area, climb the hay pyramid or take a hay ride and venture through the burlap maze. You and your kids can also visit the farm animals and enjoy the moon bounce and other activities at this family-friendly farm.

Brooksby offers seasonal pick-your-own fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches and apples. You will also find garden vegetables and plenty of barnyard animals. Nothing is better after apple picking than cider donuts along with hot or cold mulled cider, so be sure to check out the bakery for some goodies too. Brooksby also has items for sale like soy candles, fudge, candy and gift baskets.

Tougas Farm offers seasonal blueberry, peach, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, apple and pumpkin picking. For over 25 years, it has been a family destination for PYO along with baked goods from the kitchen, animals to visit on the farm and plenty to do. Tougas was named one of the Ten Best Apple Orchards in the Country by Woman's Day and one of the Ten Best pick-your-own apples spots by USA Today, so you know it is a notable place to spend a day apple picking or really for any fruit picking.

Related: Boston Area's Best Places To Go Apple Picking

When apple picking begins at the end of August, groups flock to Honey Pot Hill Orchards for 15 varieties of apples ready for picking during the fall. Ginger Gold, Red Gravenstein, Sansa, Akane, MacIntosh, Cortland and Honeycrisp are just a few of the juicy, delicious apples available. Take a hayride, visit the barnyard animals including the pigs, goats and roosters, and venture through the Big Green Monster Hedge Maze. You can also visit the store which sells 25 different varieties of apples, plus cider, homemade jams, jelly and honey. There are veggies for sale too and many baked goods among the offerings.

Open at the end of August, seven days a week, is Shelburne Farm. Located just 20 miles west of Boston, head here for pick-your-own apples, peaches and pumpkins. Other highlights of the farm include hayrides, farm animals, pony rides and the always entertaining moon bounce. Shelburne also has other activities to do and on weekends, grilled favorites like burgers and hot dogs are for sale and there is even live music. Be sure to grab a cup of cider and some cider doughnuts to nosh on along with a variety of homemade caramel apples.

Related: A Guide To Apple Picking In Boston