Best Places To Go Apple Picking Near Chicago

With the arrival of fall comes one of the best, albeit briefest, seasons in Chicago! Perfect temperatures and clear skies make us want to eek out the last of the outdoor fun before winter blasts in. What better time of year to go apple picking? It's seasonal fun plus outdoor enjoyment and something the entire family or even a group of friends can join in on.  Here are a few of the best places to jump in to apple picking near Chicago.

Kuipers Family Farm
1N318 Watson Road
Maple Park, IL 60151
(815) 827-5200
kuipersfamilyfarm.com

Apple picking season opens August 22 this year! Pick your own apples on the weekend and choose from several varieties (If you have a particular preference, check out the information online to see which apples are in season when you plan your trip). At only $10 a person, enjoy a bag of apples and a hayride — kids under two go free! Check out their coupon page for discounts before you head out and be sure to stop by the shop for fresh baked pies and other items. There are even adult tours available if you want to get a group of friends together for seasonal fun!

Honey Hill Orchards
11747 Waterman Road
Waterman, IL 60556
(815) 264-3337
honeyhillorchard.com

Honey Hill Orchards has seventeen varieties of apples that ripen at various stages throughout the season, but why stop there when there are also pumpkins and raspberries available for picking? School trips are available on weekdays and include a wagon ride and tour of the processing building to start. Check out the Feeding Trough kitchen for apple cider, pies and other fresh treats to eat! Honey Hills also has about twenty bee hives. Pure, raw honey is available for sale in the Apple Barn Country Store.

All Seasons Orchard
14510 IL Route 176
Woodstock, IL 60098
(815) 338-5637
allseasonsorchard.com

About an hour's drive from Chicago you'll find All Seasons Orchard. Not only do they have apple picking, but they're also a pumpkin farm and a corn maze! Everyone gets to the orchard by wagon! How can you get better than a complimentary hayride? They're also one of the few orchards in the area that offers Honeycrisp Apple picking, one of the most popular and tasty apples. After you've picked your apples, you can stop by the Country Kitchen for a meal of pulled pork or other favorites. Sit inside or outside and enjoy the country view. Don't forget to check out the bakery where the apple donuts are made fresh daily!

Related: Best Places For Apple Picking Near Chicago

Apple Holler
5006 S. Sylvania Ave.
Sturtevant, WI 53177
(262) 884-7100
appleholler.com

Apple Holler always has something going on! Not just apple picking (although that's certainly there for you!) but pony rides, train rides and puppet shows on the weekends! Their dwarf trees are specially cultivated so that you don't need a ladder to pick from them! Just walk among them and pluck your chosen apple from the tree! If you visit in late summer, you can also pick peaches and if you visit in early fall, you can enjoy picking pears as well! Their online apple picking calendar does run about half a month late, so you may want to call to find out what is being picked at the time if you want a specific type of apple.

Heinz Orchard, LLC
1050 Crest Road
Green Oaks, IL 60048
(847) 770-3449
www.heinzorchard.com

If you're looking for more of a pure country feel without the frills of hayrides and crowds of school groups, Heinz Orchard may be the place for you. You are allowed to bring strollers and wagons to the orchard if you wish. The orchard is a small, family-run farm and there are no parking or admission charges. They only ask that everyone in your group buy a bag (half peck bags are $8, one peck bags are $15). Picking conditions are updated every Thursday night on their website so you can be sure of the weather before making the trip!

Related: Best Corn Mazes In The Chicago Area

Meredith Lyons is an actor, competitive fighter and fitness instructor in Chicago who also owns an amazing cat named Jake. Meredith has been writing on Examiner as the Chicago Martial Arts Examiner since 2008. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.