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Apple U-Pick Orchards in Western Maine in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Franklin County

  • Morrison Hill Orchard - apples
    Morrison Hill Road, Farmington, ME . Phone: 207-778-4945. Email: simxxl@tdstelme.net. Open: Tuesday through Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. West Farmington, follow Rte 43 west to a left-hand turn onto Morrison Hill Road. The orchard is about one half mile. Two varieties of MacIntosh available after September 15. Call ahead for availability.

Oxford County

  • Apple Acres Farm - apples, Playground, farm market, U-pick and already-picked
    363 Durgintown Road, South Hiram, ME 04041. Phone: 207-625-4777. Email: info@appleacresfarm.com. Open: 8 am to 5 pm, daily. Click here for a map and directions. PYO or Farm shop with pre-picked apples. Many varieties to choose from including Paula Reds, Macs, Cortlands, Macouns, Red Delicious, Spensers, Mutsus, Honey Crisps and Northern Spys. We provide everything you need: apple pickers, baskets, bags and wagons. is available for your ceremony, reception, or both. We are an outdoor, charmingly rustic venue. We do not have a barn, but rather, we nestle your reception tent in amongst our fruit trees, overlooking the deep woods and the valley below. They also have cider, wine, meats, cheeses. (ADDED: October 1, 2018, JBS)
  • Pietree Orchard - UPDATE for 2023: They are permanently closed apples, beans, blueberries, peas, peaches, pumpkins, strawberries,
    803 Waterford Road, Sweden, ME 04040. Phone: . Open: permanently closed. Click here for a map and directions.
  • Plummer Hill Orchards - - apples
    Plummer Hill Road, Waterford, ME . Phone: 207-583-6508. Open: Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 4 pm in September and October. Click here for a map and directions. Take Rte 37 or 35 to Waterford Road, Village, take Plummer Hill Road north from village for 1.2 miles. Pick your own MacIntosh, Cortland, Red and Golden Delicious while enjoying beautiful views of the Western Maine Mountains. Bus parking.
  • Sparrowhawk - No pesticides are used apples, flowers, U-pick and already picked, concessions or refreshment stand
    684 Grover Hill Road, Bethel, ME 04217. Phone: :207-233-7819. Email: sparrowhawk.orchard@gmail.com. Open: . Directions: The orchard entrance is on the left after the driveway to a private home. It\'s about 150\' after the mailbox marked 684. The road slightly turns so it\'s hard to see from the mailbox. Look for large white signs marking entrance and parking. Free old style pressing every Saturday to sample during . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. orchard@gmailcom September: Thursday to Monday; October: 7 Days a Week Click here for current open hours, days and dates Picking updates: Click here for picking updates The orchard entrance is on the left after the driveway to a private home It's about 150' after the mailbox marked 684 The road slightly turns so it's hard to see from the mailbox Look for large white signs marking entrance and parking Free old style pressing every Saturday to sample during open season; We do not use pesticides on the crops Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx Click here for our Facebook page We use probiotic orcharding techniques to grow healthier, tastier apples by working with Mother Nature The orchard doesn't look like your typical PYO spot, with taller grasses filled with bees and butterflies and apples that don't always look like they do in the grocery store (although still make great cider!), we strive to provide an authentic PYO experience with quality apples Note: Formerly known as "Grover Hill Orchards" from 2018 to 2024 and "Lyons Ocrhard" prior to 2018) (UPDATED: June 04, 2024)

Somerset County

  • Cayford Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, pears, Honey from hives on the farm, Maple Syrup from trees on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, restrooms, school tours
    99 Hilton Hill Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976. Phone: (207) 474-5200. Email: cayfordorchardsfarms@yahoo.com. Open: September 1 to Thanksgiving from 9am to 5pm every day. Directions: 3 miles north on RT 150, from Post Office in Downtown Skowhegan.Take Right onto Hilton Hill Road, follow 12 mile.Farm store located on Right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers.
    Cayford Orchards Facebook page. 3 miles north on RT 150, from Post Office in Downtown Skowhegan.Take Right onto Hilton Hill Road, follow 1/2 mile.Farm store located on RightAll our berries are taking to Skowhegan Farmers' Market July thru September;All products are sold at farme store after September First. We use integrated pest management practicesWe are a six generation family farm.we raise 57 varieties of fruit.Peaches, pears, plums, berries and a wide selection of new and heirloom apples.Along with raw local honey, maple & apple syrup. We welcome you to join us.Explore the farm, pick your own and take a weekend hayride.With so many varieties apple tastings are always free.
  • Lombard's Appleberry Orchard - apples and pears.
    234 Dexter Road, Saint Albans, ME . Phone: 207-938-2861. Email: kathie@tdstelme.net. Open: September through October, 10 am to 4 pm. Click here for a map and directions. . Email Pick your own Dexter Road is also called Rte 23.
  • North Star Orchards - apples
    97 Orchard Road, Madison, ME . Phone: 207-696-5109. Email: northstarorchards@hughes.net. Open: September 1 through December 24, every day from 10 am to 5 pm; then from January to August on weekends only from 10 am to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: 877-696-5109 Orchard Road is off Rte 43. Numerous varieties of available from late August through mid-October. Free wagon rides on Saturday and Sunday to pick from dwarf trees. Great family fun. Restroom available.
    Comments from a visitor on September 19, 2009: "We really enjoy picking and taking the wagon ride around the orchard with our children"
  • Sandy River Apples/Fenton's Orchard - - apples
    Sandy River Road, Norridgewock, ME . Phone: 207-587-2563. Open: September 15 through October 30; Call for hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions. Handicapped Accessible. Restroom available. Bus parking. Old varieties of apples.
  • The Apple Farm at Lakeside Orchards - apples
    104 Back Road, Fairfield, ME . Phone: 207-453-7656. Email: applefarm@adelphia.net. Open: September through October 25 from 9 am to 5 pm daily. Directions: Located on the Back Rd. Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: 877-453-7656. Fax 207-453-2717. Email Pick your own -- Macs, Cortlands, Red and Golden Delicious, Golden Russets, Pearmains, Winter Bananas and others in season. Wagon rides on weekends. Handicapped Accessible. Restroom available. Bus parking. We welcome you to visit our farm and its pituresque barn store, where in addition to all our apple products, you will find home-made jams and jellies of every description, pure natural local honey, maple syrup, scrumptious, home-made pies and breads, local vegetables and loads of country charm. We also invite you to stroll through the orchards, perhaps pick a peck or two of your own in season, or watch cider being pressed. Bring a picnic. It's a great family outing. The Apple Farm is open from August to December and is . (1 mile off Route 104 between Waterville and Skowhegan).

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)