Tips for the Perfect Fall Day at Sky Top Orchard
Make sure to include Sky Top Orchard on your North Carolina family vacation itinerary this fall!
Where do you head when the weather turns crisp and you want to embrace apples, pumpkins, hayrides, and all things fall?
For many residents of North and South Carolina, the answer to that is o plan the best family vacation in North Carolina with a day out at Sky Top Orchard, Flat Rock, NC.
This post contains affiliates. If you choose to purchase through the below links, I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Updated 7/2022 | Originally published 10/2016
Fall Fun: Apple Picking in North Carolina
Me and my kids on one of our many visits
Visiting Sky Top Orchard has become an essential part of our annual fall North Carolina family vacation, coinciding with our visits to nearby Saluda, North Carolina.
It’s really convenient to everything in that area, and it is the best of the apple orchards near Hendersonville NC if you ask me!
And it's not just us: I've seen so many of my friends who live here in the Carolinas share their visits each year to the Sly Top apple orchard, too!
It's classic fall fun for the entire family that's not too expensive (unless you really hit those apple cider doughnuts hard...which I totally wouldn't judge you for doing!).
Sky Top Orchard History
Although Sky Top Orchard first opened its doors in the early '70s, it operated exclusively as a commercial grove for years.
It wasn't until the original owners' son was in college that Sky Top began to transition towards a you-pick fall destination; .
Now, that son, David, and his wife, oversee all of the fun that happens each year here.
What to Do at Sky Top Orchard
My dad helping my daughter find the perfect Granny Smith apple
Apple Picking
When you arrive, you'll have to make a tough decision!
Do head out into the orchard to pick your own apples or grab a few half-pecks of the pre-picked apples that are laid out under the main shed?
There's something about eating a big bag of apples that you picked with your own hands, but to get those prized apples, you've got to walk quite a ways up and down several hills.
As I mentioned before, we've been to Sky Top Orchard once a year for over a decade now, so I've roamed all over the property in various states of parenthood.
The year we visited when I was pregnant with my second kid, it was unseasonably warm, and I was even more turtle like than normal.
Despite my obvious pregnancy waddle, we went for the you-pick option that year and slooooowly made our way to the Granny Smith rows, which were, naturally, one of the furthest available apple types.
My mom and Britton leaving me and my ridiculously slow pregnant self
Before you head out into the picking orchard, grab a basket--and a cart if you're planning on bringing back lots of apples!--and head over to the friendly employees just to the left of the sampling table.
They can help you figure out what type of apple that you want to pick, and they'll hand out maps of the orchard so you'll know where to go.
Food at Sky Top
The apple cider doughnuts are toddler approved!
Another must-do at Sky Top is the food.
You'll definitely want to come hungry, as the apple cider doughnuts are ridiculously delicious.
I apologize in advance for how much I talk about the doughnuts in this post.
I'm obsessed.
They are deep fried as all good doughnuts are and then quickly dunked in a cinnamon and sugar coating.
Imagine if your favorite apple fritter married a churro.
That's essentially what these things are.
YUM.
You can find these in the food hut at the front of the property. The doughnuts are sold in the half dozen or dozen.
My husband agrees: it's the frozen apple cider for the win!
I also love getting a cup of frozen apple cider, available under the shed past the big tables of pre-picked apples.
There's also hot apple cider if it's a particularly chilly day.
And, if you want to bring home the apple-y goodness, you can find gallons of cold cider in the refrigerator cases in the shed.
There’s usually a long line for these delicious drinks, so I suggest doing your shopping for apple butter, apples, and local fudge before you grab a cup.
Then, you can check out all at the same time.
Kids Activities
Next, head over to the hayride for a quick trip around the 100-acre property.
This was a particularly hot ticket item for my kids when they were preschoolers, though you'll see visitors of all ages on it (like my mom and dad, below with my daughter).
Ready for the hay ride to begin
Tickets are sold under the shed at the long cash register counter, and the 15-ish minute hayride departs and returns to the open barn at the back of the main shed.
My kids in the bumble bee tractor ride
Recently, Sky Top Orchard has also added in a bumble bee ride.
Kids get in these cute little painted barrels on wheels pulled by a tractor.
Even my 2 year old was okay to ride in one of the barrels by himself. The drivers go super slow, and parents are everywhere to watch if a kid tries to jump out.
The animals on property are another big draw for the little patrons. You can get up close and personal with peacocks, goats, chickens, and more.
If you've got kids who'd rather play than pet animals, you can head over to the play yard, where there are close to a dozen tree houses, slides, swings, and playhouses.
Tips for Visiting Sky Top Orchard
(left: Britton in 2016, me back in 2010)
Go early!
During peak season (mid-September to late October), Sky Top is PACKED.
In 2022, we went the third Saturday in September, and, when we arrived at 9:45, the place was already crawling with people.
Know that most people will either head straight to the doughnut window or out in to the orchard, so hop on the hayride or let your kids play in the massive playground when you first get there.
>> Explore the best NC mountain towns in my comprehensive guide! <<
Don't eat the apples when you're picking them.
It's hard, I know. Really hard.
You're holding a fresh, crisp apple in your hand, and it would be so easy to chow down on it for a quick snack.
But, since the apple price is calculated by weight, eating or throwing out apples in the orchard is basically like stealing since they aren't included in the final weight.
Go for the full dozen apple cider doughnuts.
In all of my visits to Sky Top, I've never said, "Wow, I wish I'd gotten less of these babies."
They are crazy good, and the line is usually daunting, so splurge and get the entire dozen. You won't be sorry.
Bring cash.
PIN ME!
There's an ATM onsite, but it's always easier to arrive prepared.
The orchard does not accept any kind of plastic as payment, so it's either cash or check.
Without some green in your pocket, you'll just be sadly staring at the people on the hayride, everyone buying apples, and the other patrons stuffing doughnuts in their mouths.
The hayride is a few dollars, and the doughnuts are $10 for a dozen.
You could bring around $40 and do everything that's available here.
Check the website for what's available.
Not all varieties mature at the same rate, so you'll find different apple varieties at different times of the fall.
I was sad to find that my absolute favorite apples, the Pink Ladies, weren't ready during our most recent trip.
However, there were plenty of Granny Smiths, Jonagolds, and Honeycrisps for the taking.
On those busy weekends, parking is a nightmare.
Consider letting out little kids, grandparents, or handicapped members of your party out at the door, and then letting one of the adults park the car.
If you’d like to go apple picking this fall but aren’t near Sky Top, check out this list of apple picking locations in the US!
What fall traditions do you have? Have you ever visited Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, North Carolina?
