Apple Picking in Michigan: 20 Best U-Pick Orchards by Region

Last Updated: August 2026

Apple picking in Michigan runs from mid-August into late October, and the state’s 850 family farms mean there’s a U-pick orchard within an hour of almost anywhere you live. The trick is knowing which week to go, because the variety that’s ready decides whether you’re baking a pie or eating out of hand in the parking lot.

I go every year, usually more than once, because the varieties ripen in waves and September and October are genuinely different trips. Below are my U-pick picks by region, plus a full variety guide telling you when each apple ripens and what it’s actually good for.

One thing worth saying up front: not every orchard offers U-pick. Plenty of Michigan cider mills sell pre-picked apples and donuts but never let you into the rows. For the full list of mills and orchards including the ones that don’t do U-pick, see my guide to Michigan cider mills and apple orchards.

Use the interactive map below to find a U-pick orchard near you, then check the variety guide further down to pick the right weekend.

Michigan Apple Varieties: When They Ripen and What They’re For

This is the part most orchard guides skip, and it’s the part that decides whether your trip works. An apple bred for fresh eating collapses into sauce in a pie, and a proper baking apple is too tart to enjoy raw. Dates shift a week or two each year with the weather.

Variety	Ripens · Best For
Paula Red	Mid-August · first of the season, tart, good sauce
Zestar!	Early September · fresh eating, doesn’t hold up baked
McIntosh	Early September · fresh and sauce — goes soft when cooked
Honeycrisp	Mid-September · the fresh-eating favorite, worth the price
Jonamac	Mid-September · fresh eating and salads
Gala	Late September · sweet, fresh eating, kid-friendly
Jonagold	Late September · one of the few that’s good fresh and baked
Empire	Early October · sauce and baking, stores well
Cortland	Early October · baking, and it browns slowly — best for salads and platters
Ida Red	Mid-October · pies, holds shape, excellent keeper
Northern Spy	Late October · the classic pie apple, tart, stores for months
EverCrisp	Late October · late-harvest, very crisp, long storage

💡 PRO TIP: Cortland is the one to grab if you’re making a cheese board or a salad. It resists browning far longer than other varieties once sliced, which is why restaurants use it. Nobody tells you that at the orchard, and it’s the reason I always pick a half-peck of them alongside whatever I’m baking with.

Once you get home, refrigerate what you picked at about 34°F rather than leaving it in a bowl on the counter. Apples release ethylene gas, which accelerates their own ripening — a closed bowl turns a half-bushel soft within a week. Check the Michigan Apple Committee variety guide for the full list and the annual harvest schedule.

U-Pick Apple Orchards in South and Southeast Michigan

Wiard’s Orchards — Ypsilanti

5565 Merritt Rd, Ypsilanti Charter Twp, MI 48197
The oldest still-operating apple orchard in Michigan, and one that runs fall festivals all season. There’s a petting zoo, rides for kids and adults, and a country store with fresh donuts, cider, and baked goods. Busy on weekends — this is a get-there-early orchard.

Country Mill Orchard & Cider Mill — Charlotte

4648 Otto Road, Charlotte, MI 48813
If you’re baking, this is the volume pick — half-bushels of U-pick apples run into early November at this family orchard. Go for the combination: apples plus U-pick sunflowers and pumpkins on the same visit, which is rarer than it sounds.

McCallum’s Orchard & Cider Mill — Grant Township

5697 Harris Rd, Grant Township, MI 48032
The Thumb pick. Beyond U-pick fruit, McCallum’s has a Kid’s Zone, petting zoo, sunflower maze, wagon rides, and haunted attractions in October. Worth building into a Michigan Thumb drive rather than making a dedicated trip.

Westview Orchards & Winery — Washington

65075 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48095
The closest full-scale U-pick to Detroit, about 40 miles north, spanning more than 188 acres with up to 15 apple varieties through the fall. There’s also pumpkin U-pick, a large corn maze, an apple drop slide, and a three-acre playground. The winery opens weekends with live music.

Spicer Orchards Farm Market & Winery — Fenton

10411 Clyde Rd, Fenton, MI 48430
Honeycrisp, Gala, Blondee, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh are all available for U-pick, right off US-23. Here’s the detail worth knowing: hold on to your corn maze ticket — when you find your way out, you trade it in for a cider and donut at the bakery.

Blake’s Big Apple & Funland — Armada

71485 North Ave, Armada, MI 48005
More than 25 activities, from a petting farm to a John Deere pedal track and basketball shoot. This is the one for kids who want the farm to be a playground. Blake’s runs two sister locations worth knowing about:

• Blake Farms — 61475 Silver Lake Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178
• Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill — 17985 Armada Center Rd, Armada, MI 48005

U-Pick Apple Orchards in West Michigan

Gull Meadow Farms — Richland

8544 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083
One of my favorite Michigan farms, and one that’s genuinely busy year-round. U-pick apples, pumpkins from the patch, a petting farm, a corn maze, and a bakery turning out caramel apples, donuts, and award-winning cider.

Crane Orchards — Fennville

6054 124th Ave, Fennville, MI 49408 · (269) 561-8651
Sixth-generation family orchard with Ginger Gold, Jonagold, Fuji, and Red Delicious among others. It’s about 7 miles from the Lake Michigan shore, which makes it the best orchard-plus-beach combination in the state — pick in the afternoon, catch a Lake Michigan sunset on the way home. Note that the orchard and Crane’s Pie Pantry are separately owned businesses on the same property.

Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery — Grand Rapids

3142 4 Mile Road NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Over a century of operation and 35 apple varieties, which is the widest selection on this list. There’s a cider mill, bakery, winery, corn maze, and hayrides on site. Leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds but not in buildings, the corn maze, or on hayrides.

Rasch Cherry & Apple Market — Conklin

17647 40th Avenue, Conklin, MI 49403
Just north of Allendale Township, with 15 U-pick and pre-picked varieties in the fall. The on-site Cherry on Top Bakery does apple baked goods alongside the usual cider and donuts.

Overhiser Orchards — South Haven

6405 109th Ave, South Haven, MI 49090
The best multi-fruit U-pick on the west coast. Apples plus cherries, blueberries, peaches, plums, and pears across the season — Honeycrisp usually opens around mid-September. An easy add to a South Haven beach weekend.

Grange Fruit Farm — Rockford

1900 13 Mile Road NE, Rockford, MI 49341
A convenient stop if you’re heading north on US-131 out of Grand Rapids. U-pick apples in fall, pumpkin picking alongside, and cherries and peaches earlier in the summer.

U-Pick Apple Orchards in Mid-Michigan

Bayne’s Apple Valley Farms — Freeland

5395 Midland Rd, Freeland, MI 48623
Orchard, cider mill, and hard cidery in one, near Midland. The caramel apples, donuts, pies, and cider are the draw as much as the picking.

Uncle John’s Cider Mill — St. Johns

8614 US-127, St Johns, MI 48879 · (989) 224-3686
The biggest all-day destination in mid-Michigan. Apple barn and cider mill plus a farm, bakery, wine tasting room, corn maze, and a groomed nature trail. The Cider Yard adds bonfire pits and live music in the evening, which most orchards don’t do at all.

Phillips Orchards and Cider Mill — St. Johns

Gratiot County Line Road, St. Johns, MI 48879
Right off US-127, and the one place on this list where you can watch cider actually being pressed. Phillips runs a traditional rack-and-cloth press. After picking you can picnic in the fields or have a hard cider on the patio.

Clearview Orchards — Haslett

1051 Barry Road, Haslett, MI 48840
The Lansing area option, about 25 minutes from the state capitol. Check in at the farm stand for a bag before heading out for Empire and McIntosh. Pre-picked Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Supreme, and Cortland are usually available too.

U-Pick Apple Orchards in Northern Michigan and the UP

Knaebe’s Apple Farm and Ciderworks — Rogers City

2621 S Karsten Rd, Rogers City, MI 49779 · (989) 657-0141
Northeast Michigan near Alpena, with more than 50 apple varieties across 13-plus acres of U-pick. Cider donuts, fresh-pressed cider, wood-fired pizza, hard cider, and microbrews — it’s the most complete food operation of any orchard up north.

King Orchards Farm Market — Central Lake

4620 N M-88, Central Lake, MI 49622
The northern Michigan starting point, with Honeycrisp and McIntosh U-pick at the M-88 market. King is better known for cherries, and the cherry goods are worth the stop on their own.

Rennie Orchards — Williamsburg

11221 Monroe Rd, Williamsburg, MI 49690 · (231) 264-8387
About 15 minutes north of Traverse City, with 19 apple varieties including Honeycrisp, plus wagon rides and a kids’ hay bale maze. The hilltop views are the reason to choose this one over the others near TC.

Nugent Orchards — Benzonia

5565 Demerly Road, Benzonia, MI 49616
Off US-31 with nine apple varieties for U-pick, usually opening mid-September. Nugent’s also runs a wedding venue, The Cherry Barn, and a glamping property — worth knowing if you want Michigan glamping attached to your orchard weekend.

Starz Orchards — Wallace (Upper Peninsula)

W5597 17.5 Lane, Wallace, MI 49893
One of the very few U-pick orchards in the UP, in Menominee County south of Escanaba. Twenty-five apple varieties and four pear varieties at the farmstand. The UP’s shorter season and higher frost risk are why there are so few options up here — call ahead.

Apple Picking in Michigan FAQ

When does apple picking start in Michigan?

Mid-August, with Paula Red usually first, running through late October. Peak U-pick is late September into October, when the most varieties are available at once. Exact dates shift a week or two each year with the weather.

What is the best apple to pick for baking?

Northern Spy and Ida Red, both ripening mid-to-late October. They stay tart and hold their shape through baking instead of turning to sauce. Jonagold and Cortland also bake well and ripen a few weeks earlier if you can’t wait.

How much does U-pick apple picking cost in Michigan?

Most orchards sell by the peck or half-bushel rather than charging admission, and prices vary by farm and variety each season. Some add a small entry or wagon fee on weekends. Check the orchard’s site or call before you go, since pricing changes year to year.

Do all Michigan cider mills offer U-pick?

No. Many cider mills press cider and sell pre-picked apples and donuts without opening the orchard rows to visitors. The orchards on this list all offer U-pick, at least in season — but always confirm, because farms close rows when a variety sells out.

Which apple doesn’t turn brown after slicing?

Cortland resists browning far longer than most varieties, which is why it’s a favorite for salads, cheese boards, and lunchboxes. It ripens in early October in Michigan and also bakes well.

Where’s Your Favorite Spot to Go Apple Picking in Michigan?

I keep adding to this list every fall, and the best ones I’ve found came from readers rather than research. Tell me yours in the comments — especially if it’s a small orchard nobody writes about.

• Michigan Cider Mills and Apple Orchards
• Michigan Pumpkin Patches
• Best Corn Mazes in Michigan
• Michigan Sunflower Fields