Michigan Cider Mills: 55+ Best Orchards and Mills by Region (+ Map)

Last Updated: August 2026

Michigan cider mills are the reason September feels like a holiday around here. Every year I start craving the same two things — tart cider straight from the press and a cinnamon donut still warm enough to burn your fingers — and the state gives you more than 850 family farms to find them at.

I’ve covered Michigan fall travel for FOX 17 West Michigan and WDIV Detroit for years, and the question I get every September is the same: which one is actually worth the drive? Below are my personal picks, regional shortlists so you can find one near you, a harvest calendar by variety, and a full directory of 55 mills and orchards with addresses and phone numbers.

Why Michigan Grows So Many Apples

The same Great Lakes that make Michigan a beach state are the reason it’s an apple state. The lakes moderate cold spring temperatures, which protects blossoms from the late frost that wipes out orchards elsewhere, and they hold moisture through the growing season. Hilly topography, nutrient-rich soil, cool nights and warm days do the rest.

The scale surprises people. Michigan is the second-largest apple-producing state in the country, behind Washington, and apples account for 71% of all cash income from fruit grown here — the most valuable fruit crop in the state. Michigan also produces more fresh-cut apple slices and pie apples than anywhere else in the US.

Michigan Apple Fast Facts

• 📦 ~30 million bushels harvested annually — about 1.26 billion pounds
• 🥈 #2 apple-producing state in the US, behind Washington
• 🌳 17.6 million trees on 38,000 acres across 850 family farms
• 🍏 Half sold fresh, half processed into cider, sauce, and slices
• 🌎 Sold in 32 states and 18 countries

Source: Michigan Apple Committee

How to Use the Michigan Cider Mill Map

Use the interactive map below to find a cider mill near you, or plan a weekend road trip and make it a full fall adventure.

When to Go: Michigan Apple Harvest Calendar

Picking the right week matters more than picking the right farm. If you want to bake, go late; if you want to eat out of hand, go early. Varieties shift by weather and by farm, so check the orchard’s social feed the morning you go.

When	Varieties & What They’re For
Early September	Zestar!, McIntosh — fresh eating, soft when cooked
Mid September	Honeycrisp, Jonamac — fresh eating and salads
Late September	Jonagold, Gala — pies and fresh eating
Early October	Empire, Cortland — sauce and baking
Mid–Late October	Ida Red, Northern Spy — the classic pie apples, and the best keepers

💡 PRO TIP: Northern Spy is the apple your grandmother’s pie recipe was written for — it holds its shape and stays tart through baking. It’s also one of the last to ripen, which is why late-October U-pick is worth waiting for. Store what you pick at 34°F in the fridge, not on the counter; apples release ethylene gas and ripen themselves into mush in a bowl.

My Favorite Michigan Cider Mills and Apple Orchards

These are the places I go back to for scenery, food, and the kind of afternoon that fills itself.

Uncle John’s Cider Mill — St. Johns (Mid-Michigan)

8614 US-127, St Johns, MI · (989) 224-3686
This is the one to pick if you want everything in a single stop. Cider and donuts, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a 40-foot gemstone mining sluice for kids, and a tasting room pouring award-winning hard cider, wine, and a vodka distilled from apples. Uncle John’s Cider Yard adds bonfire pits, yard games, food trucks, and live music, which makes it the rare mill that’s better in the evening than at noon.

Knaebe’s Apple Farm & Ciderworks — Rogers City (NE Michigan)

2621 S Karsten Rd, Rogers City, MI · (989) 657-0141
Wood-fired pizza, hard cider in the Ciderworks, and more than 50 apple varieties on 13-plus acres with U-pick throughout the season. It sits north of Alpena and south of Mackinaw City, which makes it an easy add to a Lake Huron trip. Knaebe’s is worth building a day around rather than squeezing in.

Wiard’s Orchards & Country Fair — Ypsilanti (SE Michigan)

5565 Merritt Rd, Ypsilanti, MI · (734) 482-7744
The oldest still-operating apple orchard in Michigan, and a quiet spot that comes fully alive in autumn. Wiard’s opens the orchard and cider mill alongside its Country Fair — corn maze, wagon rides, an animal farm, mini golf, and play areas. After dark it turns into Night Terrors, which is a different experience entirely and not one for small kids.

The Country Market and Bakery is where I’d spend the money: fresh cider and donuts, candies, caramel-dipped apples, jams, and frozen pies you bake at home.

Rennie Orchards — Williamsburg (near Traverse City)

11221 Monroe Rd, Williamsburg, MI · (231) 264-8387
The prettiest orchard on this list. Panoramic hilltop views, hay wagon rides, a hay-bale maze, a log cabin and teepee, and excellent U-pick. If you’re chasing Up North fall color, Rennie’s is the natural add-on to a Traverse City weekend.

Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery — Grand Rapids (West MI)

3142 4 Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI · (616) 361-5567
More than a century of tradition: bakery with pies, breads and pastries, a winery tasting room, horse-drawn hayrides, trails, a pumpkin patch, and a family-friendly corn maze. It’s also the most reliably dog-friendly mill I know of.

🐕 Robinette’s is dog-friendly: leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds — but not inside the buildings, in the corn maze, or on hayrides. Clean up after your dog and everyone stays welcome.

Spicer Orchards — Fenton (Metro Detroit)

10411 Clyde Rd, Fenton, MI · (810) 632-7692
The family pick if you have kids who need to run. Train and wagon rides, bounce houses, a zip line, a petting zoo, and a corn maze — plus a winery for hard cider and wine tastings, which is how the adults survive it. It’s the closest full-scale mill to both Detroit and Flint.

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill — Armada (SE Michigan)

17985 Armada Center Rd, Armada, MI · (586) 784-5343
Think fall theme park: U-pick apples and pumpkins, Funland for kids, a corn maze, hard cider, beer and wine tastings, and bonfires after dark. Come for the day, not the hour — this is the biggest operation on the list, and the one where you’ll spend the most.

Gull Meadow Farms — Richland (Southwest MI)

8544 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083 · (269) 629-4214
A strong day out with friends and a haven for kids. A very good bakery, U-pick apples and pumpkins, wagon rides, sunflower days, a giant corn maze, and a Christmas walk-through light display that extends the season well past apples.

Dexter Cider Mill — Dexter (SE Michigan, Heritage Pick)

3685 Central St, Dexter, MI · (734) 426-8531
Michigan’s oldest continuously operating cider mill, pressing since 1886 on the Huron River. Historic oak rack press, classic donuts, and no theme-park extras at all. If the big operations wear you out, this is the antidote — it’s a cider mill that is only a cider mill.

Nye’s Apple Barn — St. Joseph (Southwest MI)

3151 Niles Rd, St Joseph, MI 49085 · (269) 429-0596
Right on the way to Silver Beach in St. Joseph, which makes it the best beach-day-plus-orchard combination in the state. Nye’s carries far more than apples: home-grown raspberries, sweet cherries, peaches, pears, plums, grapes and vegetables in season.

📌 Michigan Cider Mills “Near Me”: Shortlists by Region

Best Cider Mills Near Detroit and Ann Arbor

• Yates (Rochester Hills) — water-powered press, riverside trail, donut sundaes
• Blake’s (Armada) — U-pick, Funland, hard-cider taps
• Parmenter’s (Northville) — classic donuts, neighborhood trail access
• Wiard’s (Ypsilanti) — Country Fair by day, Night Terrors after dark
• Franklin Cider Mill (Bloomfield Hills) — the metro-Detroit classic, and the busiest

Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo

• Robinette’s (Grand Rapids) — bakery, winery, hayrides, dog-friendly
• Moelker Orchards (Grand Rapids) — orchard views and the Old Bell Bakery
• Gull Meadow Farms (Richland) — bakery, U-pick, corn maze, events
• VerHage (Kalamazoo) — the donuts people drive for

Lansing and Mid-Michigan

• Uncle John’s (St. Johns) — full-day destination with tastings
• Phillips Orchards (St. Johns) — heritage cider on a rack-and-cloth press
• Country Mill (Charlotte) — U-pick, bakery, apple cannon

Traverse City and Northwest Michigan

• Rennie (Williamsburg) — hilltop views, rides, family extras
• Pond Hill Farm (Harbor Springs) — farm fun with Lake Michigan views
• Jacobs Farm (Traverse City) — classic roadside market on M-72

Thumb, Bay City, Midland and Saginaw

• Leaman’s Green Apple Barn (Freeland) — donuts, slushies, fall fun
• Bayne’s Apple Valley (Freeland) — market and bakery classics
• JK’s Farmhouse Ciders (Flushing) — cider and hard-cider options
• Montrose Orchards (near Frankenmuth) — easy pair with a Frankenmuth day

Upper Peninsula

The UP has a much smaller orchard scene — the growing season is shorter and the frost risk is higher. Sunny G Orchard in Stephenson is the one to know, with a growing U-pick operation and hayrides.

Plan Like a Local: Quick Tips

• Peak season is late September through October, but it moves with the weather every year
• Go early on weekends. Lines spike between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at every mill on this list
• Bring cash and a card. Some hayrides and produce stands are still cash-only
• Dogs: many mills allow leashed dogs outdoors, but almost none allow them in buildings, on rides, or in mazes
• Accessibility: look for paved paths or boardwalks and accessible restrooms — orchard rows themselves are usually uneven grass and soft dirt
• Check day-of. U-pick varieties sell out, and orchards post morning-of updates on Facebook and Instagram
• Ask whether they press their own cider. Not every place calling itself a cider mill does — the ones with their own press taste different, and they’ll happily tell you

Complete List: 55 Michigan Cider Mills and Apple Orchards

Every mill and orchard below, alphabetically, with address and phone. Call before you drive in shoulder season — many are seasonal and hours change week to week.

• Alber Orchard and Cider Mill — 13011 Bethel Church Rd, Manchester, MI 48158; 734-428-9310
• The Apple Barrel Cider Mill — 1418 E Center St, Ithaca, MI 48847; 989-875-2775
• Apple Charlie’s Orchards — 38035 S Huron Rd, New Boston, MI 48164; 734-753-9380
• Barkham Creek Farms — 181 Haslett Rd, Haslett, MI 48840; 517-339-9939
• Bayne’s Apple Valley — 5395 Midland Rd, Freeland, MI 48623; 989-695-9139
• Blake’s Farm South Lyon (formerly Erwin’s Orchards) — 61475 Silver Lake Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178
• Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill — 17985 Armada Center Rd, Armada, MI 48005; 586-784-5343
• Bonodeo Farms — 1215 White Lake Rd, Highland Charter Twp, MI 48356; 248-787-4553
• Country Mill — 4648 Otto Rd, Charlotte, MI 48813; 517-543-1019
• Crane Orchards — 6054 124th Ave, Fennville, MI 49408; 269-561-8651
• Dexter Cider Mill — 3685 Central St, Dexter, MI 48130; 734-426-8531
• Detroit Farm and Cider — 1600 Lawrence St, Detroit, MI 48206; 313-915-0057
• Diehl’s Orchard and Cider Mill — 1479 Ranch Rd, Holly, MI 48442; 248-634-8981
• Flushing Farms — 7096 Gillette Rd, Flushing, MI 48433
• Franklin Cider Mill — 7450 Franklin Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
• The Fruitful Orchard and Cider Mill — 5740 M-61, Gladwin, MI 48624; 989-426-3971
• Goodison Cider Mill — 4295 Orion Rd, Rochester, MI 48306; 248-652-8450
• Grainger Orchard and Cider Mill — 2588 Pinckney Rd, Howell, MI 48843; 517-242-3902
• Gull Meadow Farms — 8544 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083; 269-629-4214
• Hill Brothers Orchards — 6159 Peach Ridge Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544; 616-784-2767
• Hy’s Cider Mill — 6350 37 Mile Rd, Bruce Township, MI 48065; 810-798-3611
• Jacobs Farm TC — 7100 E Traverse Hwy (M-72 West), Traverse City, MI 49684; 231-632-6293
• Jenny’s Farm Stand & Cider Mill — 8366 Island Lake Rd, Dexter, MI 48130; 734-424-3431
• JK’s Farmhouse Ciders — 1431 Duffield Rd, Flushing, MI 48433
• Jollay Orchards — 1850 Friday Rd, Coloma, MI 49038; 269-468-3075
• Knaebe’s Apple Farm and Ciderworks (Knaebe’s Mmmunchy Krunchy Apples) — 2621 S Karsten Rd, Rogers City, MI 49779; 989-657-0141
• Koan’s Orchard — 12183 Beecher Rd, Flushing, MI 48433
• Leaman’s Green Apple Barn — 7475 N River Rd, Freeland, MI 48623; 989-695-2465
• Long Family Orchards, Farm and Cider Mill — 1540 E Commerce Rd, Commerce Charter Twp, MI 48382; 248-360-3774
• Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm — 11025 S Jackson Rd, Cement City, MI 49233; 517-688-3455
• Moelker Orchards and Farm Market — 9265 Kenowa Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534; 616-453-2585
• Montrose Orchards (near Frankenmuth) — 12473 Seymour Rd, Montrose, MI 48457; 810-639-6971
• Nye’s Apple Barn — 3151 Niles Rd, St Joseph, MI 49085; 269-429-0596
• Ostbaum Orchards — 9252 Currie Rd, Northville, MI 48167; 734-560-2840
• Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill — 714 Base Line Rd, Northville, MI 48167; 248-349-3181
• Parshallville Cider Mill — 8507 Parshallville Rd, Fenton, MI 48430; 810-629-9079
• Phillips Orchards & Cider Mill Gatehouse Market — 1995 E Gratiot County Line Rd, St Johns, MI 48879; 989-292-5252
• Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill — 10685 Warren Rd, Plymouth, MI 48170; 734-455-2290
• Pond Hill Farm — 5699 S Lake Shore Dr, Harbor Springs, MI 49740; 231-526-3276
• Porter’s Orchards — 12060 Hegel Rd, Goodrich, MI 48438; 810-636-7156
• Rennie Orchards — 11221 Monroe Rd, Williamsburg, MI 49690; 231-264-8387
• Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery — 3142 4 Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525; 616-361-5567
• Rochester Cider Mill — 5125 N Rochester Rd, Rochester, MI 48306; 248-651-4224
• Schell Family Farms — 10055 Dexter-Pinckney Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169; 989-954-9978
• Spicer Orchards — 10411 Clyde Rd, Fenton, MI 48430; 810-632-7692
• Stony Creek Orchard and Cider Mill — 2961 32 Mile Rd, Bruce Township, MI 48065; 586-752-2453
• Sunny G Orchard — N9512 Cty Rd 354, Stephenson, MI 49887; 906-753-2308
• Three Cedars Farm — 7897 Six Mile Rd, Northville, MI 48168; 248-437-8200
• Uncle John’s Cider Mill — 8614 US-127, St Johns, MI 48879; 989-224-3686
• Vander Mill — 505 Ball Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503; 616-259-8828
• VerHage Fruit Farms and Cider Mill — 8619 W ML Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009; 269-375-0153
• Wells Orchards — 8993 Kenowa Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534; 616-453-3927
• Westview Orchards and Winery — 65075 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48095; 586-752-3123
• Wiard’s Orchards — 5565 Merritt Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197; 734-482-7744
• Yates Cider Mill — 1950 E Avon Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307; 248-651-8300

FAQ: Michigan Cider Mills and Apple Orchards

When is apple season in Michigan?

Typically mid-August through early November, with peak U-pick from late September into October. Weather shifts the timing every year, so check the orchard’s Facebook or Instagram the morning you go — most post which varieties are ready that day.

Is Michigan really the #2 apple state?

Yes. Michigan ranks second nationally in apple production behind Washington, growing about 30 million bushels a year across 17.6 million trees on 38,000 acres. Apples are Michigan’s most valuable fruit crop, accounting for 71% of the state’s fruit cash income.

What is the oldest cider mill in Michigan?

Dexter Cider Mill, which has been pressing cider since 1886 on the Huron River near Ann Arbor, is Michigan’s oldest continuously operating cider mill. Wiard’s Orchards in Ypsilanti is the state’s oldest still-operating apple orchard.

Are dogs allowed at Michigan cider mills?

Many allow leashed dogs outdoors but not inside buildings, on rides, or in corn mazes. Robinette’s in Grand Rapids is one of the most reliably dog-friendly. Policies vary by farm and change seasonally, so check before you load the car.

What is the best apple for baking pies in Michigan?

Northern Spy and Ida Red, both of which ripen mid-to-late October. They stay tart and hold their shape through baking rather than collapsing into sauce. Jonagold and Cortland also bake well and come a few weeks earlier.

What time should I go to a Michigan cider mill?

Before 10:30 a.m. on weekends. Lines for donuts, cider, and hayrides spike between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at nearly every mill. Weekdays in early October are the quietest window with everything still open.

Do Michigan cider mills take credit cards?

Most main buildings do, but some hayrides, produce stands, and U-pick checkouts are still cash-only. Bring both. Smaller family operations in particular may not have card readers at every station.

How do I store apples after U-picking?

Refrigerate them at about 34°F rather than leaving them on the counter. Apples release ethylene gas, which speeds their own ripening, so a closed bowl on the counter turns a bushel soft fast. Handle them gently — bruised apples spoil early.

Plan Your Michigan Fall Trip

The best cider mill day I’ve had wasn’t at the biggest place on this list. It was a weekday in early October at a small orchard where the whole operation was one bakery counter and a press you could hear running. Go early, go on a weekday if you can, and don’t skip the small ones.

• Apple Picking in Michigan
• Best Corn Mazes in Michigan
• Fall Things to Do in Northern Michigan
• Dexter Cider Mill Guide