Heading into autumn in Western Pennsylvania, the local orchards are filled with crisp, locally grown apples and farm-fresh pressed cider. Skip the grocery store produce aisle this season and head out to these scenic local orchards for pick-your-own picking, cider slushies, and freshly baked cider donuts. And, once you have jugs of apple cider to take home, check out our recipes that use apple cider to cook yourself up a feast.
Where to Go Apple Picking Near Pittsburgh This Fall
Trax Farms
Location: Finleyville (~30 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Freshly pressed apple cider, seasonal farm market, fall festival activities
Best For: Families seeking classic cider press tradition
Nestled in the South Hills, Trax Farms has provided Pittsburghers with fresh fruits and vegetables for decades. They boast that they have the “Best Apple Cider in Pittsburgh,” and you can sample and purchase freshly-pressed apple cider from the farm’s cider mill, which started pressing apples into cider in 1964. Note: Trax’s apple cider must be kept refrigerated, but you can also freeze it so that chilled (or mulled…and spiked!) apple cider can be enjoyed during those long winter days ahead.
Soergel Orchards
Location: Wexford (~25 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Year-round cider press, pick-your-own apple days, full farm market & bakery
Best For: Pick-your-own excursions and seasonal baking supplies
The apple cider fun extends well beyond the fall season at Soergel Orchards, where the farm’s cider press operates year-round. During September and October, visitors can venture out into the fields to pick their own apples for snacking, homemade applesauce, or fresh apple pies.
Shenot Farm
Location: Wexford (~25 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: 25 apple varieties, 15 acres of orchards, famous Fudge Room
Best For: Apple lovers wanting variety and homemade sweets
Apple cider and chocolate fudge? You’ll find both at Shenot Farm, a must-add to chocolate lovers’ to-do list. Plus with 25 apple varieties across 15 acres, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find the perfect apple in this orchard’s diverse selection. In addition, Shenot Farm offers freshly-pressed cider and a Fudge Room with over 50 homemade fudge flavors.
Triple B Farms
Location: Monongahela, PA (~45 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and flowers; children’s play area & slides
Best For: A full day of family-friendly farm activities
Whether you’re looking to eat or bake your apples, you can pick your own at Triple B Farms, as well as flowers and pumpkins for a little more fall fun. Triple B Farms also offers activities for the kiddos, including the Squirrel Hill Tunnel Slide and the Farm Playground.
Godfrey Run Farm
Location: Fairview (~2 hours from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Apple cider slushies, regional produce, wine & farm market products
Best For: A weekend road trip to Lake Erie wine country
Take a two-hour drive outside the city, and you’ll be rewarded with a freshly-pressed apple cider slushie from Godfrey Run Farm. Of course, while you’re there, you might as well stock up on cider, apples, and more.
Apple Castle
Location: New Wilmington (~1 hour from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Apple cider donuts with real apple chunks, extensive farm stand, playground
Best For: Cider donut enthusiasts and fall road trips
Apple cider donuts with real apple chunks? Enough said. Apple Castle also boasts a large selection of apples, a playground for the kids, and other locally made products.
Emmett’s Orchard
Location: Apollo (~50 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Autumn-only family orchard, fresh cider, local farm stand
Best For: A quiet, traditional autumn orchard visit
Started in 1997 and only open during the autumn season, Emmett’s Orchard’s Facebook bio says it best: “a family run business, open in the fall for apples, cider and other fun things!”
Simmons Farm
Location: McMurray (~40 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Hayrides, seasonal pick-your-own fruit, pumpkins, and greenhouse plants
Best For: Hayrides and complete fall farm tours
Simmons Farm boasts all the fun farm activities: hayrides, fresh produce and greenery for purchase, and pick-your-own excursions for apples, pumpkins, flowers, peaches, and strawberries.
Sally’s Cider Press
Location: Harmony (~40 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Custom cider pressing, apple butter, UV-pasteurized juices
Best For: Custom apple pressing services
Not only can you purchase freshly-pressed apple cider and apple butter from Sally’s Cider Press. If you bring your own apples, Sally’s will press them into your own refreshing cider!
Half Crown Hill Orchard
Location: McDonald (~30 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Pick-your-own apples, pre-picked grab bags, local honey & beeswax items
Best For: Quick pick-your-own visits near the West Suburbs
At this family-owned and operated farm and retail market, you can pick your own apples or snag a premade grab bag. They also offer honey, beeswax products, and cider pressed and UV pasteurized at Sally’s Cider Press.
Sturges Orchards and Farm Market
Location: Beaver County (~50 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: 65 acres of fruit trees, hard apple cider, local farmers market vendor
Best For: Artisanal hard cider and diverse stone fruits
You’ll find apples, peaches, plums, Asian pears, and cherries growing on the 65 acres at Sturges Orchards and Farm Market. Kick it up a notch with their homemade hard cider. Available at Pittsburgh farmers’ markets, too!
Brown’s Orchard & Cider Co.
Location: McDonald (~35 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: 1930s vintage apple press, fresh small-batch cider, seasonal market
Best For: Traditional, vintage-pressed cider lovers
Using an apple press from the 1930s, Brown’s Orchard & Cider Co. makes delicious fresh apple cider right on-site. They are open from August to December.
Barbers Orchard
Location: Waynesburg (~1 hour from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Fresh-pressed cider, local produce, fall vegetables
Best For: Farm-fresh fall produce runs
Peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of apples: stock up on all your favorite fruits and vegetables and fresh apple cider during the fall season, which Barbers Orchard presses itself.
Daugherty’s Orchards
Location: Murrysville (~35 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Freshly baked pies, seasonal cider, hand-picked produce
Best For: Freshly baked fruit pies and local harvest goods
Find fresh pies all year round and yummy apple cider in the fall at this Westmoreland County farm. The Daugherty family hand sows, grows, and picks the most produce available themselves.
Golden Apple Farm and Market
Location: Prospect (~45 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Sustainable produce, raw “hive-to-spoon” local honey, fresh cider
Best For: Eco-friendly shopping and raw local honey
Alongside their homemade cider, Golden Apple Farm and Market offers “hive-to-spoon” local raw honey and seasonal, sustainably sourced produce.
Pome Ridge Orchards
Location: Blairsville (~1 hour from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Expansive orchards featuring Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Northern Spy
Best For: Classic crisp baking apples
The sprawling Blairsville orchard features such apple varieties as red delicious, golden delicious, double red delicious, and northern spy.
White House Fruit Farm
Location: Canfield, OH (~1 hour 15 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh)
Highlights: Famous blueberry & cider donuts, 75+ apple varieties, year-round market & lakefront grounds
Best For: Fall day trips, legendary cider donuts, and expansive farm market shopping
While technically located just across the Ohio border in Canfield, White House Fruit Farm is an absolute staple autumn day-trip destination for Pittsburghers. Operating for over 100 years, this massive family farm grows over 75 varieties of apples throughout the harvest season along with fall festivals with activities for the whole family. While their fresh-pressed cider and pick-your-own pumpkin patch draw huge crowds, their famous scratch-made blueberry donuts and seasonal apple cider donuts are the real stars of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pittsburgh Apple Orchards
When Is Apple Picking Season Near Pittsburgh?
Apple picking season in Western Pennsylvania typically starts in late August and runs through late October. Peak picking window for popular varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Jonathan occurs between mid-September and early October.
Which Pittsburgh Apple Orchards Offer Pick-Your-Own Apples?
Soergel Orchards (Wexford), Triple B Farms (Monongahela), Simmons Farm (McMurray), Norman’s Orchard (Tarentum), and Half Crown Hill Orchard (McDonald) all feature public pick-your-own apple fields during the fall season.
Where Can I Buy Fresh Apple Cider Donuts Near Pittsburgh?
Apple Castle in New Wilmington is widely famous for donuts packed with real apple chunks. You can also find fresh daily cider donuts at Soergel Orchards, Shenot Farm, Triple B Farms, and White House Fruit Farm.
About the Author
Kylie Thomas is TABLE Magazine’s Online Editor, covering Pittsburgh food, drink, and going out, including the Things to Do in Pittsburgh column. A Point Park University graduate, her work has also appeared on The Takeout, QBurgh, and Empire Extreme. She also runs the photography business Photos by Ky.
Photography by Katie Long
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