Break out the flannel and scarves: We’re going apple picking! Here are some of the spots Chicagoans can hit up as the fall equinox hits Saturday.
Most Affordable: County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana
🚗 42 miles southeast of the Loop
💰 $3 admission, free for kids under 2
🍎 U-Pick: $2 per pound
Pick Gala, Golden Delicious, and more at the orchard. Hop on a tractor ride, visit the petting zoo, and sample fall treats.
Closest Orchard: Heinz Orchard in Green Oaks
🚗 40 miles northwest of the Loop
💰 No admission fee
🍎 $10 for a half-peck bag or $20 for a full bag
The no-frills orchard only offers apple picking. Open for the season Friday, get McIntosh, Jonathan, and Empire apples.
These piggies racing had my heart at Kuipers in 2022. (Sidney Madden / City Cast Chicago)
Best for Fall Fun: Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park
🚗 55 miles west of the Loop
💰 $12 admission
🍎 Admission includes a quarter-peck bag
The 230-acre farm also has a corn maze, bakery, pumpkin farm, pig races, mountain slide, a life-size Charlotte’s Web, and more.
Best of the Best: Apple Holler in Sturtevant, Wisconsin
🚗 66 miles north of the Loop
💰 $22 admission
🍎 Admission includes a quarter-peck bag — bigger bags cost more
The orchard has been voted among the best apple-picking spots in the U.S. Your fav newsletter writer went from being an apple cider doughnut hater to convert at this place.
