‘We expect picking to be great’: Where you can pick your own apples this fall

If you’re worried this summer’s hot, stormy weather might have a negative impact on this year’s apple crop, you’ll be happy to hear the news from local orchards.

“Our apple crop is looking good this season,” said Sarah Bell of Royal Oak Farm Orchard in Woodstock. “Despite a few summer storms that brought some challenges, we’re excited to report that there’s an abundance of apples ready for picking, with a wide variety to choose from.”

Apple lovers can look forward to a good picking season, according to Vern Stade from Stade’s Farm and Market in Spring Grove.

“Both our apple and pumpkin crop are looking as good as ever. We expect picking to be great for both crops, and right on time,” Stade said.

Sam Haywood, event and marketing coordinator at Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park, agrees.

“The early spring season means our apples are early this year compared to previous years, but we have a full orchard and plenty for everyone to enjoy,” Haywood said.

Here are some top spots for apple picking.

Royal Oak Farm Orchard

15908 Hebron Road, Harvard, (815) 648-4141, royaloak.farm

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday through October. Gift shop and bakery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 22. Check the website or Facebook for updates on hours.

Admission: Free, but fees apply for apple picking ($12, includes a quarter-peck bag), maze ($8) and rides ($4 each).

Voted the Best Orchard in McHenry County, the 160-acre farm features four different orchards, 20,000 apple trees and 30 varieties of apples, with new varieties planted each spring.

Amaze ’N Apples, billed as the country's first apple tree maze, offers 1.5 miles of trails. A 300-foot-long pollination garden and cover crops that are attractive and beneficial to birds, butterflies and other pollinators add to the picking experience. Plus, pumpkins, giant pumpkins, gourds and winter squash are also available.

Attractions include a restaurant, harvest barn, gift shop, bakery, playground and petting zoo, a 19th-century replica train, carousel and orchard tour rides. Country kitchen and apple barn open Aug. 30.

Kuipers Family Farm

1N318 Watson Road, Maple Park, (815) 827-5200, YouPickFun.com

Hours: Through Sept. 30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday; Oct. 1-Nov. 3: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Also open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 3-22, and Wednesday, Nov. 27. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Labor Day and Columbus Day; closes at 4 p.m. on Halloween.

Admission: $11.99 weekdays at the gate. Weekend and holiday tickets are $11.99 online; $13.99 at the gate. Ages 2 and younger admitted free; does not include bag.

Forty varieties of apples are sold by the quarter peck in the you-pick orchard or by the half-peck or peck (about 10 pounds) in the Orchard Shop. Prices vary by supply and variety. You-pick orchard admission includes a quarter-peck bag of apples.

The 230-acre farm and store opened Aug. 24 with apple picking and the Sunflower Festival. On weekends, the Farmview Railway takes guests on a scenic ride around the orchard and the Sunflower Fest goes full-bloom with music and food trucks.

Kid-friendly activities include more than 20 farm-themed activities at the Pumpkin Farm, which is open Sept. 24 through Nov. 3.

Specialty foods, unique gifts, fresh-baked pies, caramel apples, kettle corn, fudge, apple cider pressed on-site and apple cider doughnuts are available at the Orchard Shop.

Homestead Orchard

11802 Charles Road, Woodstock, (815) 338-7443, homesteadorchard.net

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

Admission: Family with children, one-peck minimum; more than four adults, two-peck minimum. A one-peck bag is $20 (12 pounds, or about $1.65 a pound).

The owners of Homestead Orchard describe it as a quiet place in the country to pick 15 varieties of apples and pears. Visitors can sit under one of the oldest and largest maple trees in McHenry County. Inside the store, in an 1880s horse barn, you’ll find handcrafted items, glassware, and maybe some antique furniture for sale. They also sell honey and beeswax candles produced from hives on the property.

All Seasons Orchard

14510 Route 176, Woodstock, (815) 338-5637, allseasonsorchard.com

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends, Labor Day and Columbus Day, Aug. 31 to Nov. 2

Admission: $9 weekdays; $17 weekends; $49 all-season pass; free for kids 2 and younger. Apple picking starts at $12 for a quarter-peck bag, you-pick experience and orchard wagon ride.

The 129-acre orchard, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2023, has 14 apple varieties among 15,000 apple and pear trees. It is especially popular for its many Honeycrisp trees.

Other attractions include a pumpkin patch, sunflowers, a barnyard play area with more than 30 attractions, and a 6-acre corn maze. Activities include wagon rides, pig races, magic shows, a ropes course, Jumbo Jumper air pillows, zip lines, an indoor corn box, barnyard ball zone, an apple and pumpkin train, petting farm, bakery, cider mill, farm market store, gift shop and Country Kitchen.

As with most orchards and farms, there’s no fee to enter the farm market, where you can purchase bags of pre-picked apples, caramel apples, pies, apple cider doughnuts and more.

Stade’s Farm & Market

3709 Miller Road, McHenry, (815) 675-6396, stadesfarmandmarket.com

Shades of Autumn hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in September and Fridays through Sundays in October and Columbus Day. Festival runs Aug. 31 to Oct. 27; farm market opens at 9 a.m.

Admission: September: $18-$20 for ages 3-59, $10 for ages 60 and older; October: $25 for ages 3-59 on Saturdays and Sundays and $20 on Fridays, $10 for ages 60 and older; free for kids 2 and younger.

The popular destination includes a you-pick apple orchard with many varieties and about 30 acres of you-pick pumpkins. You-pick options also include strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, peppers and more.

The Shades of Autumn Fall Festival is a harvest-time favorite, with more than 40 farm-related attractions including a petting zoo, corn maze, giant slides, hayrides and more.

SunBerry Orchard

2318 Greenwood Road, Woodstock, (847) 404-7555, sunberryorchardfarm.com

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 31. Closed on rainy days, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Admission: $10 minimum to enter the orchard includes a one-quarter peck bag; $25 for a peck bag, $45 for a half bushel.

“Apple Picking Among the Trees,” which opened Aug. 24 and runs through Oct. 31, features more than 40 varieties of organically grown apples on 12,000 trees. This is the third year for this tradition, and SunBerry’s largest season of growing apples.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, enjoy food trucks, hayrides and visits with the animals, self-guided orchard and farm tours, and a farm-fresh market with organic apple cider, jams, honey, bread, eggs, frozen meats and pre-picked produce.