Pick Your Own Apple Picking Farms for Families on Long Island

Take advantage of one of Long Island's traditional Fall past times--apple picking. Whether you're looking for an orchard with all the bells and whistles or an orchard with trees perfectly sized for wee ones, you can find it at one of Long Island's Pick Your Own Apple Farms. Just makes sure to call ahead to find out what they've got to pick before you go and make sure they're not picked out. 

Check out our picks for the best apple orchards to visit with your family: 

Hanks Pumpkintown:
240 Montauk Highway, Watermill

You can add Hanks to the list of those all around-all purpose fun Fall Farms we have on the Island. But, despite what the name says, Hanks is also one of the best places to visit during apple season. They make it easy by offering freshly picked apples, or for those of you who take the art of apple picking literally, u-pick is available in the orchard as well.  Opening mid-September, the apples are a' plenty and so are the other fun farm activities. With an entire corn maze park, wagon rides, a great playground and theatrical face painting, you could spend an entire day here. And a word of edible advice--grab some roasted sweet corn from the corn shack when you get there and make sure to splurge on a candy apple before you leave. 

Wickham's Fruit Farm:
28700 Route 25, Cutchogue

Wickhams is one of the most beautiful farms on Long Island. Set on the shores of Peconic Bay, it is one of the only farms I can think of with a water view. Visiting in the Fall is a great time to capture family pictures, by the way, so don't forget your camera. It's also one of the oldest, which means there are plenty of historical things to check out.  Aside from the u-pick apple orchard, your kids can hop on a wagon ride, see an old-fashioned apple cider press in action (not to mention sipping the cider as well), and enjoy one of Wickham's homemade and home-baked fresh donuts. While you're there, be sure to check out the rest of the homemade baked goods, like my favorite, the Apple Minis. New this year, Wickham's requires membership to enter the orchard for u-pick. The form is on their website, as are the details. The cost is $20, which covers your whole family for the whole season.

Seven Ponds Orchard:
65 Seven Ponds Rd, Watermill

Why take your kids apple picking if they aren't tall enough to reach the apples? It can be back breaking picking them up all day long to pluck the apples. While many orchards offer dwarf "type" apple varieties, only Seven Ponds can lay claim to the fact that they specialize in them. With over 14 varieties of dwarf trees, you could spend all day in the little orchard, as I call it. They also offer red radio flyer wagons for you to carry your apples around in. If the kids get bored of the picking, there is plenty more to do: a corn maize, hay rides, and a farm market with a bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Seven Ponds is the place to go if you're looking for an apple picking experience made for kids. They are also open weekdays, so you can beat the weekend crowds! 

Fort Salonga Farms:
30 Meadow Glen Rd, Northport

For a very local, no frills approach, Fort Salonga Farms offers the most westerly location on the Island. Fort Salonga Farms is a great place to hit if you want to get in, pick some apples, and get home for naptime. Without a lot of other bells and whistles like hayrides and such, they do offer plenty of dwarfed trees for kids to pick on. And, they also offer freshly extracted honey for sale at the farm stand that you shouldn't miss on the way out. It's important to check out their website, since their crop is smaller and they close from time to time to allow for more ripening. 

Other apple picking opportunities:

Apple Picking Farms in New York and New Jersey: Where to Pick Your Own Apples near NYC

Are There Any Pick Your Own Organic Apple Orchards in New York?