Google “apple picking at Carter Mountain” and the word that repeatedly comes up in reviews and articles is “magical.” And we’ll have to agree. This experience is what fall daydreams and bucket lists are all about.
Carter Mountain Orchard, right down the road from Monticello, offers fruit to pick most of the year (we’ve really enjoyed peach picking there, as well). They have a country store selling fresh, homemade goods that I love giving as gifts and stocking up on for when we host (or, rather, when we used to host pre-COVID).
But it is apple season where Carter Mountain Orchard really brings the magic.
Apple season, given all the different varieties at Carter Mountain Orchard, runs from mid-August to mid-December. It’s a long window of opportunity to pick, and visiting at different times of the season will introduce you to different apples, depending when you go! (See the calendar of fruit availability here.)
There are apples that you’ve never heard of such as: crispin, jonagold, jonamac, winesap. And there are ones you know and love: granny smith, red delicious, honeycrisp.
But when you’ve tasted a fresh apple plucked from the tree, you will never look at the grocery store apples the same again. But forever destroying your relationship with grocery store apples is worth it for the sweet taste of fall on the tongue that a fresh, crisp apple unlocks.
And at Carter Mountain Orchard, there are so many apples on the trees they are falling from the skies. It doesn’t take long to fill up bags and bushels. (And, unlike my strawberry picking “tradition,” the apples get used and eaten so fast once we get home.)
Fall weekends on the farm get PACKED. We went on a Sunday afternoon one fall and Carter Mountain Orchard required pre-purchased tickets to enter the farm at all. This happens on peak weekends in the fall (to control crowds).
This is a bit controversial on social media and with the public (“you mean I have to pay to enter to purchase your stuff?”) but, honestly, I get why they do it. A fall weekend here is already crowded enough, and that is with crowd control through these pre-purchased slots. I can’t imagine how bad it would be without this system.
And clearly it isn’t too much of a barrier for entry as these tickets go fast and as of last fall were nearly completely sold out every slot. Be prepared to buy an entry (call it “parking” if that is better) if you think you want to bundle yours up in flannel and boots and go treasure-hunting for fruity gold during a weekend of peak season.
If paying the additional money is not in the cards for you, since the experience isn’t the cheapest to begin with, consider a way to go during the week, where crowds are less and pre-paid entry is usually not required.
And remember that this pay-to-enter situation is ONLY during peak apple season, which seems to start in mid-September and go through October.
As anyone who has visited Carter Mountain Orchard before knows, what truly sets this place apart is the spectacular views and setting. A picnic table in the sun, alongside locally-famous apple cider doughnuts, paired with a hard cider tasting flight from Bold Rock, is a perfect Charlottesville afternoon and sunset.
We take visitors up to Carter Mountain Orchard all the time – we feel it is such a wonderful taste of Charlottesville, a true celebration of where we live. And everyone we’ve taken has felt both the stunning beauty of the area as well as the sheer relaxation available through a slower pace of life (and they ask to go back).
Apple picking is family friendly for kids of all ages, including toddlers and teenagers. We saw some off-road strollers being used, but a carrier may be better. The ground is uneven, and you may have to walk a bit to get to the apples of your choice.
There are concessions for sale on the grounds and, honestly, buying what they make is part of the fun. So be sure to allot time and budget to respond to the kids’ pleas for fresh doughnuts and fresh ice cream. (And get yourself a treat, too! You won’t regret it!)
More on apple picking at Carter Mountain:
- Official website
- Facebook page where updates and status are posted
- Can’t make it to the orchard and mountain? They have a pop-up stand selling fruit and goods on Ivy Road.
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.