This family members-owned orchard in Hendersonville, NC has u-choose apples, tons of enjoyment loved ones functions on weekends, and really astounding cider and pumpkin donuts.
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is the really to start with u-decide apple orchard in Henderson County and has been in procedure for a lot more than 50 yrs. They know what they are carrying out and we had to go look at it out for ourselves. Truthfully, I went for the pumpkin donuts. I really like apple cider donuts but pumpkin? Yes, please!
One point that stood out to me immediately was just how super pleasant and useful all people at the orchard was. They have u-decide on apples, pre-picked apples, a big shop that sells homemade soap, t-shirts, and honey, a bakery, corn maze, pumpkin patch, leaping pillow, apple canon, and wagon trip. Some of these actions are only out there on weekends, which I’ll convey to you about in this overview.
About Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is a fourth-era family-owned apple orchard that is around 50 years aged. They started out out promoting wholesale apples and the pick-your-individual component of the operation was just a aspect gig. But people cherished coming to Stepp’s so a great deal that the household made a decision to convert the orchard around to an complete u-decide on small business. It was Henderson County’s incredibly first u-choose apple orchard.
The farm grows 26 kinds of apples and updates its site generally to clearly show which types are completely ready for u-choose and in which to uncover them. Their shop has some splendidly delicate t-shirts for sale, newborn bibs, regional honey, locally produced soap, and of study course, plenty of apples.
Apple Picking at Stepp’s
There are seven orchards in just Stepp’s and are labeled on the maps all over the orchard. You can travel to just about every a single on weekdays but not on weekends due to crowds. To start with, you will need to check out the list of apples that are prepared to be picked at the apple home in close proximity to the big barn when you park. There is also a map with a QR code that normally takes you suitable to the list on the site that has the distinct kinds that are ready to be picked.
Then you need to have to opt for whether you want to decide on a 50 % peck, peck, or 50 percent bushel of apples and spend for your selection in the store. Immediately after that, take another glance at the map and if you have concerns, the type persons who function at Stepp’s will have no problems serving to you out. They will position you in the appropriate direction. I took a photograph of the map just in situation.
So you have your map, instructions, and basket. Now go get your apple cart, which is to your right the moment you stroll out of the store where by you paid for your basket. The apple cart is shockingly long lasting. Do not question me how I know this. It proved to be very useful and entertaining for our trip.
The apples we desired to pick have been way back again in Orchard 4 so we began going for walks there with our apple cart. My youngest daughter determined she required a experience so in she went and by some means my oldest daughter thought it loads of enjoyable to pull her alongside. And maintain pulling her together. And then pulled her together some far more. It was rather the hike out to Orchard 4. After we acquired there, we had to obtain the apples we wanted and make sure they had a “pick me” sign on them, indicating the row was okay for people to decide from.
We could only discover a person row of the apples we needed so we took the full loop about Orchard 4 to glimpse for more, which qualified prospects me to my pro tip for you: You can go either way on the loop and appear to the row of apples you want as the row of the exact apples extend from one particular finish of the loop to the other, which means you do not need to have to vacation the complete loop, portion of which is uphill, to discover the apples you want.
All in all, we ended up strolling about 1.5 miles all-around the orchard looking for apples to decide. It is a beautiful orchard and the weather conditions was delicate when we went. My young ones actually beloved the apple cart so it was a ton of pleasurable. Just wear sturdy sneakers for strolling, and deliver water and maybe sunscreen. If you get dropped, there are maps almost everywhere.
Matters to do at Stepp’s
The farm is open day-to-day in the course of apple season and if you can swing a weekday vacation, it will be a large amount fewer crowded than on a hectic fall weekend. But if you go on a weekend, you’ll have much more alternatives of matters to do.
The apple orchard has a 5-acre corn maze that is open up each individual day so you can delight in not acquiring dropped in there. There are also a great deal of picnic tables for lunch if you want to provide one particular to retain you energized for all the apple choosing. In addition to apple buying, the farm gives grape finding as properly as u-choose bouquets previously in the fall time.
On Saturdays and Sundays, you can shoot apples from a canon, young ones can bounce on the jumping pillow, and anybody can just take a wagon journey.
The orchard also has a pumpkin patch, which opens later on in the drop. Check the Stepp’s Orchard web-site for the correct dates.
Subject Journeys
We stumbled upon rows of benches and tremendous appealing graphics describing the lifecycles of worms that hurt apples and the apple growing season in one particular of the barns. It turns out that this set up is part of the industry visits that the orchard presents. We also noticed a really sweet very little corn maze that was roped off for school use only as effectively as a school-only pumpkin patch. They are entirely completely ready for all individuals school young children to occur for a day of enjoyable at the apple orchard.
School tours are for preschool through second grade but the farm also presents homeschool excursions. These tours are 1.5 several hours prolonged and incorporate a tractor experience, a bag of u-choose apples, corn maze, pumpkin patch, a cup of cider, and an interactive farm lesson. They are $7/person and happen 9:30 am and 11 am Monday-Thursday. College tours are the exact dates and hrs and incorporate related activities.
Bakery at Stepp’s
What is an apple orchard devoid of apple cider donuts? Stepp’s has a lot of cider donuts to go all over as well as do-it-yourself fudge, ice cream, cold drinks, and apple slushies.
And, hold out for it, they have pumpkin donuts. I could barely contain my exhilaration. I really like all things pumpkin besides PSL – really do not decide me – and these pumpkin donuts had been wonderful. I questioned just one of my daughters which donut she appreciated greater, the pumpkin or the cider one particular, and she looked at me like I had questioned her to map a system to the moon. There was no way to answer that. I experimented with each as properly and the pumpkin donut barely edged out the cider donut. Scarcely.
Costs
A half peck basket is $13, a peck box is $15, and a 50 percent bushel box is $20. They have carts you can borrow whilst you make your way all around the orchard to choose apples.
For the other routines on the farm, the corn maze is $6/person (little ones 2 and underneath are free), endless time on the leaping pillow is $6/child, $2/particular person for a wagon experience around the orchard, and the apple canon encounter is $5.
Checking out Stepp’s
As soon as apple year kicks in mid-July, the farm is open up every day by way of October Monday-Thursday from 9 am – 5:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm, and Sundays 10 am – 6 pm.
There is no admission cost. You just pay out for apples, functions, and on the other hand lots of donuts you can try to eat.
Have you been to Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard?
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
170 Stepp Orchard Dr, Hendersonville, NC
The Hendersonville place is a single of our most favorite spots to check out so we have a ton of other matters to do in the space for you to make it an whole day excursion up there!
