Canada’s Best Apple-Picking Getaways: 8 Orchards Worth a Fall Road Trip
There is something about apple picking that feels made for September.
Cooler mornings arrive, the first leaves begin to change and orchards across Canada fill with McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Gala and dozens of other varieties ready to come off the trees.
Better yet, an orchard getaway can be one of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to enjoy a Canadian autumn staycation. Many orchards are within an hour or two of major cities, making it possible to pack the car, spend a few hours picking apples and exploring the countryside, and still be home that evening.
But the best apple-picking trips aren’t just about filling a bag.
Choose the right orchard and the drive becomes part of the experience. Take the scenic route, discover a small town, stop at a farm market, pack a picnic or add a nearby trail or conservation area. With a little planning, a simple orchard visit can become an affordable full-day adventure — or the starting point for an entire autumn weekend.
For Part 2 of our Great Canadian Harvest series, we’re heading to eight orchards we didn’t feature in Part 1. Some make easy, affordable day trips from major Canadian cities, while others are worth building a fall getaway around.
Fresh apples, country roads, fall colour and a day away without spending a fortune? That’s our kind of Canadian staycation.
1. Murphy’s Orchard - Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
An Orchard Escape from Vancouver
Less than an hour east of Vancouver, Pitt Meadows provides a surprisingly rural escape from the city, with farmland stretching toward the mountains.
Murphy’s Orchard offers U-pick apples from its Harris Road orchard, making it an easy starting point for a Fraser Valley autumn drive. The farm confirmed that its orchard opened for the 2026 season in July, with apple picking continuing as varieties ripen.
The setting is part of the appeal. Instead of a large fall festival, this is a simpler orchard experience — wander the rows, pick apples and enjoy the countryside.
Make a getaway of it: Continue through Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, explore local farm stops or head toward Golden Ears Provincial Park for an autumn walk.
Best for: Couples, families and an easy Vancouver-area country drive.
2. Great Lakes Farms - Port Stanley Area, Ontario
Apples Near the Lake Erie Shore
Southwestern Ontario combines orchards, small towns and Lake Erie scenery particularly well, and Great Lakes Farms offers a good excuse to head into the countryside.
The farm’s 2026 U-pick season is underway, with varieties becoming available progressively through the harvest. Early varieties include Zestar, Sunrise and Paula Red, followed by Ginger Gold, Gala and McIntosh. The farm also has ready-picked fruit, baked goods and its Farm Fun Zone.
That changing selection is one of the pleasures of apple season: visit at different points in September and you may come home with an entirely different bag.
Make a getaway of it: Continue to Port Stanley for lunch and a walk along the Lake Erie waterfront, turning apple picking into a relaxed southwestern Ontario day trip.
Best for: Families, apple lovers and Lake Erie road trips.
3. Archibald’s Orchard & Estate Winery - Bowmanville, Ontario
Pick the Apples — Then Taste What They Become
At Archibald’s Orchard & Estate Winery, apples aren’t only something to pick. They’re also turned into cider and fruit wines, giving this Durham Region destination an interesting farm-to-glass connection.
The Archibald family has grown apples here since 1967, and the orchard now contains almost 10,000 trees with numerous varieties. For 2026, pick-your-own apples begins September 12 — conveniently, the same day this article goes live.
Adults can also explore the winery and cider side of the operation, while apple picking remains an easy family activity.
Make a getaway of it: Explore Bowmanville and the surrounding Durham countryside, or continue east for a longer drive toward Port Hope and Cobourg.
2026 U-pick: Begins September 12.
Best for: Couples, families and travellers interested in both orchards and cider.
4. AppleStock Orchard - North Dundas, Ontario
A Country Drive South of Ottawa
You don’t have to travel far from Ottawa to trade city streets for an orchard. AppleStock Orchard, located in North Dundas just south of the capital, opened its 2026 apple-picking season on September 5. Regular hours are currently 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
McIntosh apples are currently available for U-pick, while the orchard is developing additional mid-season varieties as part of its ongoing rehabilitation. It’s a straightforward country outing rather than a sprawling amusement-style farm — exactly what some apple pickers are looking for.
Make a getaway of it: Take the slower roads south of Ottawa, add a country lunch and explore the small communities of North Dundas before heading home.
2026 season: Open from September 5.
Best for: Ottawa-area day trips and traditional apple picking.
5. Verger du parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno - Québec
Apple Picking Inside a National Park
This may be one of the most interesting apple-picking combinations on our list. The orchard at Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno, southeast of Montréal, allows visitors to combine an autumn walk with U-pick apples.
The orchard is used by Québec’s Institut de recherche et de développement en agroenvironnement for research into more sustainable apple production. Visitors, meanwhile, can pick varieties including Cortland, Empire, Gala, Honeycrisp, Lobo, McIntosh and Spartan.
The 2026 U-pick season runs September 12 through October 12, while fall colour makes the surrounding park increasingly spectacular as the season progresses. Park admission and orchard charges apply.
Make a getaway of it: Give yourself enough time to explore the park rather than visiting solely for the orchard. Montréal is close enough for a day trip, but Montérégie’s countryside offers plenty of reasons to stay out longer.
2026 U-pick: September 12–October 12.
Best for: Couples, hikers and anyone who wants fall colour with their apples.
6. Verger de l’Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac - Québec
Apples in the Eastern Townships
If we’re going to encourage readers to turn apple picking into a getaway, Saint-Benoît-du-Lac deserves a place on the list. Located in Québec’s Eastern Townships, the orchard at the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac offers U-pick among a landscape that already feels made for an autumn drive.
More than 20 apple varieties are available through the orchard, including McIntosh, Cortland and Honeycrisp, while the boutique carries cider, apple butter, apple sauce, cider vinegar and other products. For 2026, the orchard season runs August 29 through October 18, with U-pick offered on weekends from Labour Day through Thanksgiving.
Make a getaway of it: This is the one I’d turn into an overnight trip. Explore the Eastern Townships, stop in Magog and follow the country roads as autumn colour builds around Lake Memphremagog.
2026 season: August 29–October 18.
Best for: Couples, photography, scenic drives and a Québec fall weekend.
7. Mackay Apple Orchard - Long Reach, New Brunswick
Apples Along the Saint John River
New Brunswick‘s apple season typically stretches from September into October, and some of the province’s most appealing orchards are concentrated around the Saint John River Valley. Mackay Apple Orchard has an especially attractive location on the slopes overlooking the river at Long Reach.
After filling a bag at the U-pick, there’s another good reason to linger: Yip Cider is only about three kilometres away and produces cider using Mackay apples. That’s exactly the sort of pairing that turns a farm visit into a proper autumn road trip.
Make a getaway of it: Explore the Kingston Peninsula and Saint John River countryside, allowing plenty of time for scenic stops along the way.
Best for: Couples, scenic drives and apple-and-cider getaways.
Apple availability changes throughout the harvest. Check with the orchard before making a special trip.
8. Dempsey Corner Orchards - Aylesford, Nova Scotia
A Classic Annapolis Valley Harvest Stop
Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley is one of those destinations where the entire landscape seems to participate in harvest season. Orchards, farm markets and vineyards line the countryside, making Aylesford a natural stopping point on a September or October road trip.
Dempsey Corner Orchards offers U-pick apples and a traditional farm experience in the heart of the valley. Current 2026 regional harvest information places the apple-picking season from mid-September through October.
Rather than rushing back to Halifax after picking, use the orchard as one stop on a longer exploration of the valley.
Make a getaway of it: Continue toward Kentville and Wolfville, visit farm markets along the way and leave room in the car for considerably more produce than you planned to buy.
Best for: Families, food-focused road trips and Annapolis Valley weekends.
Check directly with the orchard for current picking conditions and hours before travelling.
When Should You Go Apple Picking?
There isn’t one universal apple-picking weekend in Canada. Early varieties can be ready by August, while others don’t reach their best until late September or October. Even within the same orchard, what’s available can change from one weekend to the next.
For most travellers, September is the sweet spot. Orchards are active, numerous varieties are ripening and the surrounding countryside is beginning its transition into autumn colour.
If you’re hoping to pick a particular apple — especially Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cortland or Gala — check the orchard’s latest crop update shortly before leaving home.
Weather and growing conditions always get the final say.
Make the Orchard Only the Beginning
Here’s our favourite approach: don’t make apple picking the entire trip.
Choose an orchard somewhere you haven’t explored before. Take the country roads. Have lunch in a nearby town. Visit another farm market. Walk a trail or stop at a scenic lookout.
And if there’s a bakery selling fresh apple pie along the way, the itinerary has essentially planned itself.
That’s what turns apple picking into a Canadian autumn getaway.
Continue the Great Canadian Harvest
This is Part 2 of our Great Canadian Harvest series.
If you haven’t already, start with The Great Canadian Harvest: Orchards, Pumpkin Farms & Corn Mazes Worth the Drive, our coast-to-coast introduction to harvest season.
And download our FREE Great Canadian Harvest Guide, featuring the illustrated cross-Canada harvest map and printable Autumn Harvest Checklist for Families & Road Trippers.
Coming next: Pumpkin Patch Road Trips: Where to Celebrate Fall Across Canada.