Apple picking near Syracuse, NY varies from location to location. Some of these orchards are full-blown fall festivals with corn mazes, cider donuts and loads of activities for the kids. Others are small teams of people and a hand-lettered sign, where you pay by the peck and leave 40 minutes later with a trunk full of Honeycrisp. Central New York sits in one of the best apple-growing regions in the country, and within 30 minutes to an hour from downtown you have your pick of both.
Below are 13 orchards across Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Madison and Oneida counties, grouped by what kind of day you actually want. Hours, u-pick windows and varieties come straight from each orchard's own site. Apples ripen on the weather's schedule, not the calendar's, so call ahead or check their socials before you drive if you have a preference.
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When is apple picking season in Syracuse?
The CNY u-pick season runs from late August through the end of October, with the last week of September into the first week of October as the peak. Early varieties like Paula Red, Zestar and Ginger Gold come off the trees in late August. McIntosh, Gala and Honeycrisp hit in the middle of September, which is when most people go. Cortland and Macoun land in late September, Empire and Jonagold in early October, and the late keepers like Crispin, Ida Red and Pink Lady stretch into early November at a couple of spots.
Make a whole day of it
These four have the food, the animals, the wagon rides and the parking lot to match. Expect crowds on a nice weekend day. If you want to dodge the crowds head out during a week day or go early / late in the season.
Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, LaFayette
Beak & Skiff is the one everybody knows. The family has been farming the area since 1911, and they run the most polished operation in CNY: an Apple Barn, the new Apple Grove Adventure Park, and the 1911 Established Tasting Room pouring hard cider, apple wine and small-batch spirits made from their own fruit. Their picking schedule is updated on the site in near real time, so you can check which of the dozen-plus varieties are ready before you leave the house. Open Monday through Wednesday 10am to 6pm, Thursday through Sunday 10am to 8pm.
Good to know: the Thursday-to-Friday 8pm close makes this the best option in CNY for picking after work if you have a little bit of driving to do.
Critz Farms, Cazenovia
Critz Farms has more than 2,000 apple trees on four and a half acres, plus a separate cider orchard growing 14 specialty varieties just for their hard cider. U-pick apples run 10am to 6pm daily starting the second week of September, and the corn maze, cider mill and cafe open the same weekend. Apples are sold by volume instead of weight, and the price is the same for every variety, so mix and match.
Good to know: on weekdays you can pick for free. On weekends every visitor needs an admission ticket, and there is no way to pick without one.
Abbott Farms, Baldwinsville
Abbott Farms is four generations deep and built for families. The stroller-friendly paths connect the u-pick orchard, the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, five acres of sunflowers and the barnyard animals. U-pick apples start in mid-August and go through November. The farm store and cafe are open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 8pm, and Sunday noon to 6pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Good to know: the orchard is open whenever the country store is, and the farmyard fun zone needs a wristband for anyone 3 and up.
Navarino Orchard is right on Route 20 south of the city. Over 20 apple varieties come ready week by week and the fritter stand does an apple fritter sundae that is worth the drive by itself. The country store and bakery are open daily 10am to 6pm, and The Barn restaurant runs Wednesday through Saturday 11am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.
Good to know: their picking schedule is posted and it changes through the season, so check it the morning you go.
Just here to pick apples
No admission, no wristbands, no corn maze. You show up, you get a bag, you pick, you leave.
Woznica Orchards, Cicero
Woznica Orchards is our pick for the most no-nonsense apple picking near Syracuse. The Woznica family has farmed off Route 31 for over a century, and they planted this orchard recently using Cornell's tall-spindle system, which packs 1,200 trees into an acre. You pull into the gravel driveway next to the red barns, pay by the peck or half peck, and pick. No admission, no parking fee, nothing else to buy. Honeycrisp and Gala come first, then Empire, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, Goldrush, Triumph and Sweet Maia. Open Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm, and picking usually starts the second weekend of September.
O'Neill's Orchard, LaFayette
O'Neill's Orchard publishes a useful document for apple season: a week-by-week estimated ripening chart covering everything. They are also the only orchard on this list that posts a u-pick price, at $1.50 a pound. Open every day 10am to 6pm, closing around November 1 and reopening late August. The kitchen runs Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day and Columbus Day for apple fritters, cider donuts and the Cider House Freeze.
Adams Acres, Jamesville
Adams Acres is a small operation with a big view, up on the hill between Jamesville and Pompey. Picking hours are Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm once the season opens, with Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 11am to 4pm added a week later. Opening day is Labor Day. You can also pre-order bushels through their site for pickup.
Deer Run Farms Orchard, LaFayette
Deer Run Farms Orchard is a block north of the LaFayette Apple Festival grounds and off Route 20. They open in September and close mid-November, with more than 15 varieties across the season, plus non-pasteurized cider, the apple fritter they are known for, fresh pies and breads, jams, local honey and NY maple syrup. The retail store is open 10am to 6pm and the fritter window closes at 5:30pm.
Worth the drive
Head north or west and the crowds thin out fast. These five are 30 to 50 minutes from downtown and reward the trip.
Owen Orchards, Weedsport
Owen Orchards has a system of colored flags out in the rows tells you which of the 15 varieties are ready that day, so nobody wanders around picking the wrong apples. Picking runs early September through the end of October, apples are sold by the pound, and 90 percent of the trees can be picked from the ground. Weekends bring wagon rides out to the orchard. Open Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 9am to 4pm.
Good to know: their u-pick schedule breaks the whole season into two-week windows by variety.
North Star Orchards, Westmoreland
North Star Orchards has the shortest picking window on this list. Admission, parking, the wagon ride and the kids corn maze cost nothing. The lower orchards open for about a week in the second half of September, walk-in only, 8am to 6pm daily, with McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, Fuji and Empire. After that the upper orchard is wagon-access only on two specific weekends, where you get Empire, Ida Red, Golden Delicious and Northern Spy. The market is open daily 8am to 6pm year round.
Good to know: check their u-pick page for this year's exact dates, because the window is narrow and the wagon weekends are not offered on weekdays. No pets on the property.
Behling Orchards, Mexico
Behling Orchards has been in the same family since 1947, five generations in, and has grown from six acres to over 200. They have made cider the same way for 50 years, using a rack-and-cloth press with nothing added. U-pick apples run daily 9am to 4pm in the fall, the main barn with the donut room and candy room is open 9am to 5pm, and the Apple Cookshack opens weekends 10am to 5pm. We went here last year and the lack of crowds was refreshing.
Good to know: 6 Acres Farm Brewery is a short drive from the orchard. You’ve probably never heard of them but it’s a solid stop for lunch and a drink. We were pleasantly surprised.
Appledale Orchards, Mexico
Appledale Orchards has been growing fruit in Oswego County since 1959. Apples start in late August. The bakery does cider donuts, pies and cider slushies, and there is a playground for the kids.
Good to know: they do not publish hours anywhere on their site. Call or check their social before you go.
What to know before you go
A few things that will save you a wasted drive.
Check socials or call first, always. Every orchard on this list runs on the weather. Opening days move, varieties sell out, and a rainy Friday can close a u-pick field on Saturday. Most of these farms post updates to socials faster than they update their websites. Bring cash. Some orchards prefer it or even run exclusively on it to maximize their margins.
Check the pet policy before you load the dog in the car. Deer Run does not allow dogs anywhere on the property, North Star bans pets under state food safety rules, and Abbott keeps them out of the store, cider mill, fields and barnyard.
Know what the weekend costs. Critz requires an admission ticket for every weekend visitor and you cannot pick without one, while Woznica, North Star and O'Neill's charge nothing to walk in. Neither approach is wrong, but showing up at the wrong one with the wrong expectation makes for a bad morning.
Go on a weekday if you can. Beak & Skiff on a sunny October Saturday is too much for some people. The same orchard on a Tuesday afternoon is a walk through a quiet hillside with a cider at the end.
Syracuse news & upcoming events. Five minutes. Every Monday.
Curated by a Syracuse local, for Syracuse locals. Free, forever.
Apple Picking Near Syracuse FAQ
When is apple picking season in Syracuse, NY?
Apple picking season in Central New York runs from late August through the end of October. Early varieties like Paula Red, Zestar and Ginger Gold ripen in late August. McIntosh, Gala and Honeycrisp come in around the middle of September. Cortland and Macoun follow in late September, Empire and Jonagold in early October, and late keepers like Crispin, Ida Red and Pink Lady stretch into early November at a few orchards. The best single weekend to go is the last weekend of September or the first weekend of October, when the most varieties are on the trees at once.
Where is the best apple picking near Syracuse, NY?
It depends on the day you want. For a full fall day out with food, cider and activities, Beak & Skiff at 2708 Lords Hill Rd in LaFayette is the largest and most polished orchard in CNY, open since 1911. Critz Farms in Cazenovia and Abbott Farms in Baldwinsville are the other two festival-scale picks. For straightforward picking with no admission and no crowds, Woznica Orchards at 8374 Cicero Center Rd in Cicero and O'Neill's Orchard on Route 20 in LaFayette are the best options. All three of the largest orchards sit within 30 minutes of downtown Syracuse.
How much does apple picking cost near Syracuse?
Most orchards near Syracuse charge only for the apples you pick, sold by the peck, the bag or the pound. O'Neill's Orchard in LaFayette posts a u-pick price of $1.50 per pound. Woznica Orchards in Cicero and North Star Orchards in Westmoreland charge nothing for admission, parking or wagon rides. Critz Farms in Cazenovia is the main exception: picking is free on weekdays, but every weekend visitor needs an admission ticket and there is no way to pick without one, so buy in advance. Abbott Farms requires a wristband for its farmyard fun zone for anyone age 3 and up, though not for picking itself.
Where can I go apple picking near Syracuse without the crowds?
Woznica Orchards at 8374 Cicero Center Rd in Cicero is the quietest option close to the city, about 20 minutes north of Syracuse and two miles from Oneida Lake. It is run by four people, has no admission or parking fees, and is open Saturdays and Sundays 11am to 4pm. Adams Acres at 7047 Sevier Rd in Jamesville is another small operation and the only NOFA Certified Organic apple grower in the area. Deer Run Farms Orchard on Route 11A in LaFayette sits deliberately off Route 20 to stay out of the festival traffic. Going on a weekday instead of a Saturday also thins the crowds at every orchard on this list.
Can you bring dogs to apple orchards near Syracuse?
Usually not, and you should check before you load the car. Deer Run Farms Orchard in LaFayette does not permit dogs anywhere on the property at any time, for any reason. North Star Orchards in Westmoreland bans pets entirely under New York State food safety rules. Abbott Farms in Baldwinsville keeps dogs out of the store, cider mill, u-pick fields and barnyard. Because u-pick fields are classified as food-growing areas, most CNY orchards apply the same restriction even when they do not post it on their website.
Which orchards near Syracuse have cider donuts and hard cider?
For hard cider, Beak & Skiff runs the 1911 Established Tasting Room in LaFayette with hard cider, apple wine and small-batch spirits made from their own fruit. Critz Farms in Cazenovia grows about 2,000 trees across 14 specialty varieties strictly for cider, and their Moon Collection includes maple, cranberry and blueberry. Abbott Farms in Baldwinsville pours homemade hard cider on tap. For donuts and fritters, Navarino Orchard on Route 20 runs a fritter stand known for its apple fritter sundae, Ontario Orchards in Oswego fries cider donuts Friday through Sunday, and Behling Orchards in Mexico has a dedicated donut room inside the main barn.
Is there organic apple picking near Syracuse?
Adams Acres at 7047 Sevier Rd in Jamesville is the NOFA Certified Organic apple orchard near Syracuse. It is a small family operation up on the hill between Jamesville and Pompey, roughly 20 minutes southeast of the city. Picking hours are Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 5pm, with Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 11am to 4pm added a week into the season. They also take bushel pre-orders through their website for weekend pickup, with orders due by Thursday.
Do I need to call ahead before going apple picking in CNY?
Yes. Every orchard near Syracuse runs on the weather, so opening days move year to year, varieties sell out mid-season, and a rainy Friday can close a u-pick field on Saturday. Behling Orchards in Mexico marks all of its posted hours as weather permitting. Appledale Orchards, also in Mexico, does not publish hours at all and asks visitors to call 315-963-3628. Most CNY orchards update their Facebook page faster than their website, so that is the best place to check the morning you plan to go.
