Looking to lean into those end-of-summer vibes a little more? It’s apple-picking season, friends. It’s the perfect activity to keep you happy until it’s time to pick pumpkins and it’s a great way to end your summer and kick off your autumn.
In my humble opinion, the apple is the most versatile fruit. You can put them in pies, make cider, dip them in caramel, mash them, and make applesauce, or even throw them in a salad. My point is, they’re delightful, and you can use them in so many different ways.
Sure, you can buy apples just about anywhere. But there’s something special about picking them yourself. So break out your tennis shoes and a sturdy basket: It’s time to go apple picking.
Every orchard below was checked against its own website on October 9, 2026. Two things to know this year: spring freezes closed CherryHawk after a two-day season, and Branstool has no pick-your-own peaches. Lynd’s Honeycrisp also sold out in late August. Picking days change with the weather and the crop, so check the farm’s page or call before you drive out.
| Orchard | Town | U-pick price | When to pick | 2026 note |
| Lynd Fruit Farm | Pataskala | $25 small bag (10 lb), $40 large bag (20 lb) | Most varieties open Thursdays, while they last | Honeycrisp sold out in late August |
| Branstool Orchards | Utica | Buy a bag inside the market | 10 to 4 most days; market closed Mondays | No u-pick peaches this year |
| Legend Hills Orchard | Utica | $20 small bag (10 lb), $35 large bag (20 lb) | Daily during market hours, arrive by 4 | 100th year of growing apples |
| CherryHawk Farm | Marysville | One-peck minimum, includes admission | Closed for 2026 | Most of the crop lost to a bad spring |
| The Orchard & Company | Plain City | $25 peck, $40 half bushel | Final u-pick weekend October 10th and 11th, 11 to 5:30 | Farmyard admission not required to pick |
| Lawrence Orchards | Marion | Not posted online | In season; market open Monday through Saturday 9 to 6 | Cider Labor Day to Christmas Eve |
Lawrence Orchards
About: Lawrence Orchards is a family-run orchard and farm market a 45-minute drive north of Columbus, just south of Marion. They grow 26 apple varieties, and the market carries the farm-stand staples: seasonal fruit, jams and jellies, local honey and local maple syrup. The fresh-pressed cider is the real draw. It’s never pasteurized (they use a UV process instead) and it’s sold by the gallon and half gallon from Labor Day to Christmas Eve. Applefest has come and gone for the year. Apple Butter and Horseradish Day is October 31st. Call the market before you drive up to pick.
Location: 2634 Smeltzer Rd, Marion · 740-389-3019
Call ahead: 740-389-3019
Lynd Fruit Farm
About: Lynd Fruit Farm is an absolute must-visit place for fun. U-pick apples are $25 for a small bag (about 10 pounds) or $40 for a large bag (about 20 pounds). There’s a $15 per car fee at the exit, waived once you buy a small bag. Most varieties open on Thursdays and stay open into the weekend while they last. Honeycrisp sold out in late August this year, so check Lynd’s picking schedule before you go. Down the road at 9851 Morse Rd, Maze Fest and the apple cannons run Fridays through Sundays, the cannons through October 25 and the maze through November 1. If you’ve never shot an apple towards a target from a specially crafted apple cannon, you’re missing out. You can read more about the Apple Cannon here.
Location: Market on Morse, 9399 Morse Rd SW, Pataskala. U-pick orchard entrances on Morse Rd change with the variety, and the farm posts the spot on Facebook and in its newsletter before each weekend · 740-927-8559
Website: Lynd Fruit Farm apple picking schedule
CherryHawk Farm
About: A visit to CherryHawk Farm has a certain feeling of nostalgia to it, even if you’ve never been there before. It’s a truly beautiful setting and if you’re on the hunt for serenity while you’re picking apples, this is the spot. One caveat for this year: a bad early spring wiped out most of the 2026 crop. CherryHawk’s u-pick season lasted two days, and the farm is now closed for 2026. In a normal year the minimum purchase is one peck of apples, which covers admission. The farm says it’s looking forward to 2027.
Location: 16220 Springdale Rd, Marysville · 937-642-6442
Call ahead: 937-642-6442
Branstool Orchards
About: Branstool Orchards has grown into an iconic apple picking spot over the years. They grow more than 35 apple varieties, from Pristine in late July to Pink Lady in late October, and u-pick runs 10 to 4 most days, with that day’s varieties posted on their site each morning. You buy your bag inside the market before you head into the orchard. Bartlett pears get a short u-pick window around Labor Day. There are no pick-your-own peaches in 2026 after a January cold snap and an April freeze took most of the crop, and peach season is over. A pick-your-own pumpkin patch is new this fall, and the Donut Hut makes cake donuts daily. The market is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 5, and closed Mondays.
Location: 5895 Johnstown Utica Rd, Utica · 740-892-3989
Website: Branstool Orchards
Legend Hills Orchard
About: Legend Hills Orchard is the other Utica orchard, and 2026 marks 100 years since the family planted its first apple trees. They grow more than 25 varieties on over 45 acres, and pick-your-own is open every day during market hours, weather permitting. Arrive by 4 so you have time to finish before the market closes. The variety list changes as apples ripen, and the farm posts what’s picking each day on its site. The farm market is open year-round with Amish cheese, jams, apple butter and trail bologna. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9 to 5 and Sunday 10 to 5.
Location: 11335 Reynolds Rd, Utica · 740-892-2498
Website: Legend Hills Orchard
The Orchard & Company
About: The Orchard and Company is a great spot to visit with the whole family. U-pick apples are $25 for a peck bag (10 pounds) or $40 for a half bushel (20 pounds), with a minimum of one peck bag per five people, and you don’t need farmyard admission to pick. The farmyard is the reason to bring kids: tractor-drawn wagon rides, the big corn pit, jumping pillows, hill slides and zip lines, plus a cafe with apple cider slushies and pumpkin donuts. Fall hours are Saturdays and Sundays only, September 5 through October 31, 11 to 6, closing at 3 on Halloween. U-pick apples wrap up with a final weekend on October 10th and 11th, from 11 to 5:30, with bags cut to $15 a peck.
Location: 7255 US-42, Plain City · 614-873-0510
Website: The Orchard & Company
READ MORE: The Ultimate Fall Activities Bucket List For Columbus Families
