In the fall, Carter's Mountain is packed with folks buying pumpkins, apple cider, apple cider donuts, cider, and wine. On a quiet week day in the spring, we were able to enjoy the steep drive up the mountain and the views that greeted us without lots of people and cars coming and going. You can still buy the cider, donuts, ice cream, and more. You also can relax and shop their very cute country store, which sells locally made jams, syrups, mixes, and other foods. They also have lovely dish towels and many other such gift items. We recommend going both in the fall to be part of the festivities as well as in the spring and summer. read more

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During our recent visit to Carter Mountain Orchard we skipped the apple‑picking portion, but the experience was still well worth the trip. Views From the orchard's main patio, the panorama stretches across rolling hills, doted farms, and nearby towns. It was perfect fall view. Food The freshly baked donuts are a standout--light, fluffy, and lightly glazed with just enough sweetness to satisfy without overwhelming. The accompanying cookies are similarly delightful: crisp on the edges, chewy in the center, and speckled with bits of chocolate or oatmeal that ad texture. Both items are perfectly paired with a cup of hot cider. While the apple‑picking experience is a highlight for many, the combination of panoramic vistas, fresh donuts, and comforting cookies makes it a worthwhile destination even for those who prefer to stay on the ground. It's an ideal spot for a casual outing, a quick photo session, or a sweet snack break amid beautiful surroundings. read more

The products, service, and views from Carter Mountain Orchard are definitely worth stopping by for year round. This was our second visit, but my first review. We had the amazing apple cider donuts and they are definitely memorable. We bought a dozen and my husband and I split them up evenly (6 each). I did a wine flight with 2 reds and 2 whites. I preferred the reds to the whites I tried. My husband had the cider and it was delicious. The weather was gorgeous to sit outside and take in the beautiful views of the Blue Ridge mts. We also purchased peaches, peach apple cider, dried apples, and other local, fresh products. We will definitely come back to try more wine, cider, and more donuts! read more

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If you want to get together with friends and have a peaceful time, have a drink, have some food and just hang out. Then definitely come to Carter mountain orchard. We were looking for something different to do and decided to stop by with some friends who were in town. Overall it was first beautiful, second peaceful and third enjoyable. There is a lot of seating up on the mountain and many people were apple picking and going on hayrides as well. The only downfall while we were there were the red lantern flies are taking over but hardly can be blamed on the business as they are everywhere nowadays. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Views from the top - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

A quintessential Fall activity in Charlottesville! A must. Go. You do need to reserve timed tickets in advance for the busy season (Sept-Nov). Parking is rough but pretty well organized! You can buy the donuts by single, 6pack, or dozen. If you purchase them and they're warm, you must open and eat one immediately. I don't make the rules! :) Also please get the slushie- trust me. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Popitos pizza, fries, apple cider slushie and donuts! With this view!! - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Best apple cider donuts. I want to two other places in Virginia and Juan in Maryland and this is definitely the best so far. Beautiful scenery on the mountains right overlook of the mountains in the city very cool Orchard. I enjoyed walking around good food good vibes. Everything was cool. Staff is friendly no complaints. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Apple tree - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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As someone who worked in an orchard for over 10 years... I was shocked that visiting an orchard on a mountain wouldn't be a better experience.. F O O D They had a tent serving Wood Fired Pizza - upon ordering they told us it would be 30 minutes for two wood fired pizzas. We set our timer and came back in 25 minutes. The guy taking the orders was all over the place. We got one of our pizzas while somebody else got our other one. And I'm pretty sure our pizza we got might've belonged to someone else waiting longer than us. And then a lady walked up, ordered, and got her pizzas immediately?! Trash service. S E R V I C E Every single employee here, except for one, that we interacted with had a bad attitude and were rude. Customer service training is essential to a create a thriving business... this business felt so cold and you could tell they are only about making money here. A T M O S P H E R E The environment is obviously beautiful because you're on a mountain with a view! But the lack of customer service and coziness taints the entire experience. And not to mention their restrooms are porta potties and look like they haven't been cleaned in weeks and there's trash all over the place with not a single employee picking up anything.. We literally drove an hour and a half today for my birthday... and we're now driving elsewhere because I refuse to give this business any more of my money. read more

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Me & Fall are made for one another. I love going to this orchard because it's just so beautiful during the fall. They always have YUMMY food and drink options. I stock up on apple cider donuts, apple cider, apples, and some of their canned goodies inside I'm not the best for hiking so I may not hike it next year - but I'll forever keep going back for the other adventures. With how beautiful it is - they get super busy so buy your tickets in advance ! Bring your hiking shoes and be prepared to wait in line. They move so quick but there are so many people you'll be waiting a minute for anything. The staff are also super friendly with having to deal with so so many people. So please respect them regardless of how long the wait is. read more

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Cheers to 7 years of picking apples here! Started a fall tradition after moving to the east coast, and now I look forward to coming here every fall! --------------------------------- It's funny how moving to Virginia made me actually like apples again. There must be something in the apple. Something about picking an apple from a tree, with the backdrop of gorgeous mountains surrounding you, blue skies, the sun in your face... Unfortunately this year, it was a bit hot. Still 80 degrees in October?? Make sure to check the weather Apples: they have a varied selection, recommend checking the website to see what's available. Only at the end did we discover there was a patch of Jonagolds. We got granny smith, stayman, staymans. They also had Fuji, but that requires you to walk up a very big hill Food: we split some fire oven pizza from Popitos, got the apple cider donuts which are a classic, and split a bold rock blackberry hard cider Recommendations: apples, apple cider donuts, bold rock cider Affordability: costs about $10 to book a ticket (unfortunately we had to cancel because of the rain), and $35 for a box, overall it's probably more expensive than buying apples from a grocery store but the experience is so worth it! Service: buy your tickets in advance!! They sell out, do not be, apple-less Good for: cute dates, hangouts, family read more

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As someone who enjoys a nice hard cider at a summer arbecue as much as I enjoy it a on a crisp fall evening, I can say this was one of the nicest places that I've sat and had a drink in many years. The photos do not do justice to the view that we are looking at while sat at the orchard, we saw a picnic benches and enjoyed views from miles and miles across the rolling hills and mountains of Virginia. Not only did we enjoy trying the Bold Rock Cider, but we also enjoyed getting apple cider donuts from the store inside at the orchard. On top of this there was also some wines available too, alongside other food options and fun trinkets in the shop. The road is a little windy to get up but that is implied by the name Carter 'Mountain' Orchard. All of the stuff they were very friendly, and I'll bartender is very helpful with our cider selections. We actually ended up going for one of the hard cider flights, unlike them all so much that we bought them from the small shop there as well to enjoy when we got back later. read more

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My husband did not know what an apple cider donut was. I was confused because they are so delish and a fall staple. So even though it was January and freezing cold out... we went for donuts. He loved them so much he ate 3 in the parking lot before we got to the hotel. Needless to say we went back for another half dozen and a gallon of frozen cider. read more

Peach picking! We drove from Richmond to pick peaches and have a little outdoor time. We've been here before for apples and had a great time, so When we heard they have peaches we were excited. We ended up buying 2 medium bags, which was more than enough. Some advice: Wear tennis shoes and something cool if you're coming peach picking in the summer No large bags or purses are allowed and no outside drinks or food. The store is cute and has some nice things but it's pricey. I know they need to make money so I get it. Take your time and have fun'! Stop for a snack and cider and relax a bit. read more

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Good old fashion fall fun. This apple orchard is so sweet we got a large bag of crunch a bunch. It was rainy the orchard was muddy but still a great time. Everyone should visit this place this fall. read more

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So excited to go back to Carter mountain. Haven't been on some years. The winding road up the mountain is so adventurous. They had chili and it was so good. It was warming for the cold day we were there . The bold rock area was so good. Nice selection of Bold Rock ciders and Brent was so nice and knowledgeable of Bold Rick itself. The ambiance is festive and of course the apple cider donuts are the absolute best! There view is spectacular read more

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Such great views!! Always make sure to grab a flight from Bold Rock, and a wine slushy! Their apple cider donuts are to die for! Always accommodating as well read more

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The wine for an orchard that specializes in other things was very decent. They have a variety of options to choose from. The Chardonnay was crisp and light. The petit manseng was on par for the area. Meritage was also on par for the area. Merlot was ok. I will say I thought they would all be sweet because of it being an orchard but they were all pleasantly in the middle. The staff were all friendly. They have plenty of seating and parking. The store has lots of cute items and jams and sauces. I greatly enjoyed the vibes. The apple cider donuts are ok a little too greasy for my personal taste. Overall would recommend for a fun family outing or a cute day out in nature. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Wine list - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I dream about their peach soft serve sometimes. Beautiful stop if you're passing through Charlottesville or staying in the area. Highly recommend shopping in their store. I got fun gifts for friends last time I was there. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Peach soft serve on the patio with a beautiful view - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Growing in Central Virginia, this was always a favorite spot of mine. But now it has just gotten way over priced. You now pay to even enter the orchard. The donuts and views are worth the trip but just be prepared to drop some money. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Peaches - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The apples are absolutely wonderful. We came in November and the only apple in season was the Pink Lady. Not a problem for me as it's one of my top 3 favorites. A small bag to pick is $16 and it goes up from there. We had the best time! Tip: bring an Apple picker as the sweetest and largest apples are at the top. They do not rent pickers. There are so many apples. More than enough for everyone! The more you walk the more you get. They are flawless. I mean these apples looked amazing and tasted delicious. I pretty much ate my weight and carried out 2 full boxes. As for bathrooms, the port a potties outside the building cinnamon less used than inside. There are 2 stalls inside an indoor bathroom that always have a wrap around line. And portas by the hay ride. For food, there was an organic Mexican fusion and a pizza truck. The pizza was not my type. I don't want pizza kissed with cheese , I want pizza dripping with it. The line for the hot donuts was an hour and a half long but we stood and waited. Tip: the line was 10 min at 11:45 and almost 2 hours at 3:00. Get them early!! But either way you won't disappointed at all. There is a delicious cider room under the main shopping center and a wine room to the left of the hot donut windows. The hayride is cute and takes you down a road you will drive down if you come late. So you might get stuck behind a tractor trying to exit. Should you come? Even with crowds, if you like apples, there's nothing quite as delicious. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Apples - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Fun for everyone, all things apples! Picking, tasting, cider, booze (Bold Rock cidery onsite), slushies (boozy too), wine, and sweets. Hot apple cider donuts are a must! $8/6 or $14/12. Apple pie is $18 and looked yummy. During peak Fall weekends, admission is $9/person. Check their website to see what apples are in picking season. We grabbed Jonagolds. Before entering, you check-in to picking stand to buy bags or boxes on site, 2-3 people/bag or box required. No outside bags/containers (they have bag checks). Staff are present throughout the orchard to guide you or help if you get stuck or injured. read more

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The drive up here was very easy and beautiful. There wasn't as much traffic as we expected considering it was the last weekend they were open. We did book our tickets in advanced so that we knew we would get in. When you get in after showing your ticket, it is a bit of a cluster. The country store is right there on the right and then there are tables along the center of the walkway with product for sale as well as food trucks along the path as well. The country store doesn't have much space at the register, so the lines back up into the walkway. There wasn't a lot of direction on where to go. We bought the bags for apple picking and checked our stuff we bought at the Bold Rock Cidery. They wouldn't let us take our drinks so we had to leave our cold drinks which was disappointing, especially since I didn't have a cup that I would throw away and risk littering. They didn't tell us anything about the apple picking other to enjoy. As we got down the mountain to the trees of pink ladies, that's when we found out that a.) they give you nothing to get to the apples and that's not listed on their website, so some people had brought their own apple pickers but most people weren't so lucky; b.) pink ladies were the only apples left to pick (which was fine by us as that's what we wanted anyway). After filling our bag and hiking back up the mountain, we went to get our checked stuff and heard them making an announcement to the guests in line buying bags with the news that pink ladies were all that were left but also that apparently there were signs at trees that said pick me that we were supposed to go to. That was not told to us and we did not see those trees. We then went to stand in line for apple cider slushes but the line didn't move at all. We ended up seeing a much shorter line at the country store that also had slushes so we went over there and were done in about 10 minutes. We ended up getting some great stuff along with the apples and we had a fun time plus enjoyed the scenery. I do wish that they either stated on the website clearly to bring an apple picker or even offered renting one. I also wish there was a bit more direction and line organization as we were shoved multiple times due to the lack of space. We will be back next year though and just took this first time as a learning experience of what to expect next year. read more

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We've visited several time for apple picking, and this year was just not the same. The view is still amazing and we enjoyed Bold Rock, donuts and ice cream, but the picking was not great. This is the earliest we've ever been, but they only had 1 apple variety to pick (Golden Delicious) and two rows to share with a large crowd of people. If you live 1-2 hrs away, I'd say you should def make the trip. For us, it wasn't quite worth the 3.5 hr drive this year. read more

So many apples available!!!!! The representatives available to assist we're all over the place available to help. Even though it was a lot of people there, everything moved swiftly. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Came here for the first time with friends who have been going each fall for the past 3 years. I hadn't been Apple picking since I was a kid. I forgot what a workout it was. At Carter Mountain Orchard there is PLENTY of parking. There are food trucks and food stands right when you walk in through the main entrance. I highly recommend buying a box of a dozen apple cider donuts - they are made fresh and warm on site and are delicious! There are restrooms in the same area as the food vendors. There is a two stall women's bathroom and another women's bathroom around the corner with even more stalls. I definitely recommend going to the larger bathroom with multiple stalls. There was a very helpful employee who was refilling soap in the two stall bathroom and quickly grabbed another roll of toilet paper after one fell in the toilet (one of the bathroom stalls had a broken TP dispenser which made the toilet paper come off the holder easily). There are multiple picnic tables overlooking the orchard which is great for snacking and relaxing with family and friends. When you get to the Apple picking counter, you can purchase the containers you want for picking. They don't allow strollers or carts into the orchard rows because the ground is very uneven. They also don't allow large bags in the orchard and rows because it's a stability issue and also so people don't sneak out extra apples beyond the capacity of the container they paid for. It's $9 per person to get in the orchard on a busy day, on less busy days admission is free (they post these days on their website). For an idea of apple bag prices, a small paper bag to hold your picked apples is $12, a medium bag is $20. Also, be sure to wear supportive, comfortable shoes! We had a great time and would definitely go back again. read more

Alot of fun. Drove out on a Saturday Morning. Moved along a lot faster than I expected so that was good. The apples are very tasty. The apple cider donuts and peach ice cream were good too. They have a store where we bought alot of food stuff. Definitely recommend. read more

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Whew. What a workout. Be ready to walk! This place had a beautiful view of the city. There were still apples available if you didn't mind taking a hike. They are great for baking. There's also a place for wine and cider. Nice weekend getaway read more

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What can I say? You come here for the views. The cider is good (as good as it can be for someone who doesn't love it). The donuts are fantastic. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Views - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Arrived today Aug 19, 2025 Spent a lot of money on pies, peaches and apples Got home, pies are good, apples are good but peaches are bad. No flavor, brown spots throughout the fruit, basically threw them away read more

This is for the Apple picking experience only. I understand you pay for the experience and was happy and willing to overpay for tasty (and they truly are tasty apples). But it is wayyyy overpriced and thr service is underwhelming. You must pay 10$ per person just to get in on the weekends: family 4 you're 40 in. Ok. We paid for one box and one bag of apples (after waiting on a long line) prior to picking (30$/box, 20$/bag). Hay rides to some of the picking locations was another 4$/person or you could walk. But if you want to get Fuji's be prepared for a long walk. We picked 2 boxfuls. I wanted to pay the difference between 1 bag and the box we picked. They didn't allow and forced us to just buy another full box. It was annoying. We already paid so much. There is an abundance of apples, literally they're rotting on the floor. And after all this money they still nickel and dime. I'm disappointed by the whole experience. Next autumn I will look for another orchard. Buy local apples at a store and go to nearby Monticello instead. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Carter Mountain feels like Virginia's top apple picking spot. It might just be because where I live, but it's always talked about during fall-time. It's a top spot for a reason. They have a great operation going here. During busier times, you'll need to get a $8.99 ticket to enter. You can check their website for more details. I met up with a Cville friend on my recent trip. Do know that the mountain is very steep. My sedan was able to make it up so don't be intimidated by it. There was a lot of parking spots available. When you enter during busier times, you show the ticket you got in advance for a wristband. There was one non-apple vendor for lunch. I got a delicious Mediterranean chicken platter for $18. My friend and I decided to get medium sized bags to apple pick. We chose not to do pink lady's because those medium bags were $30 versus the $21.21 we paid to pick just granny smith's, winesaps, and staymans. Our medium bag held about 15 apples. Do know that apple picking here is a bit of a workout. We came on a very hot day so were sweating on the steep hills. This is a mountain afterall. All the trees we picked from were on steep hills which made grabbing apples a bit tough and angled. We still had a fun time. After our apple picking workout, we headed to the long (but totally worth it) apple dessert line. I ordered an apple cider slushie float with a donut on top. It was divine. The apple cider slush with soft serve vanilla ice cream on stop was phenomenal, not to mention the donut with it. I may have overdosed on sweetness, but it was totally worth it. I'd highly recommend ordering this on a warmer day. Carter Mountain Orchard is a must during fall in Virginia. I think everyone should visit it at least once. read more

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Carter Mountain is a must-have experience for the fall. This orchard is such a beautiful scenic view that is great for any age. There are usually three varieties of apples available for picking. You can choose between for different sizes of bag or box for picking your apples. It's such a fun time looking for the perfect apples. In addition to apple picking, there are pumpkins, merchandise, candy, food, and drinks available. There are numerous tables outside for your group to enjoy Carter's famous cider and apple cider doughnuts. Food trucks also come on select days, which you can find on Carter's social media. So there is delicious food available for everyone. I recommend purchasing your tickets a few days in advance online to ensure that you can come at the day & time you wish. You will have a blast! read more

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I cannot fault them on price. Places like this are closing around the US and they have to get money. Beautiful area if a bit touristy; however, there is an invasive species of bug there that is so pervasive that when we went in September of 2025, it felt like a plague that Moses had released on Egypt. Bugs were flying in my face, on my body, crawling on my family. No they did not bite, but they swarmed you. Entomophobes might need to pass on this one. Otherwise, great place to visit. read more

Very cool place to stop in, even in January they had fresh apples bagged. Will be coming back in season!

Fantastic view. Staff were wonderful. But I paid $10 entry, waited 30 min to get a $4 ice cream, and was sent a long way up and down hills(and I'm a hiker!)to pick a small bag ($16) of apples but could not reach ANY of them (and I'm 5'10"!!). They had signs everywhere showing a very full bag with an X, making it clear that you should not take too many! REALLY, I think they could afford to let people take a few extra apples. My 2 children could not actually pick any because they could not reach them!! $12 for us to take a hayride(which was good) The wood fired pizza was good but also expensive. They did not have anyone managing the exit and cars were backed up trying to take a left turn! read more

I've been here a few times but this is the first time I've gone on a weekend in October. It was crazy packed! The long lines were for the cider donuts which is a must try for newbies. All the other lines for food vendors, wines, ciders and gift shop were faster lol. The weather was lovely and my entire family had a blast! read more

Don't go. Especially on a weekend in season. But really ever. This place has jumped the shark and it's now really just a place where surly people in overalls try to separate you from as much of your money as possible. $9 bucks a person to buy overpriced donuts. The views are still great but that's the only part of this former institution that remains. Everything else is just crowded, cheesy and sad. read more

What was once was a charming family activity has become a corporatized cash grab that steals from the experience. Minimum bag purchases and high prices have ruined this place for me. Nice views tho. read more

Deliciousness - 3/5 Happiness - 4.5/5 Let's start with the good. This is a gorgeous orchard up in the mountains. Apples galore and boasts a cider-tasting room and a wine tasting room. You can sip while sitting on a terrace overlooking the beautiful pastoral scenery. They also have a large country store full of all sorts of fruit, pastries, and other homey foods and decor. That said, the wine and ciders were not very good. All were very sweet, and neither left a particularly memorable impression. It's rare when I don't get a bottle from a small independent winery, but I didn't do it here. The people working the cider room weren't particularly helpful, declining to give me any recommendations (saying that the flavor profiles were on the menu and "what you'll like depends on your taste" - obviously that's true, but you can still tell me what you think is good). So while I enjoyed the location, the wine and ciders didn't impress and the service wasn't the best. read more

Carter Mountain Orchard - What a view - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This Mountain Orchard has gorgeous views and the cider is very good! I also tried the frozen wine - it didn't really have much complexity but was a lovely beverage for this warm summer day! There is a general store, food, and tons of seating! It was a very nice way to spend an afternoon. I'd definitely go back. Very chill. there is also a little area to play cornhole read more

I go to Carter Mountain every year as a fall tradition. I always choose to pick my own apples, hike up the mountain, fill my bag with Fuji apples, and take in the great view. They have small, medium, and large bags, and a box option. I usually get 10-15 apples in a small bag. Picking your own apples is only half the experience though. You have to also get fresh apple cider donuts, cider (hot or slushee), and some peach ice cream. They have lunch options and other desserts as well. There's also a Bold Rock bar for some hard cider. Tickets are required during peak season. Be sure to get them early as they sell out. However they have a drive-thru option if you're only interested in picking up the goods. During peak season weekends, the lines are long and it can be hard to find a table. It does end up being a bit pricey at the end of the day but I am happy to support local and have the opportunity to continue my tradition. read more

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