An absolute must. So much to pick from and do. We were late in the season but still got to go out to the orchard and pick. I like how you pay by the bag, rather than by the pound at the end. If you come late in the season or want other apple types you can fill up any left over space in your bag at the barn. We recommend the apple cider slushie and taking a walk down to the animal barn to see the gorgeous birds! read more

Sky Top Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

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I've been to many of the orchard attractions that are close enough for a day trip. With it being less than a 3 hour drive, Sky Top is my new go-to fall outing. Plenty of orchard rows to walk with several types of apples to choose from. Apple bags are purchased before entering the orchard but you can also finish filling it in the store if you want to. There's even a raised platform to take pictures. Sky Top has lots to do outside of the orchard. There's an apple cannon, hay rides, bee train and playground. There were more food options than I expected. They offered pizzas, large pretzels, and hot dog combos. And there are so many treats! Fudge, ice cream, kettle corn, different types of dipped apples, and donuts. Everything I tried was yummy. Definitely a fun family day! read more

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Update October 2, 2025 It was a nice drive up to Zirconia, NC with two of my siblings, and a cool morning at 56 degrees. My second visit this year to Sky Top. There many varieties of pre picked apples to choose from. Jonagold, Staymen Winesap, Evercrisp, Crimson Crisp, Golden Delicious, Blushing Gold, Granny Smith, Gala, Asian Pear, Rome and Macintosh. There are also mountain tomatoes in the stand. Don't forget to get some of those "hot now" apple cider donuts. read more

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Great orchard to visit! They offer samples of the apples to try before you buy. There's some Carmel apples and other goodies for purchase too. A great place to explore and walk around. We also tried the hot apple cider which was good, but not my favorite. If you like sweet and simple apple cider then it's good, I just like mine a little more tart or spiced. read more

Sky Top Orchard - Farm animals - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

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Tried and true orchard. They have a new addition every year . Always super friendly employees. Clean. Nice way to spend the day. You pick apples, hat rides, hot donuts and pottery along with slashes and pies fresh and frozen. read more

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Absolutely loved it. We arrrived around noon on a Saturday. There is tons of parking but most of it is in the woods, so be very aware of where you park. We saw an SUV get stuck and really struggle to get out of the lot. There were a lot of parking attendants and they were very helpful. Definitely a family-focused orchard (if you don't enjoy kids, this may not be your jam). My toddlers had so much fun. We were able to easily navigate our double stroller throughout the orchard. Their "hens and chicks" bathroom includes a changing table. They have several different playgrounds and play areas for kids of all ages. Almost all of the picnic tables sit under greatly shaded areas. The tractor ride is $4 per person and gives a great tour of the orchard. They also have a bee train for little kids ($3 per person). You can buy various sizes bags of apples inside or pick your own 15lb bag for $30. The apple cider doughnuts were really delicious. We also tried the apple cider slushees and loved it. Again, we loved our visit and can't wait to go back * This visit was before Hurricane Helene. Sending extra prayers and support for the entire community. read more

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Beautiful. I loved the road leading up to Sky Top. Once there, we found plenty of parking. It was raining, so any adventures on the orchard would have to be for another time. We walked around the shop though and bought some peaches and apples. A lot of the areas were closed down as it was a Sunday afternoon and raining, but we enjoyed our time here and I'd definitely come back. read more

Located in the foothills of North Carolina, this family owned orchard has so much to be seen and picked. With a quaint market that is covered and just next to the hot and fresh apple cider doughnuts, this place is great for the family. They have row and rows of apples of all varieties. Plus they also have some already picked if you just wanted to buy them. I highly recommend their doughnuts and hand pies. Parking is either on the backside of the property or across the street. Be prepared to wear walkable shoes and water. But otherwise the kids can have fun at the playground or apple shooting, or bamboo forest and hay rides with bee barrel rides. read more

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Being from Upstate NY, apple picking is a HUGE fall activity where I am from. There were a large amount of orchards within 30 minutes of my hometown, everyone takes their kids apple picking each September or October. It's a BIG tradition! Since moving to Raleigh, we have missed our autumnal apple activities. SkyTop was a good way to replicate that experience. My dad loves to bake apple sauce and pies/tarts, so our main objective was to pick up baking apples for him. There was a very large selection of pre-picked apples. We skipped the actual apple picking, but it was an option. Cider donuts are also a popular food at those Upstate NY orchards. I'm happy to say, there are also delicious freshly made donuts. We came on a Monday in late October, thank god we got in line at the right time because it got crazy long after we queued up. Hopefully, Sky Top can make that process more efficient next year. I read a lot of gripes on the local Raleigh message boards about this too, so it's not just me. My husband and I split a can of the hard cider, it was tasty. We went with something pretty basic, but we both liked it. So if you miss Vermont or Upstate NY fall, come to Sky Top for a similar experience. read more

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Sky Top Orchard in Zirconia, NC is located at the top of a mountain road so if you enjoy driving on curvy roads this will be the highlght of your visit. I enjoyed the ride up to the orchard very much. When we got there, we were directed into a full parking lot and then had to cross the street and park wherever you could in the woods. I'd never seen parking like that before. Picking your own apples was quite expensive and more than the already picked apples. I chose this orchard as the website said they had macintosh and they did. I bought a peck of apples and some of the donuts that had a separate line. They had cider and pies and caramel apples too. I wanted more than I got but knew it was going to be a long enough walk back to the car and I just had so many hands. As much as I loved the drive to the orchard, I did not enjoy the orchard and wouldn't return to this one. read more

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Updating our last review: We have been coming back every year for the past 7 years and I have avoided using their bathrooms but today I had to... and was super surprised they were so clean and well maintained! And it was super busy there! We also tried the apple turnovers and they were delicious. Cider and donuts and apple selection were great just as they always have been. They opened up the playground area a bit which is an improvement. So we are updating our review to 5 stars. The only negative we can come up with is you have to stand in line to buy vouchers then stand in line for the actual donuts if you dont have cash. But that isnt so bad to take a star for sure. These guys have gotten better and better over the years. read more

We have been coming here for years. We love the donuts hot off the press. Only took away one star because the staff were not very friendly, and the you pick containers are now plastic peck bags instead of sturdy pails. read more

My wife and I always have an amazing time at Sky Top. Plenty of open space and a wide variety of apples, combined with the scenic view. Last but definitely not least, the donuts. They are to die for. It is our once a year destination. Frantz and Brenda read more

We were lucky to find a good parking space! We came friday morning so it wasn't really that crowded. It was mostly school field trips that were there. We went ahead and got the donuts and we waited maybe 5 mins. The whole area has a nice selection of apples but I wish they were labeled better. Some didn't have a sign of what type of apples. We got a good bit for one bag and it was worth it. The scenery and fresh air also added a nice touch. This is a great day trip and a fun event for the fall time! read more

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Overall: A fun way to spend a day apple picking and enjoying with the family. The good: Definitely caters to kids and families, with tons of activities. Our little one enjoyed the (small) animal area, and once she's older she'll love the little play area with things to climb all over. Nice layout with everything in a central location, and the apples in easy walking distance. Plenty of parking and places to eat (is BYOF if you want). Friendly staff. The not-so-good: Expensive. Admission may be free but basically anything you want to buy is a good chunk of change. The apple cider donuts we bought were good, but not mind blowing. Apple selection was pretty picked over mid-October. read more

This place has incredible views but seems really overrated. It's absolutely packed with children running around screaming (I'm not shy about admitting that I don't like kids, especially hyper ones). This is definitely a destination for families - there's a train, a big playground, an apple canon, and more. The checkout lines were super long. We went on a Friday morning and were shocked at how crazy busy it was. There's parking in front of the building, a huge lot behind the building (this is where you'll see the amazing views!), and parking across the street. We parked in the back since everything else was full. Honestly, after seeing how crazy the parking lots were, we almost turned around and left. But it's a very twisty road up the mountain so I didn't want to leave with nothing. There are many things behind the checkout counters so you'll have to wait in line to get cider and bakery vouchers. I got an apple hand pie which ended up being really bland. I also bought some cider, but I haven't tried it yet. We visited many orchards during our trip. The best apples we got were from Twisted Apple - perfectly sweet and super crispy! Just the perfect apples and the sweetest people. We also enjoyed Justus Orchard. Sky Top was a huge disappointment for us and we wouldn't go back. read more

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How stinkin' cuuuuuute is this place? Having grown up in the Northeast, we're used to apple orchards and cider mills galore. Who knew the South could boast as well for this treat of a place. First timer here on hot cider donuts and they did NOT disappoint! Purchased already picked apples only because the place was jumping, and the price couldn't be beat. Still working on the apples during Thanksgiving prep time from our visit in September! read more

Prices are through the roof. Must purchase a bag to pick apples, each bag is $30, but atleast a dozen donuts is about $14. Saturdays in October are PACKED, traffic is pretty long and you're walking up and down hills scouting for some decent apples. Mid October is slim pickins read more

This was our first time Apple picking, so I have no other places to compare to. I still feel very confident that this orchard is one of the best choices for a fun fall family activity. I absolutely cannot stand crowds, especially with our two littles. We decided to come up on a weekday and we basically had the place to ourselves. The staff were so laid back and helpful. There are SO many things to see and do, even with no wait we were entertained the entire time we were there. I feel like the prices are very reasonable both for food and activities. Please do not sleep on the Apple cider donuts. We took a dozen home and they didn't last a full day. The cider is delicious too. They offer it frozen so you can get it home without it going bad. We quite possibly will be back this year, but this will definitely be an annual tradition for our family. Such a fun experience and beautiful sites. read more

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My family and I had been going to this orchard for over a decade. In the past few years, they have done away with real baskets to pick the apples, apple pickers to get apples high up in the trees, wagons to pull kids/apples on, and necessary staff to help guests. Now you have to pay in advance for a bag to stuff your overpriced apples in. This orchard used to be a great, family-friendly place. There's nothing too friendly about this orchard anymore, certainly not the staff. We went on a Friday morning and it was packed with barking dogs and screaming children (which includes adults who are yelling at their kids). Lines to checkout weren't worth the wait. If you have physical disabilities, I would consider going elsewhere. Even if you don't plan on picking apples, the current layout is chaotic. There are kids running everywhere. In an effort to make more money, Sky Top Orchard has forgotten how to make guests feel appreciated. read more

We went during the height of autumn and enjoyed gorgeous mountain views and the amazing foliage of Asheville while picking so many apples that we had to bake some before they could spoil! We came around midday, which seemed to be the time to get there. There's lots of parking, but as we were leaving later that afternoon there seemed to be another rush to get in. Huge line of cars. Glad we missed that! They also have donuts, hot food, playground, and apparently a gem mining area that I didn't notice until we were leaving. Guess I have an excuse to return! read more

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We were pleasantly surprised with our visit. This place is picturesquely beautiful. We went in November, the weather was perfect and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The kids rode the bee train, shot the apple cannon, walked the bamboo trail, saw the goats, sheep, and peacocks, played on the playground, and picked apples in the orchard. It's a great place to have a day out with the family. read more

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Sky Top Orchard is one of my favorite places near Asheville! There are so many activities from browsing the apple products, apple picking, and hanging out while enjoying the delicious products. Even walking around you get a beautiful view with mountains in the distance. You can pick the apples for $20.00/bucket There is usually a wait/parking can be challenging. I must say the apple cider donuts are to die for. They come fresh out of the oven and come for $10/dozen. They melt on in your mouth! Positives: Fresh apple cider donuts, so many in house apple products, large area Negatives: can get really crowded (especially challenging during COVID), some products can be expensive, and apples are not very abundant into the later parts of fall, need to bring cash read more

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Great activity espescislly if near the area or visiting near Asheville! Go ahead and treat yourself to a dozen apple cider donuts. They are making them in a side room dedicated strictly to donuts and are fresh and hot. Recommend doing the pick a peck for 20 bucks for the group. We went end of the season so there wasn't much to pick from but that didn't stop us from having fun. We had apple pie, sliced apples and a cobbler with these apples. There's a playground and apple cannon where you can shoot apples at targets across waterways for 5 bucks. It's a great day time activity! The store also has jellies, Apple cider that was very fresh, pies and salsas and such. read more

Sky Top Orchard - Apple cider donuts - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

The orchard is pretty with Mountain View's. The apple selection is just okay. I would say it's somewhat limited depending on when you go and the prices have increased noticeably over the years. The donuts are always delicious as is the cider. Now for the bad... The traffic was insane. 30 min to drive the last 1.5 miles up the mountain. Parking isn't adequate and given the prices, I don't think sitting in traffic like your in downtown Atlanta makes for an enjoyable visit. There are other orchards. read more

Sky Top Orchard has amazing Apply Cider Doughnuts! Seriously, do not miss this during your visit! We got a pack of six but I really wish we had gotten the full dozen. They make them fresh right in front of you and were so soft and full of cinnamon sugar goodness. The setup is a bit confusing to get them. If you have cash, you can go right up to the outdoor counter. But if you're paying with card, you have to go inside, pay for a voucher, and then take it back to the outdoor counter. We also got some cups of Apple Cider which were delicious and refreshing. There was plenty of parking, but it looked pretty crowded in the apple orchard area, so we didn't end up doing any apple picking. read more

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September 8, 2022. What a great day trip for us and another check off my bucket list. I have never picked apples before. I was excited that Honey Crisp were ripe for picking because they are my favorite! The facilities are nice and the workers are friendly. I enjoyed an apple cider slushy and the yummy cider doughnuts. We took home a huge bag of the best apples I have ever eaten. I definitely recommend a visit here. read more

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Great place to pick apples. Great cider and AWESOME fresh cooked apple Doughnuts. They have a great selection of apples. I bought Asian Pears. Jelly and James. If you have kids they have a lot of fun things for the kiddos. Go see them. Tell em I sent you. read more

Maybe it was end of season... What I went for the U-pick experience. Just my luck, I got there on a rainy day... but I still decided to do the u-pick experience. I was prompted to purchase the bag first and then I could proceed to the orchard to pick. They have a map at the beginning but none for you to take.. only take a picture with your phone... I went Oct 8th and most apples were coming up to the end of the season. I was told that there was mainly Fujis available. I did find some fujis. I was able to taste the apples and fill my bag. Since the fruit was thin, I was allowed to top off my bag with with whats in the store bins. The picking experience would probably be better if it wasn't raining... There didn't seem to be any pickers for us to use to pick either. I didn't walk to the whole orchard since it was raining. The market area had a lot of items! I picked up a bottle of honey. Also grabbed some asian pear. The asian pears were very tasty! Though some of them looked beat up... I also had to try the cider doughnuts. **I AM NOT A DONUT FAN** To me there donuts tasted better cold than hot... I had one hot and didn't really like it... It is very sweet to me and tasted ok... I also bought a cup of frozen cider to drink, it was very refreshing.. and tasted like apple juice (not trying to be offensive). Over I had a good experience... minus the rain. Environment This 50+ orchard was located on top, hence the name... It was an easy drive. There is plenty of parking available, right out front and also across the street. There is a lot to be if it isn't raining... Niceness of the staff Super super nice staff. It was my first time doing apple picking and even trying cider! The lady was so nice to let me try them all (hot, cold and frozen). Dollar It was $25 to do the u-pick experience but you can fill the bag to the top! Yes Id be interested to go again during peak seasons... or even asian pear season! read more

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This place is awesome. Just about a 2.5hr drive from the house, so it's day trip worthy! Got there a little after they opened at 9! Cool morning in the mountains. Wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty! They had just cut the grass and our shoes came out green! Gala apples were ripe, so that's what we picked! An ice storm earlier this year ruined much of the orchard. So there was much variety to choose from. A fresh apple off the tree!!! DELICIOUS! Had to test the product! Afterwards, we went on a hay ride, shot the apple cannon, AND got hot apple cider donuts! Awesome!! You gotta get like 2 dozen because they like disappear! I want to go back for my Stayman Winesap! read more

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This was a nice stop along our fall road trip. We stopped here to enjoy apple picking, and other fall activities. Unfortunately the orchard was closed during the time we went (October 2021), due to low fruit supply/high demand. We still enjoying waking around and seeing all the different animals. We also had a blast (punn intended) shooting the apple launcher into the woods. At the indoor market we had an apple cider doughnut and an apple cider slushie, perfect fall treat! read more

Sky Top Orchard - Indoor market - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

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I had heard this place has majestic views and it certainly does. It is an expansive orchard and very impressive place. We luckily arrived at a time on the weekend where we rolled right up and parked but by the time we left the line to get in wrapped far down the mountain and seemed like it would be a very long wait which was perplexing because as we left there were tons of open parking spots. Things seemed poorly managed in that sense. We enjoyed our time here but things were VERY expensive compared to other orchards. 25/picking bag was the only option and it was the same size bag we paid 15 for at Perry Lowe a few weeks earlier. 15/a dozen donuts was steep and 4/rider for a bee ride that went in two circles was fairly exploitive but aside of the cost it was a very nice time. I don't know if we would be back, the view was amazing but it was far more costly than other options. read more

First time back here since I was a kid-- now married and came with my husband and we had a great time! Definitely don't come on a weekend because it is PACKED and the cashier-- though very sweet, was literally doing everything to n paper and it took over an hour to get through the line to buy apple cider/donut vouchers. But, we picked a bushel of apples and bought two pecks as well, a gallon of cider, some hard cider, and donuts! Next year we will come earlier in the year and on a weekday! read more

Sky Top Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

I would literally go out of my way for the Apple Cider donuts. We were lucky enough to catch them on the last day they were open for the season and we will be back. We did nothing other than get donuts and couldn't be happier. We ate them within minutes of them coming out fresh and hot. read more

Sky Top Orchard - Amazing and fresh apple cider donuts - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

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We risked going for the first time on a holiday weekend, and it wasn't bad at all. Busy, but manageable. You can purchase pre-bagged apples or pick them yourself, and we opted for picking. There are nice employees that will explain the layout of the orchard and where to find the in-season apples you want. For $20, you can get a small basket and fill it with as many apples as you can, which ended up being around 20 for us. The orchard is mountainous terrain, so I recommend wearing tennis shoes. There are also lots of apples on the ground that can be stepped/slipped on. And, some of the apples are in the far end of the orchard so it can be a haul. And right now it's very hot, so plan accordingly especially with little ones. Once back in the store area they will hand you a plastic bag for your apples. We then tried the apple slush ($2) to cool down. We also grabbed some fried pies ($3) and hot apple cider donuts ($10/doz) to go. And yes, the donuts are unbelievably good and worth every calorie! Not a bad drive at all from Greenville. There are breweries and wineries in the vicinity so it's easy to make a day of it. read more

This place is the real deal for a pick your own apples! The have a huge barn area where you can purchase bags of apples, apple cider, donuts, and slushies. The donuts were so good and moist. Very gorgeous fields of apple trees and delicious apples. Very kid friendly!! read more

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We love Sky top Orchard. My granddaughter and I eat the ( fabulous) donuts as we watch my great grandsons play in the play yard. We visit Sky top several times a year. And the apples are delicious too. read more

Nice Orchard and grounds. Great variety of apples and really nice views from the orchard. Very close to Downtown Flat Rock. Great place to spend a good time with the family. read more

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We stopped here on our way home from a wedding. It is a steep drive up to this gem of an orchard but so worth it because the views are amazing. Unfortunately we went on a very windy and cold day and couldn't enjoy that much. It was our only day we had to go here so that was a shame! However, this place is everything a person craves from an apple orchard. There is this delicious cloud of heaven that greets you. You will be happy to know that the cloud of heaven is the smell of freshly made apple cider donuts. Get a dozen to eat for yourself and another dozen for later. You will thank me later. BEST apple cider donut ever. In the main pavilion you will find apples, cider, honey, baked goods and other local products. My only complaint here is that the apples weren't well labeled. I am really not sure what kind of apples we bought. They were good though but it would be nice to see better labeling. I also found the whole checkout process confusing as you don't order the donuts from the donut building but from the pavilion. They then give you cards which you turn in at the donut building. Other than that, there seems to be many other areas to enjoy and it seems to have a lot to offer for kids. Unfortunately we didn't get to do any of that because it was SO windy. But we plan on making the trip back here because from what little we saw it is worth the trip to explore better again. Please note the one star off was because of the confusion in the pavilion not because of the wind and cold which they obviously don't control. read more

Sky Top Orchard - The best donut you will ever eat. - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Zirconia, North Carolina

Beautiful orchard with a beautiful view of the mountains! 10/10 would recommend the apple cider donuts and frozen apple cider - they're fantastic!! There are some activities for kids, so it is a great place to bring a family. The checkout area has pre-picked apples, jams/jellies, baked goods, and more. It's definitely somewhere everyone should visit while in the area! read more