We had such a great time at the orchard. There are sunflowers to pick, many different variety of "you pick" apples, and lots of products and baked goods for purchase. They have three different sizes of apple containers to choose from - we chose the smallest one for $15 and definitely feel like we got our moneys worth. Walking around the orchard and looking at all of the different varieties of apples was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. We especially appreciated at the orchard is dog friendly. Finally, be sure to grab a fresh apple cider donut and frozen cider drink before you leave. All of the staff were so kind and we really had an amazing afternoon here. read more

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Staff was welcoming from the time we drove up. They helped us choose the apple varieties we wanted to pick and directed us to the best areas to go. There were lots of ripe apples of several varieties for us to pick and we filled our basket quickly. Prices for U pick were very reasonable and much less than some other orchards in the area. We stopped to look at the beautiful zinnias and watch the butterflies and bees enjoy them as well. We also bought jam and apple butter and baked goods in the market to bring home for later. I enjoyed a Fuji apple that I had just picked and it was awesome. There is lots for kids and families to do, especially on the weekends. We would definitely return! read more

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Steps has gotten kinda crazy on their apple pricing. Wanted twice as much for a 1/2 peck of pick your own as the guy down the road for a full peck of bagged. ... lost my business today- won't be back. read more

We had such an amazing experience. There were a looot of people, but it flowed very very well. We picked apples, grabbed some apple treats (apple cookie, apple turnover, apple fritter, apple donut). It was ALL good. There was also a food truck that had amazing food! I would 100% recommend Stepp's. read more

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Fun games for the kids. Corn maze was challenging. Apple cannon is really cool and unique for an apple orchard. nice workers and the bakery tastes good no matter what you get read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

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Was told about this place and on our way back from Hendersonville to Lake Lure we stopped and bought a peck of Honey Crisp and didn't try them until we got home. I should have bought a ton, they are so good. Going back for business soon and will get a couple of bushels read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Honey Crisp, best apple in this universe - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Plenty for the kids to keep busy and fun for the entire family. I enjoyed picking my own Cameo apples. They filled up the car on the way home from their aroma. Wish I had gotten more than I did. Hot cider was wonderful, but donuts were too sweet with sugar. Also wish I had picked some flowers but didn't think they'd make the two day trip home. We didn't do the maze - it's five miles and it was later in the day. read more

Corn maze - trampoline - pumpkins - sunflowers - Apple cannons ... just great overall orchard.

Huge establishment with all you could want in terms of an apple picking farm. Went here with 5 adults and a kiddo. I liked it for what it was- big, has it all, well run. If going on my own or with less people I'd prefer a more mom and pop place. I believe this place started like that but has since blown up. Tons of options in this area. Free field parking. Went on a weekend and it was busy but not too bad. They have three sizes of all you can pick ranging from $11-$20. We opted to share the $20 one and it was enough for all. Rows clearly marked and nice apples. They were covered in some sort of dusty chalk film which was a major turn off. The bottoms of the rows also had a ton of fallen apples. Like a ton. I really hope they collect them and donate them to farms or something. The store is pricey but well run. Donuts were mediocre- had better elsewhere. Seemed to have a lot of ingredients. Don't microwave- they get chewy and stale. The no sugar apple butter ($8) was amazing. Like so good. Naturally sweet. Flowers are gorgeous but steep for $14 small size of pick your own. I did a free photo shoot instead. :) All the other offerings (hat rides, jumping pillow etc) cost extra. read more

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Who knew you could spend a whole day at an apple orchard and not get bored?! This 70-acre farm in Hendersonville had so much to offer aside from apple-picking. My friends and I navigated their corn maze, fired at targets with their apple cannons, and spent the day enjoying live music and cups of apple cider with warm donuts fresh from their bakery. Unfortunately there was limited apples to pick due to light crop and hail damage, but with so many varieties to choose from, my friends and I managed to get a bunch of Grannies, Golden Delicious, and Fuji apples. We even took an hour long tractor ride touring the farm for an additional cost. Staff was friendly and prices were reasonable. A box to put picked apples in was only $12. Even bought a jar of their delicious Honeycrisp apple butter for the ride home! read more

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What a beautiful place to spend some family time and pick some apples. We come here every year and always leave happy. The orchard always has an abundance of apples when we come and thr staff are always amazing. read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

So many people had recommended Stepp's to us that when we found ourselves in the area a few weeks ago, we decided to stop by. We were very impressed with the number of trees they had for u-pick as well as how organized it was. So many beautiful apples on the trees! We did not pick this time but opted instead to go into their store area and bought some apples along with a few of their delicious treats. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we told my daughter and her boyfriend that it is the orchard we recommended for them to go apple picking the next day. They did, and had a wonderful experience. We will ALL be back next year! read more

Lovely Apple Orchard and some of the friendliest people I have ever met! Worth a family outing and the apples are amazing! read more

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Wow what a wonderful experience! I can't remember if I ever went apple picking at a proper orchard in western NC as a child. I've been to a lot of farmers markets through my life. This was quite the unique experience though. Here it feels truly warm, inviting and friendly. When you pull onto the dirt road and pass by rows of apple trees your first worry might be that it's gonna be crowded and where to park. They have a "Farm Hand" with a bright vest stationed right by the dirt road to direct you where to park. Naturally my first question was "Is there an entry fee?" To which he says "There is unless you know the right parking guide. In which case you're in luck! Haha, no it's free to enter!" Hilarious guy! He greets you with a joke and a smile which seriously can set the mood for this place. After parking and walking up to the "apple house/barn" we were of course pretty confused about what to do. What's a peck? What's a bushel? What's the difference?! There was a very helpful older woman there to guide us and suggest which basket to grab, how much it would cost and what a peck is. She, too, slid some cheerful joking into the conversation. "Try out the apple cannon, I bet she's a better shot!" gesturing to my girlfriend, and "I recommend you carry the basket up to the orchard and let him carry it back." How can you not be cheerful here? You're wandering about in rows of apple trees filled with colorful fruit. The smell of apple cider (aka, rotting apples) fills the air. Kids are running around happily. The click-click of the air-compressor powered apple cannon echoes off the hillsides. Off to the side of the orchards there are some rows of grape vines, a pumpkin patch and a lot of small sunflowers. All of this just adds to the storybook feel of the experience. Aside from the click-click of the apple cannon, it's really quiet and peaceful out here. You could spend an entire day just rooting out stress from the soul up. The prices aren't bad. A peck is $10 but for just $3 more you can get twice as many apples. There are lots of families that come here to load their trunks full. I guess they have businesses or big families that love apple pies. I managed to find a small pumpkin that I'll use for baking but if you're in the market for a big pumpkin they have lots. It was, however, "slim pickins" as they say in the industry. I guess the pumpkin patch had already been thoroughly picked over. The apple house at the center of the property sells various syrups, honeys and jams along with shirts, cards, souvenirs and last, but certainly not least, apple cider and pumpkin donuts that are pretty legit for $1 each. By the parking area is a food truck specializing in barbeque with lots of picnic tables to break at for lunch. If you're looking to spend an excellent day in nature just taking it easy, I strongly recommend coming here either with the family or on your own. read more

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Beautiful orchard. Loved the friendliness of the staff. Their apple turnovers and slushies are AMAZING! We picked a lot of apples and brought them home! read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

This was our first visit to Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard and we had a lovely time! We were greeted right away and given an explanation of the apples and where to find them. We picked two 1/2 bushels which fit into a big brow box. The apples were delicious and several varieties were available to pick. They provide a free wagon to use if you need one. The apple dumplings were AMAZING! and the pumpkin donuts were delicious! Parking was free. But the additional costs add up quick! There was an apple shooting station that cost 5 dollars. The hayrides were also 4/ person. The corn maze also cost 4/person. What I found to be most fun was the sunflower fields! It was 10 dollars to pick as many as you could fit into their Stepp's container. We found sunflowers and zinnias! All in all it was a really fun place! read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Hand picked Sunflowers - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

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Stopped in for some apple picking on our way back to FL from TN. What a great spot! We were lucky to grab some Winesap variety apples from the orchard as directed by the host at their market for $1 per lb. There was also a variety of apple homemade items as well as apple cider donuts, hot cider, slushees, etc. It was definitely a great ending to our trip. So happy that we were able to pick a few apples! Will be recommending to friends and family in the future. read more

Picking is fun, especially if you're in a group. It's the main attraction of the orchard and why you come it. It didn't disappoint. Be careful though, easy to pick too many! Once you start finding apples, you want to pick them all! haha. When you approach the building someone will greet you and give you a map and will tell you what is ripe and available. So helpful as we began our trek to find delicious apples. In addition to the picking, they have a shop that sells various creations from the local apples. While sharing with the group I was with, I was able to partake in several items. My favorite was the apple donut. It's can be real easy to buy a bunch because they are so good! In addition, I had some of the apple pie which was also a great dessert to have to cap off your time there. My friends thought the hot cider was so good, they ended up buying multiple jugs before we left so they could have more back at home. They raved about it for weeks afterward until they finally ran out. read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

this place was super cute. they had a bunch of options and trees to pick from, and there weren't too many people around the apple trees like i thought there would be. made some yummy desserts with all of them read more

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This is the perfect adventure for my family and I. We spent hours picking delicious apples in the orchard. The weather was great and the staff was awesome. We were directed when we arrived to where and what we needed to do to get started. There was a hayride, corn maze, fresh kettle popcorn, acres and acres of apple trees, tons of things for kids. This will become a yearly trip for us. read more

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We had so much fun! Let me back up a bit and say that we are a group of adults, no children with us and we still had a blast! We are from Florida so fall activities like those at Stepps aren't things we get to really experience in Florida. We shot apples from the "apple guns", picked apples (only my second time in my life that I've seen an apple on a tree), drank apple cider, ate apple cider donuts and saw their pumpkin patch. We had so much fun picking which variety of apple to pick and then choosing the perfect apple each time. We purchased a half bushel and went back to our AirBnB to make an apple themed dinner! As I cut the apples for dinner we were excited to try all the varieties we've never had before. The yellow ones tasted like pears and the pale ones that we thought weren't ripe were surprisingly the sweetest! Our dinner consisted of: pork tenderloin with a spicy apple gravy, sweet potatoes, onions and apples mixed together with various spices and baked, salad with apples, blue cheese, spicy cashews, onions and creamy balsamic and of course apple crumble for dessert with vanilla ice cream. Thank you Stepps, us Florida people had a really wonderful time having a "real" fall day at your orchard. read more

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We had a great time picking apples here! They didn't have much variety at the time we came but that's ok. We mostly only had golden or red delicious to pick but they had plenty of them! They were very organized and made it easy to figure out how to do the u-pick. It definitely got busy as we were there ona saturday. We were there around 9:30am though so it wasn't too bad until around 11:00am. My kids especially enjoyed the big jumping pad. I will say, I wish they had a wrist band you could buy for all the kids activities that would maybe give you a discount. Between the wagon ride and the jumping pad, it did get pricey for a morning at a farm. We are used to paying an admission fee for these types of things and getting to do all the activities which definitely saved money. $7/child to jump on the jumping pad was a bit much, in my opinion. I don't remember how much the tractor ride tickets were but it definitely added up! read more

As a caveat, I've been spoiled by amazing pumpkin patches in Nebraska (Vala's, Roca). The apple orchards here are fun to wander. It was kind of a bummer that we were there at 4:30 and they weren't selling fresh made apple cider donuts by the each, only premade in packs of six. I found the You-pick pumpkin prices were RIDICULOUS at $0.90/lb! No where were the prices listed until you get your pumpkins up to the scale and they tell you the damage. If you have young children, please note that they do appear to spray some kind of herbicide in the apple orchards, though not in the pumpkin patch. read more

Awesome orchard! Came here beginning of October and even though we didn't actually PICK apples, we had an amazing time! Great doughnuts, amazing apple cider, and we loved that you could bring your dogs! Sunflowers were what we chose to bring home! read more

The BEST apple picking place in the mountains... price is just right. The staff is a family and very cordial. The Apple slushes are on point!!! Family oriented with tons to do! I don't go any other place. Many varieties so there are always multiple apples ready to pick from mid August to November! Make it a tradition read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Such a fun, family friendly, cute spot in Hendersonville. We went with a group of friends. You could easily spend a majority of your day here, with apple picking, hayrides, a walking trail, apple shooting, and eating the delicious apple cider donuts and apple slushies. They have different bag and bushel sizes depending on how many apples you plan on picking. You can also bring your own bags. Upon walking in the building, you'll see a sign letting you know what apples are ripe and in season to pick. You'll get a map (the property is huge) of where to go to find those apples to pick yourself. Definitely try the apple cider donuts - they are made fresh, smell delicious and melt in your mouth. The apple cider slushies are also very refreshing and delicious. Take in all the apple culture! Prices are very reasonable, and you'll leave with more than your money's worth. I can't wait to make this a tradition. read more

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Perfect place for an outing. Sunflower picking, apple picking, corn maze, apple cider slushees and donuts, apple cannons, etc., basically a perfect variety of things to do for everyone. Great prices for what you get, nice tradition for a family or friends to begin together. They have a little shop with local honey, drinks, and some local produce. They do have apples pre picked if you don't want to pick them yourself. The apples that are ready for picking are highlighted on a sheet that references their location in the orchard as well as a "key" that shows you which apples are best for cooking/keeping shape/etc. Staff were super helpful and happy to be there. We had a great time, and it is beautiful! About 35 minutes to Asheville from here. read more

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What a fun time! We made the trek to Stepp's from Charlotte and it was totally worth it! Looking forward to making this a yearly tradition from now on. The orchard has so many things for all ages from corn mazes to apple cannons, hay rides, cider, donuts, etc. It was very easy to spend a few hours here and not run out of things to do and see. The Apple selection was great, even towards the end of the season. And prices were very reasonable. Staff was incredibly helpful being it was our first time there and directed us around the large property. Whether you are close are far, definitely make a day out of this trip, you won't regret it! read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

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We drove from Charlotte to do some apple picking. This farm didn't disappoint, they had a little bit of everything and the apples were delicious. I think we may make it a family tradition every year to come and pick apples add stepp's. Also, they have apple air rifles that you can shoot. I've never seen this before and it was a lot of fun, I would highly recommend giving it a go. read more

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Love how it is so organized. From parking to tractor rides & other activities. Slushies was a fresh & cool relief from the hot sun. read more

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This orchard is so awesome! We went this past Tuesday and while it is the end of the apple picking season, we drove up the hills a bit to orchard 6 and picked three boxes of beautiful, crispy and delicious apples! We were so excited since the orchards closer to the store were mostly out of apples (many rotten ones on the trees). Highly recommend! $1/pound. read more

We had heard about how nice this "pick your own" venue was and were glad to find it. It was less crowded than some of the other orchards. There is a pick your own option as well as already picked. The green shirted "Farm Hands" are cordial and welcoming, directing you and answering questions. On the Saturday we visited, The Ugly Pig food truck was there, selling BBQ and hotdogs. I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich with a dollop of slaw, soft drink and chips for $7.50. There are cider mixes, fresh cider slushies, and cider donuts for sale in the Stepp Store. Additionally, wagon rides, games and more are available for an afternoon of family fun. The variety is not as extensive as we would have liked in the already picked area but the orchards had many varieties for pick your own. There are maps of the orchard provided for locating the apples you want to pick in the orchard itself. The only reason for the 3-star rating is the limited variety available if you don't want to pick your own! read more

Amazing, friendly and dog friendly apple picking place. Recommend it for family and just fall activities.

This was my first experience picking apples and Stepp's did not disappoint! It was a chilly day but the sun was shining and we weren't too cold. My ten year old and two year old could easily reach and pick the apples and had a blast! The Apple cider slushie is not to be missed. read more

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This is an amazing place and great for picking apples! It has so many activities from corn maze to apple shooting cannon! But for those who are wary about COVID this might be not the place for you, even though you are wearing a mask it is pretty crowded. read more

Had a blast picking apples at Stepp's. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We loved walking through all the pumpkins trying to find the perfect one. We couldn't decide so we picked many. I made a delicious apple pie with the Granny Smith apples we picked. This is a place where the whole family can have fun and we look forward to returning next year. read more

I cannot believe I wasted two years of my time and money going to Sky Top! If you go apple picking because you actually want apples - go to Stepp's! If you are debating between the two, I'll give you my opinion. SkyTop does have better scenery and does have a larger facility for packing your apples, treats, pre-picked apples, etc. They also have more activities for little kids such as a playground. The major downsides to SkyTop are the overwhelming crowds (waiting in crazy traffic on the road to even get there, crowded parking, hour long wait for donuts) and the apples are crazy expensive. So this year we tried Stepp's. Best decision ever! Apples were plentiful even in mid- October. The varieties are well signed, so you know exactly what you are getting. The orchards can be accessed by foot or car. This is wonderful if you have people in your party who either don't want to or cannot walk long distances to pick apples. Additionally (and I know this is a nitpick), but there were not excessive rotten apples all over the ground to attract bees and to have to navigate around. Very importantly, you are charged by container size, not per pound. This is very important. Based on what we've paid in the past, I estimate we would have paid double for the same amount of apples at SkyTop. We picked two very full half bushel bags for $24!!! Incredible price. The staff members were all very friendly and helpful and exceeded my expectations. As for the extras, there are baked goods (no doughnuts though), cider and slushies, wagon rides, jams/jellies and various other attractions. The Saturday afternoon we visited was busy, but not crowded. No real waiting for anything. We will be back to Stepp's! read more

Stepp's Orchard is the only apple orchard. If you are in the AVL area check out this family owned and maintained apple orchard. We have been coming here my entire life. Great variety. read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Stepp Orchard was a fun Saturday outing. We went after what was probably peak apple season. However, we were able to find some apples here and there and the kids enjoyed it. Stepp is huge, with a nice variety of apple trees from which to pick. Even if you come up short in finding apples on the trees, they have large bins full of every variety at their main building. And...most importantly, the apples were delicious! read more

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Just days removed from my next visit, I realized I've never reviewed Stepp Orchards! We've made this place a traditional stop for over 10 years now! The Stepp Orchard is a generational apple orchard that's hundreds of acres of apple picking fun! Pick your own, or they'll do it for you. They have probably in the neighborhood of 25 different varieties, with each row probably being 200 yards long! You can drive your car through the two large fields and down each row, or stroll the acreage at your pace with the provided baskets. Bring your apples back to the barn to pay for them and possibly get some apple cider, doughnuts, or fritter mix before leaving! You're encouraged to eat as many as you can eat while doing your picking, at no costs! Certainly a step back to a slower pace of life with a bit of innocence mixed in to boot! read more