Absolute five-star experience. Definitely a little bit out there but we went on a Saturday early September and it wasn't too bad. They do apple picking on the hour most days. It's all listed online and very user-friendly. We showed up around 1130 and wandered around. Picked apples at noon. Then had some live music at one. Very well planned and I'm proud of the way we did it. If you're driving from Asheville, old fort is a great stopping point. We got cinnamon rolls on the way there and Hillman on the way back. It did look like this Orchard had some very affordable barbecue on site. Tons of snacks in the gift shop too. The parking lot was pretty big and they have extra parking. The staff was super kind. I love that it's a nonprofit and there's tons of educational pieces. You will find a bunch of maps and other displays. They have a bee and caterpillar to stay for kids and adults alike. The gift shop. Also both a lot of local crafts like candles, ciders, and honey. No drinking on site. The apple picking is around back. You can get a little bag or two sizes of a basket. We opted for the bag because there is no reason for us to keep a basket around. For eight dollars it's all very affordable. It got us about 12 big apples. The trees are well marked. For picking. It is lots of space for wandering. Definitely not in the shade so it's pretty hot. For me, I really like the extra things that this place had. Cornhole, checkers, Jenga... They usually have bands on the weekend too. read more

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My husband, our 8 year old daughter and I were excited to head up to the orchard at Alta pass yesterday! We've been apple picking at a couple of the orchards to the south of Asheville, and wanted to check out this nonprofit orchard near Spruce Pine. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to see that the crowd was reasonably sized, and we could walk around without feeling pushed and prodded. But the pleasant surprise ended there. We headed around back where we purchased two buckets for apple picking at $15/each. They were small buckets that could fit, we were told, 4-5 lbs of apples each. Okay, fine. But it was not until after purchasing the buckets that we were placed into a very touristy feeling group, and told that we'd be picking "these small and ugly (..."but delicious!") green apples. Huh? No one is going apple picking for just green apples. Are you kidding? The guide proceeded to inform us that as we walk through the orchard we absolutely, positively, should not pick the red apples because they "aren't ready and will most certainly give you a tummy ache". What?!?! Okay....still on board but feeling a little less excited. Then we start to walk toward the orchard. With a giant group of people. At a veeeerrrryyyy slow pace. And then we have to wait on a few stragglers. Seriously excruciating by this point. Finally, as we get to the orchard, the guide tells us to look for the trees with pink ties on them, an ONLY those trees. In fact, pay no mind to the beautiful red apples surrounding you on all other sides - they are not ready! No matter how they look, do NOT eat those apples! But then we are off and looking for the promised green apples....which I kid you not are almost completely picked over! My 6'5 husband could barely reach the apples, and definitely not me or my eight year old - we can only watch in horror as our husband/father scavenges the tops of the trees for "ugly but delicious green apples" on the trees to our right, while simultaneously trying to ignore the beautiful red apples on the trees to our left. I seriously felt like Eve in the garden of Eden..... And then, we noticed that everyone else in our group was feeling the same way. Then one daring person took a red apple off a tree and took a big, juicy bite from it. Gasp! I thought we'd all be wearing fig leaves and trying to hide from one another in the next instant. But lo and behold....no tummy ache. Just confirmation that the red apples were, in fact, ready to be picked (and further confirmed by the mounds of ripe, red apples also falling from those trees). The whole thing was ridiculous, and by the time we headed out of the orchard it was a big joke. Everyone was picking the red apples and putting them on the bottom of their baskets, and placing a few green apples over the red ones in hopes of looking less guilty. We all concluded that they just wanted to get the ugly but delicious green apples out of the orchard. On the way in/out of the orchard there is a cute little building that is a "cafe". We were excited to try the pulled pork with apple bbq sauce, and some fresh homemade cider! But yet again, when there was an opportunity for this place to shine, it was a huge let down. We ordered an apple cider and a green apple lemonade, which also sounded like it had the potential to be delicious because it MUST be made with ugly but delicious green apples from the orchard! Nope. It was Country Time at best, with a couple shots of Torani Green Apple syrup splashed in the bottom. The pulled pork was gross (though, granted, in this area we have high standards for pulled pork), and not cooked in the bbq sauce but rather placed on the bun and then a little sauce was ladled onto the meat, leaving the bun wet and soggy. The apple cider was apple juice, probably from Ingles. By this point, while we had planned to go purchase some goods inside, we were done. This business has SO MUCH POTENTIAL. The setting is bucolic, and the weather was perfect. I don't know who is running it, but since it's a nonprofit I took a look at their 990 and it seems like they are probably just too dependent on a volunteer board. I don't know, but I think this could be a true gem up in this area. Unfortunately, it just falls short. We'll see how my apple crisp turns out - I'll try to update my review when I find out. read more

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I am so excited to have a new fall tradition! We had the best day at The Orchard at Altapass. The apples were abundant, and the country store was really fun to walk through. It was a major plus that you could enjoy some hot apple pie on their back porch while waiting for your apple picking tour. It was so good! You can get it with ice cream too if you like. The picking experience was really nice. Tours start every hour and go for as long as you want. There's a brief period at the beginning of each tour for an orientation (mainly safety and methods of picking), then you're good to go. It's dog friendly as well, however be mindful that there are a LOT of yellow jackets on the ground feasting on the fallen apples. The guide will bring this to your attention as well. If you have a small "low riding" dog that you're planning to bring, use precaution or consider carrying them in the portions of the trail with heavy yellow jacket presence. One bag of u pick apples is $10. You can also purchase completed bags from the Apple Shed without going picking! I loved that this was located right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It made for a great day in the mountains. read more

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Fun time picking apples. Unfortunately we went towards the end of the season because that is when we were traveling the blue ridge parkway. It was slim pickings, but we still managed to fill a bag. We took a tour and got some pointers about picking. We were even encouraged to sample the apples before we put them in our bag. We had apple cider before going out to pick. The cider was okay, but not warm enough. I'd skip the cider though. After we enjoyed apple pie a la mode. The pie was delicious with a buttery crust. The ice cream was Hershey brand and not the greatest. However, the pie was totally worth it. Overall a great experience! read more

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Flavor of available apples are short of expectations. Hard to pick due to wasted apples under trees. Good outdoor adventure. read more

We stopped in while passing by. It was so lovely! The warm apple pie with ice cream was phenomenal. They also had live music which was a bonus. We enjoyed our treats and took some apples home as well. Highly recommend stopping by. Just the view from the porch is worth the stop. read more

The Orchard At Altapass - Warm apple pie - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

We stop here each time we're in the area. There are other orchards around with a better selection of apple varieties, but the atmosphere at Altapass can't be beat. Last visit we joined for a hymn sing in their large covered patio and we love the apple desserts and ice cream. Good service and fun extras with good views. read more

This will be my go-to visit every time we visit the Blue Ridge Mountains. I made my first, second, and third apple pies with my apples from here and they turned out great. I recommend the Orchard at Altapass to everyone visiting the parkway. read more

The Orchard At Altapass - View of the orchard from the back deck - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

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7/10/24 on our Great American Roadtrip, after helping friends rebuild a deck in Waynesville, to PA for a wedding & Ann Arbor for an NAFE conference; saw this place on the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Coffee $1.50 and a giant covered porch on the back overlooking the orchards! Gorgeous w Barn Swallows tending to their nest. Lots of local stuff to shop & try with a few history lessons "In 1995, Kit Trubey bought the Orchard 2 hours after seeing a local ad. She acted quickly, fearing, rightly, that other hands would permanently mar this 2 mile segment of Parkway. A subsequent partnership w the Conservation Trust for North Carolina sold half to the Parkway leaving half for the Altapass Foundation to protect." read more

My family absolutely LOVED it here. From picking apples, to ice cream to shopping, every thing was great! They will always get our support while in Marion. Thank you for the great time. read more

We discovered "the Orchard" last year and there's hardly a weekend goes by when we aren't there at least one day. The music is awesome. For ole folks, for youngins too! We have our favorite groups and bands, but there's always some new folks to get to know. And the people here are so friendly and welcoming. We don't dance too well but, as Bill Carson (the beloved CEO) always says, people only look at the good dancers. But most folks get up and give it a try. You can only get better. The music is free!!!!!! There's a grill and a nice cream parlor for those of us that get a little peckish. Oh, and the apples are delish. No chemicals used here. What a great find, and I highly recommend it. read more

Love this place. Music on weekend is always good and great community place. Music can be oldies, gospel or bluegrass so check website for schedule. Their little store and ice cream shop is nice and everone SO friendly. We love to take day trips up here weather on bike or car it's always a good time. read more

This review is only for the store. When we went all their crop was gone because of early frost! They have a bunch of good looking things for sale. Lots of dog costumes which were totally overpriced! I used to have dogs I loved but I certainly wouldn't spend 30-60$ on costumes for them! We got a bunch of jams, hubby likes them, salad dressings, garlic pickle and muscadine cider. We unfortunately haven't tried them but when we do I'll update this post! read more

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Great service, wonderful food and awesome views. Fudge is the best you'll find! Apple Pie with ice cream is delicious. Homemade jams, jellies and crafts. read more

Love licking apples here, browsing the store, and getting some delish ice cream. Can't wait until everything goes back to normal and they start hosting bands and all the people come to dance! read more

Just a fantastic place! You pay for a bag at the barn and then make your way to the apple orchard. The people were so friendly and accommodating! If you have little ones, this place is a must. From walking the trails along the mountain side picking apples, butterfly garden, and ice cream, it was a great day! They have a shaded area for picnics in the back of the store and adjacent to the barn. Prices were very reasonable! Just beautiful! read more

The Orchard At Altapass - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

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We came here the first time 2 years ago and had a decent experience for apple picking, so brought our 3 boys again a week ago. It was not a good experience this time. The views are gorgeous, the market inside is nice but the reason we drove a full hour away was to pick apples. We were highly disappointed in the experience. We purchased a bag and a bucket around back. Had to wait until the end of the hour to go out with a large group of other people. The guide told us we were not allowed to pick the red apples as they weren't ready. Literally made us recite back which apples we were NOT to pick. Then we were told only green apples were for picking and to pick between the trees with the pink tape. We walk a short distance to discover all of the trees basically bare and the apples looked horrible. We tasted a few and they didn't even taste good. We were so confused and even asked if that was all that was available because online said nearly 8 different varieties were available. We literally walked out with nothing because the apples they had us pick were a joke. We went to the market and bought some fudge and then left. We won't be coming back and we are warning other family and friends that this place no longer provides a fun apple picking experience. read more

Do not order food here. Took over 45 min for a grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwich

Bought a bag of apples, Staymen Winesaps. What a Bruised and completely Flavorless. Obviosly the leftovers that fell to the ground and sat for awhile. Will pick next time. Disorganized and maddening parking situation. some ignorant tourists were cutting the line to park and nothing was being done about it, Otherwise a really charming place. I just happened to be sold some awful apples, will find some horses or pigs that might like them. read more

A cool, not for profit apple orchard that's a tourists delight! There's a small grill with burgers, dogs and wraps. Sides are home made salads. Inside the big barn is ice cream and fudge. Appalachian music is played on most weekends. Memberships are available to help support the history of this over 100 year old orchard. read more

The Orchard At Altapass - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

great time we went apple picking they had York and golden delicious after apple picking we went to the restaurant the food was gross so I would bring lunch with you if you want to stay all day after ( lunch ) we went to the their store to get apple cider and fudge loved that read more

The Orchard At Altapass - View from orchard - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Spruce Pine, North Carolina

We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a relaxing little visit on the back deck overlooking the mountains and the apple orchard. I sampled a 'slice' of apple pie with traditional vanilla ice cream for $6. It was like an apple crumble cobbler style with plenty of spice in the apples. My wife got a big medium bag of popcorn for $1. And she got her a root beer to drink. There was live music and dancing, and there's a cafe on the grounds with sandwiches. This is a nice little respite along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They do apple picking in season in the fall, and I'd love to go back to try that out. read more

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Five stars! Definitely a must do activity with your family and kids! We didn't get to go on the actual apple picking tour, but we definitely purchased apples and a few things from the shop that was on site! The apples are amazing and definitely hit the spot with the sweetest taste. They have a lot of local goodies inside the store available for purchase as well as ice cream, apple pies, and cider for purchase as well! The staff were friendly and very helpful when it came to parking! I will be returning again soon! read more

Do not miss this stop when you're driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains!!! It's been around for over 100 years, since 1908. There is a store with jams, jellies, ice cream, fudge, etc. Most of the goods are made by or for the Orchard. The best thing is that you can try anything and everything! They have a sampling table which is great to try a bunch of things, but if there is something you want to try that's not already out, they're more than happy to bring some out for you to sample! Out of the jarred goods, we settled on Peach Grilling Sauce, Sweet Bourbon Glaze, Huckleberry Pecan Butter, BEAR Jam, and Black Bean Dip (which so so good, I don't normally like Black Bean Dip!). You MUST try the apple pie. I shared a slice with my boyfriend but was feeling pretty greedy about it...so good! Get your own slice hehe When we stopped by, in the middle of the day, there was live music and dancing...so cute! There's a balcony with a great view and tons of tables. Oh! And just a note, they're closed on Tuesdays. read more

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What would we do without Altapass Orchard? Well, first of all , the apples. The organic apples! We could go to Walmart and get the "pretty, polished, pommes,but........... Then there's the music! Wonderful, FREE, music. It'll be a sad day when Altapass closes for the season in November. read more

Love this little Orchard in Little Switzerland. Beautiful views, great selection of jams, honey and local artisan products. Pick your own apples or buy them by the bag. Was slightly disappointed that they didn't sell apple ice cream, but the pumpkin pie flavor was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend the Orchard At Altapass's apple butter and apple pie jam! read more

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We were in the mountains late in September, what does one do if not going to an orchard? This was quite a disappoinment. They only had two or three varieties of apples available. They didn't seem to be freshly picked. They do not have fresh cider. Apparently, we were too early for that. The place seems to be more of a gift shop and music venue. Not worth the hour each direction from Blowing Rock. read more

Always a fun time. Live music on the weekends and Wednesday. Love going to watch the older couple dance and clog. Yummy ice cream and the apple pie with ice cream is the best. A trip back in time to a slower pace, big porches, Mountain View's, local music and yummy treats. read more

6One of the most AWESOME places on earth to visit! Wonderful, authentic mountin music as good as the Grand Old Opry and it's FREE! Things to do for the whole famile including hayrides that tell true historical events about the area, hiking trails, dancing and mountain cloghing, and beautiful breathtaking photo oportuniity places! Great mountain made crafts, home-made fudge and apple pies, ice cream and a place for food and sandwiches all in one area! Highly recommended! read more

We stopped by earlier in the week, when it was quiet; we were the only ones there for part of the time. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Returned today for live music. They remembered us and welcomed us as warmly as before. Hope to go again when we can participate in one of the storytelling hayrides. History, agriculture, education, live music, mountain views -- this place has it all. Small grill (don't go by their online menu) was underwhelming, but its hotdogs were good. read more

My wife and I were living up in the Linville NC area all summer and visited the Orchard at Altapass many times, which was an easy drive down the BRParkway. We are flatfoot dancers and thoroughly enjoyed the great bluegrass music on the weekends ! But they mix in country and classic rock bands too, and most were very good. They even had dance lessons for flatfooting and two-step that appeared to be popular. A very family-friendly place and everybody was smiling all the time ! People brought their kids and dogs and parents and all got along OK. We ate a few times at the grill and it was good, also regularly enjoyed the great ice cream and apple pie. No apples in the Orchard this year because of an April freeze that nipped the blooms, hope that changes next season. read more

Don't bother. We drove an hour to be told they have no fruit this year yet they didn't update their website to let you know. They offered for us to walk the trails anyway but there is nothing to look at except dead trees being overrun by vines. read more

You will not find a better experience! Love the ice cream and fudge. Listen to the stories or enjoy the music! And dancing. A fun time for couples or families! read more

We love Orchard at Altapass. This is our second trip this season. Great musictuthur-moGto4-xehxej and apple pie and ice cream. Very family friendly. Bill Carson is a treasure! read more

We headed up to go hiking as it was listed as part of the track trail program. When we got there, the staff working wasn't really helpful on explaining where to go or anything about the trails, so do your homework before hand. The trails are mostly just walking through the orchard, and we were not overly impressed...though we did see birds and butterfly who seem to like living in the orchard. We did enjoy the apples that we bought and brought home, and we enjoyed some old-timey music before it was time to leave. Fudge is so-so. read more

Very disappointing. No apple donuts or cider.. Barely any trees to pick apples from. Workers were very rude and acted like they hated their jobs. Definitely not for younger crowds or for children. Definitely recommend going to a different apple farm! Not worth the drive. read more

We really wanted to love this place. It has beautiful views but when we started walking to pick apples with our kids and notices poison ivy EVERYWHERE. It was on all the paths and under all the trees. So trying to get apples meant you had to go into poison. It's just not fun to have to keep looking every place you step and telling your kids "oh watch out there's poison ivy" When we go apple picking we want a relaxing fun day with our kids. Not one filled with worries and constantly telling the kids to watch out for the poison. read more