We’re literal people at KOA: the apples of our eyes are apples. In a country ripe with pick-your-own farms and quality campgrounds, an apple-picking camping trip is a great way to say a fond farewell to reasonable nighttime temperatures until next year. With these three apple-picking destinations, you can do just that.
Mt. View Orchards
Red delicious and granny smith apples are cool and all, but at Mt. View Orchards you can also get your hands on varieties you didn’t even know existed – like Jonathan, ginger gold, and elstar. For the crabapples who still aren’t impressed, perhaps the hayrides, corn mazes, and 50 acres of solid picnicking grounds will tickle your fancy.
Mt. View Orchards is nestled in Oregon’s Hood Valley, just a 40-minutes drive (most of which is along the Hood River) away from Cascade Locks/ East Portland KOA. Just off of the PCT and a few minutes from the Bridge of the Gods, you’ll take in breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge at this KOA before going out to explore the area’s waterfalls and hiking trails.
Bear Swamp Orchard
If you think apple-picking is just a kiddie game, prepare to reconsider. At Bear Swamp Orchards in Massachusetts’s Berkshires, you’ll find not just delicious apples and mouth-watering jams, but also a cidery where fresh pickings become adult beverages that are out of this world. And the kicker: an onsite tasting room lets you try these “ciders for grown-ups,” as the folks at Bear Swamp call them, right after an afternoon spent gathering a peck.
Just down the road you can set up camp at Peppermint Park Camping Resort, an 80-acre campground on a grassy hillside. Time your trip right and you’ll be able to catch a chili cook-off, a fair, or a fall festival.
Sky Top Orchard
Sky Top Orchard is quite literally above other farms: high atop the mountains in western North Carolina, this pick-your-own destination serves up panoramic views alongside its fresh apples. While you’re there, head to the barnyard for a visit with sheep, goats, and chickens or quack until your heart’s content at the duck pond.
When you’re done stuffing your face with Sky Top’s signature donuts, head to Wilderness Cove on the Green River. Plan your trip early enough in the season – during that magical time when lemonade and hot apple cider are both appropriate thirst quenchers – and you’re in for some of the Tar Heel State’s best tubing. But if you’re a little late, don’t fret – you’ll still find awesome hiking trails and grade-A camping.
Looking for other fun to have on your cool weather camping trip? Head to our map built for travelers and get exploring.
Header via Flickr/Basheer Tome
Amanda McConnon
Camping writer for Roadtrippers. Jersey Girl. Poet. Scenic Route Enthusiast.
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