While pumpkin may be the reigning king of seasonal flavor, nothing screams fall quite like a warm and crispy fried apple pie, especially when it’s made from freshly picked fruit.
With so many farms for apple picking near Knoxville TN, you’ll be able to enjoy all your favorite apple treats all season long.
While some apple varieties do begin to ripen in summer, most of the apple orchards near Knoxville really come to life in the fall. Regional apple varieties include Honey Crisp, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and many more! Some variety will be available even into early November.
Whether you are looking for pre-picked apples or apple-picking fun, the perfect orchard for fabulous fall memories is only a click away!
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Quick Tips For Visiting Knoxville Apple Orchards
- Each apple variety will ripen in its own time and may not be available the entire month.
- Bring cash, because several of the orchards and stores do not accept credit cards.
- These are working farms. Protect your feet by wearing closed-toe shoes.
- Go early in the morning or late in the day to beat the crowds.
- Go later in the season to beat the heat.
Best Farms For Apple Picking Near Knoxville TN
1. Apple Hill Orchard
(423) 733-2017
Treadway, TN
1 Hour and 10 minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Apple Hill Orchards is a smaller home farm that offers several apple varieties. All varieties are available for pick-your-own.
As long as there are ripe apples, the orchard will be open Tuesday through Saturday beginning in August. Visit the farm’s website or call to confirm availability.
Apple Varieties
McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Mutzu, Courtlands, and more!
2. Buffalo Trail Orchard
(423) 639-2297
Greeneville, TN
1 Hour and 17 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Throughout the fall, Buffalo Trail Orchard offers a wide selection of pick-your-own apple varieties. They also have pumpkins and winter squash. Visitors will also enjoy a scenic hayride out to the orchards.
Apple Varieties
July – William’s Pride, Zestar
August – Gala, Honey Crisp
September – Fuji, Sweet 16, Wolf River, Jonagold, Yellow Delicious, Cameo, Mutsu, Red Staymen, Northern Spy, Winter Banana, Enterprise, and Braeburn
October – Fuji, Pink Lady, and Gold Rush
3. Wheeler’s Orchard
(423) 949-4255
Dunlap, TN
2 Hours From Downtown Knoxville
*Note: This farm has planted a brand new u-pick orchard and it needs a bit more time to mature. This year there will only be pre-picked apples.
Wheeler’s Orchard boasts several fall attractions that delight visitors from throughout the state. The most popular is their fresh-pressed apple cider. They also offer a variety of u-pick apples, grapes, and flowers.
In addition to you-pick, they sell pre-picked apples, apple products, baked goods, canned goods, and gifts in their large and totally adorable farm store.
For group and school tours, u-pick experiences can be scheduled during the week. Contact the farm for more details.
Apple Varieties
July – Red Free, Mollies Delicious
August – Gala, Ginger Gold
September – Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Empire, Mutzu, Blushing Golden, Truly Winesap, Tennessee Red, Liberty, Courtland, and red Rome Beauty
October – Fuji, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Arkansas Black, Hardy Cumberland
Fall Grape Varieties
Niagara, Boco Noir, Concord, Delaware, Marquis, Glenora, Steuben, Vanessa, Venus, Moore’s Diamond, Mare’s Seedless, Buffalo, Van Buren, Fredonia, Reliance, Sheridan, Brighton, Alden, Ontario, Seibel
4. Justus Orchard
(828) 974-1232
187 Garren Rd, Hendersonville, NC
2 Hours and 6 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Justus Orchard offers a variety of farm activities including a playground, jump pillow, duck pond, goats, apple cider, apple-flavored baked goods, and so much more!
Apple Varieties
August – Gala, Sweetie, Honeycrisp, Golden Supreme,
September – Ludacrisp, September Wonder, Golden Delicious, Crimson Crisp, Ambrosia, Mutsu, Red Cameo, Jonagold, Stayman Winesap, Early Pink Lady, Early Pink Lady, Red Rome
October – Evercrisp, Late Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Arkansas Black
5. Skytop Orchard
(828) 692-7930
1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC
2 Hours and 7 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
In addition to apple picking, Skytop offers fun extras like hayrides, a playground, a bee train, farm animals, a bamboo forest, and more.
Your taste buds will crave their famous apple cider donuts, caramel apples, fudge apples, and the smorgasbord of apple-flavored baked goods.
Apple Varieties
July – Lodi Apples & Sour Cherries
August – Gala, Ginger Gold, Early Mac, Honeycrisp, & Grapes
September – Cortland, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Fuji, Mutsu, Candy Crisp, Jonagold, Red Delicious, Macoun, Granny Smith, Ida Red, McIntosh, Stayman Winesap, Cosmic Crisp, Ambrosia, Blushing Gold
October – Cameo, Evercrisp, Pink Lady, Rome, Gold Rush, Arkansas Black
6. Creasman Farms
(828) 685-7728
280 Bent Arrow Ln, Hendersonville, NC
2 Hours and 9 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
This farm grows over 40 different varieties of apples in their u-pick orchard. They also have a large farm store with yummy baked goods, frozen apple cider, and more.
Apple Varieties
Honeycrisp, Crimson Crisp, Gold Rush, Gala, Shenshu, Fuji, Mutsu, York, Summer Rambo, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Rome, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, and more
7. Mercier Orchards
(800) 361-7731
Blue Ridge, Georgia
2 Hours and 15 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Located just 20 minutes from Ducktown and 1 hour from Cleveland, Mercier Orchards offers a huge variety of pick-your-own apple varieties Throughout the picking season, visitors can also take tractor tours across the farm property.
In addition to the u-pick experience, there is also a farm store with a large variety of pre-picked produce, fresh baked goods, canned goods, and more!
There is also a delicious cafe on-site serving up seasonal favorites for breakfast and lunch, including their famous apple cinnamon bread.
Apple Varieties
- July – Ginger Gold, June, and Zestar
- August – Blondee, Detroit Red, Gala, Golden Supreme, and Johnathon
- September – Ambrosia, Cameo, Crimson Crisp, Empire, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jona Prince, Mcintosh, Mutzu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, September Wonder, and Smokehouse
- October – Arkansas Black, Braeburn, Candy Crisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gold Rush, Hampshire, Pink Lady, Splendor, Stayman Winesap, Topaz, and Yates
Pre-Picked Apple Orchards Near Knoxville
While the orchards below do not allow apple picking, they still have a lot to offer, including baked goods, restaurants, hayrides, and more!
8. Apple Barn & Cider Mill
1 (800) 421-4606
Sevierville, TN
53 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
In addition to a variety of apples and homemade apple cider, the Apple Barn boasts a delicious assortment of homemade fried pies in a variety of fall flavors. They also have a winery, country restaurant, general store, and more!
You and your family can watch the cider-making process all throughout the fall, starting just after Labor Day. On Thursdays, the apples are juiced. On Fridays, the juice is placed into jugs.
9. Carver’s Orchard and Apple House Restaurant
(423) 487-2710
Cosby, TN
1 Hour From Downtown Knoxville
Carver’s Orchard and Apple House sells its apples at its restaurant and farm store. The restaurant features fresh-pressed apple cider, traditional country cookin’, and a variety of apple-flavored baked goods, including their famous fried pies. Yum!
10. Rowell’s Orchard and Apple House
(931) 484-5035
Crossville, TN
1 Hour From Downtown Knoxville
Rowell’s Orchard sells a variety of apples and apple products in its farm store. According to their website, they grow all their own apples on-site.
Apple Varieties
August – Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, and Jonathan
September – Early Stayman, Winesap, Honey Crisp, Macintosh, Shizuka, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Stark Ultragold, Jonagold, and Rome Beauty,
October – Mutsu, Cameo, Truly Winesap, Arkansas Black, Red Staymen, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Gold Rush
11. Mountain Mist Farms
(865) 258-3276
Pigeon Forge, TN
1 Hour and 10 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
In addition to apples, Mountain Mist Farms boasts a large farm store with a wide variety of farm fresh goodies.
Apple Varieties
Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Jonagold
12. Baxter’s Orchards
(865) 217-2281
Cosby, TN
1 Hour and 15 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Baxter’s Orchard sells apples and a variety of apple products, including cider, at its farm store. Since they don’t have a website, I called to be sure they are still open for 2023.
13. Oren Wooden’s Apple House
(423) 447 – 6376
Pikeville, TN
1 Hour and 30 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Oren Wooden’s Apple House oozes nostalgic fall fun. It boasts a farm store, gift shop, pie shop, and cafe with a wide variety of southern favorites. Their apple-themed treats, including apple dumplings, fried pies, and apple cider donuts, really seem to draw a crowd. Yum!
14. Apple Valley Orchards
(423) 472-3044
Cleveland, TN
1 Hour and 30 Minutes From Downtown Knoxville
Apple Valley Orchards features a large farm store with a variety of apples, canned goods, baked goods, and more. Although this is not a u-pick farm, the orchard does offer seasonal tractor tours.
15. Fairmount Orchard
(423) 886-1226
Signal Mountain, TN
2 Hours From Downtown Knoxville
Fairmount Orchard is famed for its awesome homemade apple cider, this orchard sells a wide variety of apples and apple products at its farm store. While they do grow most of their own apples, they also sell apples they purchase from other farms.
Apple Varieties
Ginger Gold, Sansa, Gala, Honeycrisp, and more
Apple Varieties
August: Lodi, Pristine, Ginger Gold, Red Free, Caitlin Gala, Gala, and Detroit Red
September: Honey Crisp, Jonathan, Senshu, Red Delicious, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Mutsu, and Charlie Gold
October: Stayman, Fuji, York, Arkansas Black, Goldrush, Yates, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Cameo
Apple Farms Worth the Drive
If you are interested in a long day trip, The Carolinas also offers some more great u-pick options. Check them out at Kidding Around Greenville.
Did we miss your favorite farm for apple picking near Knoxville? Please share the details so we can add it to the list.
This blog post was sooooo helpful! Thank you so much! It was organized and exactly what I needed!
Glad to hear you found what you needed!
Do any of the listed farms sell Organic apples by the bushel
None of the farms are certified organic, but they may sometimes stock organic apples that they buy from other farms. You would need to call the farm to check availability before going because imported stock changes often. 🙂 If you are willing to drive further, you can check out A Different Chick Farm and Orchard in Johnson City. They are fully organic.
I’m looking for a place in east TN where I can buy cameo apples…can you help?
I have listed the varieties of apples at each location above. Many of those farms typically offer cameo apples, however they may be out this year, due to the frost.