Apple Picking in Virginia

Find a u-pick farm in Virginia

Our directory lists 6 pick-your-own farms in Virginia — plus 180 farm stands and on-farm markets statewide. Availability follows the harvest, so use the window above to time the trip and the farm's own field report to confirm the day.

How to pick ripe apples

Ripe apples lift off with the stem attached — cradle the fruit, lift and twist gently; if it fights you, it isn't ready. Seeds turn brown at maturity (white seeds = picked too early), the variety's full color develops, and on white-fleshed varieties the flesh loses its green tint (UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR).

Timing: why the window moves

Apple timing is steadier than the berries', but heat accumulation still moves openings — warm springs pull the early varieties forward, and high-elevation orchards run as much as two weeks behind valley farms in the same state.

Before you go

• Call ahead — always. Picking calendars drift one to two weeks on weather, and one busy Saturday can pick a field out and close it for days while the next block ripens. Check the farm's website or Facebook (many post field updates after weekends), or call the morning you plan to go.
• Containers and weigh-in. Farms usually provide flats or buckets. Bringing your own containers is often fine — but have them tare-weighed at the stand BEFORE you pick.
• Payment. Cash is the safe bet; card acceptance varies farm to farm. Most u-pick fruit sells by weight or by container — per-pound pricing is common partly because it removes any incentive to overfill.
• Wear and bring. Closed shoes or boots (fields are muddy and uneven), a sun hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and water. If anyone in the group has a bee allergy, bring the epi-pen.

Full ground rules — field etiquette, pricing norms, what to bring — are in the national apple-picking guide.