Southwest Michigan's Best Apple Orchards and Cideries

The wonderful thing about picking apples is that nearly everyone can do it. Families with infants to teens, college students needing a study break, couples searching for a relaxing date, friends and relatives loving time together, and individuals who happily are outside with others on a gorgeous fall day. 

From August to November, Southwest Michigan farmers offer some of the crispest, juiciest apples for picking and bringing home by the bag to the bushel. You can combine apple picking with vibrant fall color tours and four prize-earning challenges. Plus, taste your way to your favorite fresh or hard ciders.  

Enjoy over 100 years of down-on-the-farm hospitality

Picking apples is a tradition many families have done for decades in Southwest Michigan. They annually go to the same orchards — farms handed down from one family member to the next generation for over 100 years. These orchard growers take pride in remembering the names of their customers as well as they can name their apple varieties. Even if it’s your first time picking, ask eager-to-help staff what new kinds of apples the orchard is growing, which are the best snacking, baking, sauce- or juice-making apples, and if they have any family recipes to share.  

Many orchards enhance your farm experience with various activities, including hayrides, corn or hay bale mazes, play areas, games, zombie hunts, and haunted houses. Their farm markets brim with fall fruits, vegetables, homemade pies, jams, honey, salsas, and fall decorations. 

But what’s skyrocketing in our region is the popularity of cider. No longer just a sweet, non-alcoholic pour paired with fresh-made donuts, our cideries now vie to be the top hard cider destinations in the Great Lakes region. Several have awards to stake their “best cider” claims and tasting rooms to prove it. 

Here are some must-stops on your search for the best apples and ciders. Don’t scroll past the helpful apple-picking tips and the four challenges with prizes listed below, too. 

Best Picking 

Fruit Acres Farm Market & U-Pick (Coloma)

Picking is on weekends only and in August, September and October free tractor wagon rides take you to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. No ladder-climbing is needed to reach the apples on the dwarf trees. Save room in your vehicle for all the market treasures — pre-picked apples, pumpkins, gourmet honey, jams, fresh apple cider, and caramel apples.  

Jollay Orchards (Coloma)

Jollay’s Harvest Festival is Southwest Michigan’s premier country experience from late August to late October. Hop on and off the haywagon to pick apples or grapes and find your favorite pumpkins in the patch. Fish in the pond, escape from the corn maze, and let your imagination run free in the Western Town, Dino Farm, on the fire truck or playground. Feel brave? Enter the not-too-scary haunted house. 

Jollay’s market is known for its fresh cider and donuts, plus an abundance of in-season fruits, vegetables, jams, flowers, and fall decorations. Enhance your experience by using your purchases to create a picnic! Enjoy more time on the farm in the designated picnic area, complete with tents, tables, and grills (just remember to bring charcoal).

Lehman’s Orchard (Niles)

The Lehman family welcomes you to its two locations. Each fall, the Niles orchard offers pick-your-own raspberries, plums, Honey Crisp and Zestar apples, pumpkins, mums, and in late fall, Christmas trees. Check their now-picking schedule for what’s in season when you are in our area. The nursery also sells apple trees to plant at home. 

The Lehman’s tasting room offers estate-grown fruit wines, hard ciders, and meads. Their market has fresh apple cider in the fall and frozen the rest of the year. Its shelves are stocked with housemade nut butter, original trail mixes, vinegar, jams, chutneys, and relishes. 

Drive a few miles to the Lehman’s Farmhouse brewery, distillery, and winery in downtown Buchanan. Their taproom has six ciders and 12 beers on tap along with seasonal cocktails. You can sample flights of their craft beverages and pair your favorites with appetizers, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, and desserts made with locally sourced ingredients. Time your visit for lunch or dinner. 

Lemon Creek Winery & Fruit Farm (Berrien Springs)

This centennial fruit farm is one of Southwest Michigan’s largest and oldest family-run farms, with a tradition dating back to 1855! This is a fall favorite for picking apples and grapes. The market has in-season produce and pre-made tasty choices for your fall recipes and holiday gatherings. Visit the tasting room to see why this winery’s estate-grown wines have won many awards. Then bring home a few bottles or cases for celebrations throughout the year.

Best Markets

J.W. Morlock & Girls (Watervliet)

Open from Memorial Day Weekend to September 30, this is a delightful early-fall destination. All 40 different mouthwatering varieties of fruits and vegetables, including 25 different types of apples, are homegrown and handpicked. As Morlock’s fruits fill their farm market, Mo’e Pies, LLC. bakes up a storm, creating handcrafted pies and shortcakes. Your tastebuds will thank you for trying them!

Stover’s Farm Market & U-Pic (Berrien Springs)

When driving down M-139, you cannot miss the 165-year-old Big Red Barn on this historic family-fun farm. Families have been pulling off here in the fall for over 35 years to pick apples, pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and squash or gather up just-picked fall fruits and vegetables, cider, and donuts from the market. There are haywagon rides to the orchard and pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and many more ways to feel at home on the farm. 

St. Joe Community Taproom (St. Joseph)

This is one of Southwest Michigan’s newer cider-sipping destinations downtown on Main Street. The taproom has 16 rotating taps of craft wines, beers, hard ciders, and craft cocktails. It is your one-stop for trying the latest beverages indoors or outside in the Social District. 

The taproom shares space with other fun shops including a farm market with local apples and cider, cheese and wine shops, a cafe, fresh-brewed and coffee and tea shops.

The Country Store at Watervliet Fruit Exchange (Watervliet)

This Country Store has been delighting residents and travelers for decades. Stop in to choose from their selection of craft hard ciders, beers, and wines. It’s a great place to get a jump on your holiday shopping with its collections of chimes, scarves, jewelry, soaps, jams, jellies, artesian chocolates, food items, original paintings, furniture, and more — many items made in Michigan!

 Best Hard Ciders

Carriage House Ciders (Benton Harbor)

These ciders start simple — with only three ingredients — fresh-pressed apple juice, wild yeast from apple skins, and a small amount of sugar to aid fermentation. They source apples from local Southwest Michigan orchards, blending more apple varieties than any other cidery in the area, using 50 different types last year. 

More daring than most, Carriage House brings European-style ciders to American tables, aging and fermenting each naturally gluten-free batch in oak barrels. This creates a fuller flavor cider that pairs well with hearty foods. 

Chill Hill Winery & Cidery (Baroda)

This local favorite is owned and operated by a grandmother-granddaughter duo who aren’t afraid to work outside traditional lines. You will know what we mean when you try their Uncle Judd ginger and lemon zest or Blueberry Blitz ciders with playful Pop-Tart® vibes. You can also taunt fall’s arrival with summery cider slushies and the winery’s tropical ambiance. 

Peat’s Cider Social (Stevensville)

This twist on cider-tasting will bowl you over. Peat’s Original Cider is based on the family farm in Paw Paw, Michigan, but the cidery wanted a taproom that could accommodate families including their children. What better solution than a retro bowling alley with vintage arcade games near Lake Michigan? The “Social” pulls people together inside to play games and outside to talk on the patio. Conversations flow naturally over hard ciders, seltzer waters, pop, and juice boxes. Reserve a lane soon.

Apple Picking Tips

Before starting, always ask the people working at the orchard for pointers. They have valuable advice, and their experience can vary from place to place. Below are some general tips for a successful picking day:

• Call ahead: Check ahead on stock in case the variety you had in mind has run its course.
• Dress appropriately: Wear layers and comfortable shoes, as orchards can be muddy or uneven, especially in the fall.
• Visit early in the day: For the freshest apples and to avoid crowds, plan to arrive early, especially on weekends.
• Ask for variety recommendations: If you don’t know what variety to pick, ask the staff. Many have worked on these farms since childhood and can guide you to the best apples for snacking, baking, and cooking.
• Pick carefully using the best technique: Separate the stem from the spur, which attaches the apple to the tree, to guarantee future harvests. According to the Farmers Almanac, the best way to pick is to select ripe apples from the lowest outside branches using a gentle twist and pull motion. If there are many apples on the ground, the tree is past its prime, and the remaining apples won’t keep as long.
• Bring containers: Some orchards provide bags, but bringing baskets or boxes can help prevent apples from bruising.
• Plan storage: Apples can last a long time if stored properly. Choose firm apples for longer storage, and keep them in a cool, dark place.

Take These Four Challenges and Win Prizes

There are so many fun things beyond apple picking and cider tasting in Southwestern Michigan. That’s why we created the four fun-filled challenges below. The more places you visit, the more prizes you can bring home. 

You can easily participate in all four challenges while you explore our orchards and markets. Several appear on the Makers Trail Passport Challenge list and others are minutes from qualifying participants in the Creative Connections, Trails, and Murals Challenges. It’s easy to sign up for all four challenges. Just click the link below.

Start Earning Prizes Today

Stay Over and Make the Most of Your Fall Visit

Before planning your apple-picking itinerary, download our Farms & Market Guide and Fall Color Guide to map your visit. Then extend your apple adventure by booking a room with the amenities and rates you want. You will come home with bushels of happy memories and lots of apples and cider. See you in the orchards soon!