The RH guide to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and countryside escapes.
There's something about fall that makes us want to get out of the city. a crisp morning, and oversized button down, a coffee for the drive, and somewhere worthy spending the afternoon.
From apple orchards tucked into the California mountains to pumpkin-filled farms outside Dallas and classic New England countryside, we rounded up some of our favorite places to make a day of it this fall.
Pack a sweater, grab your friends, and meet us at the orchard.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Trade the city for a day in Oak Glen.
Just a couple of hours outside Los Angeles, Oak Glen feels surprisingly far from Southern California. The mountain community comes alive during apple season, with orchards, cider, farm stands and plenty of reasons to stay for the afternoon.
Los Rios Rancho
For the classic Oak Glen experience, start here. Los Rios is Southern California's largest apple farm, with more than 100 acres of orchards and dozens of traditional and heirloom apple varieties. Pick your own apples, stop by the bakery and farm kitchen, and make time for a walk through the property.
Snow-Line Orchard
Less about filling an apple-picking bag and more about slowing down for the afternoon, Snow-Line is a worthy second stop for fresh cider, baked treats, and the kind of farm store browsing that feels especially appropriate in October.
Make a day of it: Start early at Los Rios before the weekend crowds arrive, then spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Oak Glen. Come hungry. Cider and a warm baked good are part of the experience.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
An autumn afternoon in Julian.
Beach weather may stick around well into fall in San Diego, but drive into the Cuyamaca Mountains and things start to feel a little more seasonal. Julian has been known for its apples for generations, and the historic mountain town makes an easy fall escape from the coast.
Volcan Valley Apple Farm
Just outside downtown Julian, Volcan Valley has 10 scenic acres and more than 7,000 apple trees. The trellis-grown trees keep the fruit within easy reach, making this one of those places where you can actually spend the afternoon wandering through the orchard rather than just stopping for a photo.
Julian Farm & Orchard
Another stop to add to the list if you want to turn the trip into a full fall day. Apple season is the reason to head to Julian, but the town itself is half the fun.
Make a day of it: Pick apples in the morning, head into town afterward, and do not leave Julian without a slice of apple pie. The drive, mountain air and slower pace are exactly the point.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Apple season in the PNW
Fall around Seattle feels made for an orchard day. Head outside the city for crisp air, changing leaves, fresh-picked apples and farms surrounded by the Pacific Northwest landscape.
Bellewood Farms
About 90 minutes north of Seattle, Bellewood is a great choice for a full fall outing. The farm grows more than 20 varieties of apples and offers U-pick during the season, along with fresh cider, apple cider donuts and farm market.
Swan Trail Farms
Closer to Seattle in Snohomish, Swan Trail leans more into the pumpkin side of fall. Its annual fall festival includes a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides and plenty of classic farm activities, a good counterpart to the apple-focused Bellewood.
Make a day of it: Start with apple picking, grab fresh cider and something from the farm stand, then spend the afternoon exploring the countryside outside Seattle. A sweater and rain-friendly shoes probably aren't a bad idea.
DALLAS, TEXAS
Fall, Texas Style.
Dallas may not come with New England foliage, but it knows how to do pumpkin season. Think big pumpkin displays, corn mazes, flower fields, hayrides and farms that turn a simple pumpkin run into an entire afternoon.
Hall's Pumpkin Farm
In Grapevine, Hall's delivers the more traditional pumpkin patch experience: pumpkins, a corn maze, hayrides and farm animals without losing he charm of an actual family farm. Its 2026 season runs from early October through November 1
Mainstay Farm
If you want to make a full day of it, head south of Fort Worth to Mainstay Farm. Its fall festival pairs pumpkins with more than 30 attractions, food, and plenty of places to settle in for the afternoon.
Autumn at the Arboretum
Not technically a pumpkin farm, but too good to leave off the Dallas list. The Dallas Arboretum transforms for fall with more than 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash filling its seasonal displays.
Make a day of it: Dallas is the place to lean into the pumpkin side of fall. Go into the late afternoon, stay for golden hour, and make dinner plans for afterward.
NORTH CAROLINA
Apple season in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
If we could pick one place on this list purely for the scenery, Western North Carolina would be hard to beat. Just outside Asheville, the Hendersonville area is surrounded by apple country, mountain views and farms that make fall feel like fall.
Jester Mountain Farm
Set across more than 400 acres, Jeter Mountain grows over 20 varieties of apples along with pumpkins, flowers, grapes and other seasonal produce. Pick your own, then reward yourself with an apple cider donut and a stop at the farm's cider taproom.
Sky Top Orchard
The name says most of it. Sky Top sits high in the mountains near Flat Rock, pairing U-pick apples with panoramic views, ponds, far animals, picnic areas and hayrides. And yes, there are cider donuts here too.
Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard
For serious apple picking, Stepp's has six U-pick orchards spread across 40 acres, with 26 apple varieties alongside a corn maze, wagon rides and plenty of fall activities.
Make a day of it: Take scenic route. Pick your apples, get the cider donut, and leave enough time to wander around Hendersonville or head toward Asheville before dinner.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLANIA
Escape to the countryside.
You don't heave to travel far from Philadelphia to trade city streets for orchards and pumpkins. The surrounding Pennsylvania countryside makes an easy fall day trip, and gives you an excuse to put on the boots that have been sitting in your closet since last October.
Linvilla Orchards
Linvilla is one of those fall destinations where you can do a little bit of everything. Pick-your-own apples are offered as the crop allows, while Pumpkinland brings the full fall experience with pumpkins, mazes, hayrides, a farm market and seasonal treats. A late spring frost affected the 2026 apple crop so apple picking is more limited than usual this year.
Make a day of it: Head out of Philadelphia in the morning, take your time at the orchard, grab something from the farm market and let the drive home be part of the escape.
NEW YORK CITY
Few places do fall quite like the Hudson Valley. Once the leaves begin to change, an hour or two outside the city gets you orchards, cider, pumpkins and the kind of countryside that makes staying in New York for the weekend feel like a vacation.
Fishkill Farms
A working farm in Hopewell Junction, Fishkill is one of our picks for the full orchard experience. Fall brings dozens of apple varieties, pick-your-own pumpkins, cider, and Harvest Festival weekends with music and wagon rides. Pick-Your-Own reservations are required, so this is one to plan ahead.
Make a day of it: Book and earlier picking time, wear somethin you don't mind walking around in, and leave the rest of the afternoon open. Stop somewhere in the Hudson Valley for a late lunch or early dinner before heading back into the city.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
The quintessential New England fall day.
This is the one you picture when someone says "apple picking." Crisp air, rows of apple trees, cider donuts and foliage that makes you understand why everyone gets so dramatic about New England in October.
Honey Pot Hill Orchards
About an hour outside Boston in Stow, Honey Pot Hill spans 186 acres and offers pick-your-own apples alongside hayrides, hedge mazes and farm animals. Most importantly, there are freshly made cider donuts waiting when you're finished.
Make a day of it: Don't rush thus one. Pick a bag of apples, get something warm from the bakery and take the long way home. Apple season at Honey Pot Hill typically continues into early November, although picking always depends on what's ripe.
FALL LOOKS GOOD ON YOU
Whether you're heading to the mountains outside Los Angeles, spending the afternoon in the Hudson Valley or chasing peal fall in New England, consider this your sign to get out of the city for the day.
Bring a tote for the apples, wear the boots, order the cider donut and take the scenic route home
