Forget pumpkin spice lattes. Pick your own apples at these Central KY orchards
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- Three Central Kentucky orchards offer apple picking and fall activities in 2025.
- Stepping Stone, Evans, and Eckert’s provide u-pick options and seasonal events.
- Orchards feature cider, farm markets, wagon rides and weekend events.
September brings peak apple-picking season to Kentucky, when many popular varieties reach their prime and orchards kick off fall festivals complete with corn mazes, wagon rides, farm markets and more.
If you’ve never picked your own apples, it can be hard to know which orchards offer the best experience.
To help you ease into a new fall tradition, we’ve gathered some top spots in the area, all of which are within a 45-minute drive from Lexington.
Here what’s to know about each one:
Top spots to pick apples in Central Kentucky
Reed Valley Orchard at Stepping Stone Farm — Paris
An eighth-generation family farm originally established in 1790, Stepping Stone Farm has since grown into a standout agritourism destination, according to its website.
The farm offers educational tours and “u-pick” fields, including the Reed Valley Orchard, which the farm now operates after the retirement of Dana and Trudie Reed.
If you go: Stepping Stone Farm is located at 1674 Cynthiana Road in Paris. The separate Reed Valley Orchard is located at 239 Lail Lane, also in Paris. Call ahead to check picking availability for both locations. The farm can be reached at 859-658-6060 or steppingstonefarm2@gmail.com.
Hours for the Reed Valley Orchard are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Stepping Stone Farm’s hours are from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Evans Orchard and Cider Mill — Georgetown
Beginning as a tobacco and cattle farm, Evans Orchard planted its first apple trees in the 1990s. Today, the fifth-generation family farm has orchards spanning 20 acres that produce apples, pears and peaches.
That crop, together with other vegetables grown on the farm, is sold at Evans’ Farm Market and Gift Store, which was once the tobacco barn. Now it houses an extensive selection of fresh fruits and veggies, local honey, homemade jams and freshly pressed apple cider.
Visitors can find apple cider doughnuts, fresh apple pie, homemade fudge and other tasty treats at the Sweet Apple Café next door.
Along with the fall festivities, visitors to Evans Orchard can pick their own apples, and thanks to a regular wagon service, they don’t have to haul them back to the checkout line.
If you go: Evans Orchard and Cider Mill is located at 1783 Newtown Pike in Georgetown. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. It can be reached via phone at (502) 863-2255 or via email at info@evansorchard.com.
Eckert’s Orchard — Versailles
Owned by the Eckert family, which has been growing apples for more than 100 years in rural Illinois near St. Louis, Eckert’s has three locations in Illinois and an orchard in Kentucky.
Its orchard in Versailles allows visitors to pick their own apples and ride on a tractor back to the checkout. The orchard’s weekend AppleFest runs through September and features live entertainment and a host of fall farm activities.
If you go: Eckert’s Versailles orchard is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, according to hours posted on its website. It’s located at 1396 Pinckard Pike in Versailles.