With the official arrival of fall, it’s time to get excited about autumn traditions like apple picking and pumpkin carving. Virginia’s beautiful landscape is full of orchards and farms where you can get outdoors to pick your harvest or simply enjoy the seasonal fruits and fall foliage.

 

Carter Mountain Orchard is one of the most popular day-trip destinations for apple picking. This Charlottesville gem is perched perfectly on a hillside that offers a ’40-mile view’ of the Blue Ridge. Pay for your apple harvest by the pound or leave the picking to others and enjoy a gourmet picnic after you tour the onsite tasting cellar.

 

Other great apple orchards to visit are Dickie Brothers, just southwest of Charlottesville, and Great Country Farms, only an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Great Country even offers hard cider and freshly baked donuts to sweeten your visit!

 

If pumpkin carving is more your flair, you don’t have to venture far. Just outside of RVA, the Ashland Berry Farm is a great place for family pumpkin picking. Take time to enjoy a hayride while you’re hunting for your perfect pumpkin. Farther down the road, there are plenty of farms that entertain the pumpkin patch. Check out a long list here.