6 Nebraska Apple Orchards Where You Still Pick Your Own Fruit Straight Off The Tree This October
The sign was hand-lettered, the gravel road was bumpy, and the trees behind the fence were so heavy with fruit that the branches sagged. That quick detour on a fall afternoon in Nebraska turned into a trunk full of apples and sticky fingers from a warm donut.
October is the last good stretch to pull apples off the branch yourself, and once the season ends, the chance is gone until next year. Here are six orchards across the state where the ladders, bags, and rows of trees are still waiting.
1. Martin’s Hillside Orchard In Ceresco
A hay rack ride rolls you out to the trees, and from there the only rule is to fill your bag. Martin’s Hillside Orchard is a family-owned farm that opens each fall for u-pick apples, flowers, and pumpkins, so one trip can cover the whole autumn shopping list.
Kids get plenty of room to burn off energy here. The grounds include a corn box, a kid-sized corn maze, and a tire mountain, along with other outdoor play areas scattered around the farm.
Parents can pick in peace while the little ones climb and dig.
Plan carefully, because the gates open on weekends only during the season. Saturdays and Sundays fill up with families hauling bags of apples and pumpkins back to the car, and it is easy to come home with far more fruit than you planned.
Bring a cooler or a sturdy box for the ride home.
Groups and classrooms can schedule tours, which makes the orchard a handy field trip pick for schools around Lincoln and Omaha. Ceresco sits a short drive north of the capital city, close enough for an easy afternoon outing without a long haul on the highway.
2. Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard In Nebraska City
Nearly a century of harvests have rolled through these hills. Since 1925, apples, cherries, and dozens of other fruits and vegetables have grown on the rolling ground of southeast Nebraska at Kimmel Orchard, a place built on the idea of sharing the land’s bounty with neighbors.
History is part of the mission. The orchard is dedicated to agricultural education research and historic preservation, so a visit here comes with more than a bag of fruit.
School field trips are a big piece of the picture, and the setting makes farming easy for kids to understand when they can touch the trees themselves.
What about the timing? Mid-October still finds plenty of apples hanging on the branches, which makes this a smart stop for anyone who thinks the season has already slipped away.
U-pick apples sit right on the grounds, and parking is free.
Save room for the market. Homemade cider and caramel apple oatmeal cookies are the sweet reward after a walk through the rows, along with fresh produce and other homegrown Nebraska products.
The orchard is closed early in the week, so aim for a Wednesday through Sunday trip.
3. Apple Acres Orchard In Kearney
Out in central Nebraska, where most fall drives point toward cornfields and cranes, a smaller orchard outside Kearney grows an impressive lineup of apples. Apple Acres packs a lot into a modest footprint, and the scale is part of the appeal.
Pick your own, and you will find crisp, sweet fruit on the branches. Prefer a shortcut?
Bagged apples wait inside the shop for anyone short on time or energy, so nobody leaves empty-handed.
The extras round out an afternoon nicely. Cider, popcorn, and local honey line the shelves, and baked goods give the drive home a sweet finish.
A corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and a small petting zoo keep younger kids busy between trips to the trees.
Families living near Interstate 80 have a big advantage here, since Apple Acres stays open seven days a week during the season. That schedule makes a weekday stop after school entirely possible, with shorter afternoon hours on Sundays.
For anyone west of Grand Island, it saves a long trek to the eastern orchards and puts fresh apples within easy reach of the Platte River valley.
4. Picnic Hill Orchard In Lincoln
Twenty-five-plus apple varieties grow at this orchard on the southern edge of Lincoln, a surprising number for a spot so close to the city. Picnic Hill Orchard also raises cherries and blackberries, though October belongs to the apples.
Honeycrisp is the headliner for many pickers, and walking the tidy rows of trees is half the fun. The grounds are pleasant to stroll even after your bag is full, with open space and a calm, unhurried feel.
Then comes the treat that sets this place apart. The retail market scoops its own small-batch ice cream, a signature item you won’t find at the other orchards on this list.
Warm donuts and fresh-pressed cider sit right alongside it, so choosing just one is the hard part.
Picking runs seasonally from August through October, which means the window is closing fast. Weekends are the only days the orchard opens, with Saturday offering the longer stretch of hours.
Free on-site parking keeps arrival simple. School field trips visit during the season too, and the location off Yankee Hill Road makes it an easy hop for anyone in Lincoln who wants fruit without a long country drive.
5. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard In Gretna
Pig races, a kiddie train, and cozy fire pits share the grounds with the apple trees at Vala’s, one of the busiest fall farms in the Omaha area. The orchard is only one piece of a much bigger autumn festival on this family-run pumpkin farm.
Here is the contrast worth knowing: the attractions are huge, while the u-pick apple selection is smaller and more focused. A handful of varieties are available to pick, and the apple trees remain a highlight of the day.
A hayride carries guests past the pumpkin patch, and it will pause for photos along the way.
Corn mazes stretch across the property, and the decorations are cheerful and well kept. Casual dining spots serve hearty food, so a full day is easy without packing a lunch.
Kids of every age find something to climb, ride, or chase.
Long daily hours set Vala’s apart from the weekend-only orchards. Evenings stay open through the week during the season, which helps families who can’t make a Saturday work.
Free parking is available, with paid lots as well when the crowds swell. Gretna sits just southwest of Omaha.
6. Arbor Day Farm In Nebraska City
Nebraska City is the birthplace of Arbor Day, and the farm that carries the name treats trees as the main event. Tractor-drawn tours roll through the orchards, giving riders a close look at rows of fruit before they head out to pick their own.
Picture a crisp afternoon with bags of apples swinging from small hands. Picking fresh fruit here suits every age, from toddlers to grandparents who remember gathering apples on a family farm long ago.
The activity runs through the fall season.
Beyond the orchards, a treetop village lifts kids up into the branches for climbing and exploring. Hungry after all that walking?
A barbecue eatery on the grounds handles lunch, so nobody has to leave early in search of food.
Planning is straightforward. Arbor Day Farm opens year-round from Tuesday through Sunday, with longer hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and parking is free both in the lot and on the street.
Pair a stop here with Kimmel Orchard across town, and a single drive to the southeast corner of the state can deliver two orchards, plenty of apples, and a full autumn day before the season wraps up.
