6 Nebraska Farms Where Fall Apple Picking Runs Right Through The End Of October
Nobody plans a whole Saturday around a gravel turnoff and a hand-painted apple sign, but in Nebraska that turnoff can lead somewhere you end up talking about until Thanksgiving. One unplanned stop in the fall can end with a sack of sun-warmed apples, a jug of cider, and a wagon ride you never saw coming.
Several Nebraska orchards keep picking going right through the end of October, long after the summer crowds have moved on. Here are six farms that make a late-season drive pay off.
1. Martin’s Hillside Orchard In Ceresco
A wagon rolls slowly between rows of apple trees while the driver points out which varieties hang on which branches. That ride sets the tone at this family-owned farm, which opens every fall for u-pick apples, flowers, and pumpkins.
The narrated loop covers the orchard, the flower beds, and the pumpkin field, so first-timers learn the layout before grabbing a bag.
The apple lineup runs deep, meaning one trip can fill a sack with sweet eaters and tart bakers at the same time. Prices stay friendly compared to bigger orchards, and it’s easy to drive home with far more fruit than planned.
Beyond carving pumpkins, the patch offers decorative pumpkins, gourds, and small pie pumpkins for the kitchen.
So what do kids do while the grown-ups compare apples? They head straight for the corn box, the kid-sized corn maze, and tire mountain, a climbable pile built for burning off energy.
Groups can also schedule guided tours ahead of time.
Plenty of farms start packing up once the weather cools. Not this one.
Apples and pumpkins are still coming off the farm in the final days of October, making Ceresco an easy late-season drive from Lincoln or Omaha.
2. Super Bee Orchard In Fort Calhoun
Sticky jars of honey and jam crowd the shelves inside the little shop, and the scent of fresh cider drifts out the door. Beyond the building, rows of apple trees stretch out beside US-75, just north of Omaha.
Super Bee charges no admission fee. Apples are sold by the pound, so the bill depends only on how much fruit lands in the bag, and the total usually comes in below grocery store prices.
Worried about missing the window? The orchard usually closes around the weekend before Thanksgiving, which puts late October comfortably inside the season instead of at its ragged edge.
Dogs are allowed, so the family pup can tag along for the stroll between rows.
Back inside, the counter holds peaches, honey, jams, and a spread of homemade goodies, plus one surprise: crunchy pork rinds that sell briskly. Cider moves even faster, so grab a jug at the start of the visit rather than waiting until the car is loaded.
The whole setup is refreshingly simple. Pick, weigh, pay, and head home with a sack of fruit that tastes like it was on the branch an hour ago, because it was.
3. Union Orchard In Union
Some apples refuse to rush. King David and Winesap, two old-fashioned varieties with a spicy, tart bite, ripen late enough that Union Orchard still has them on the trees after October wraps up.
Crowds tell a different story here than at bigger stops along US-75. Lines move quicker, and the staff know the trees well enough to steer pickers toward whatever is ripest that week.
The fall apple selection is wide, so a single visit can cover snacking, baking, and saucing.
Then comes the pie. Caramel pours over the top of every apple pie until the crust nearly vanishes beneath a glossy layer, and the caramel apple version is the one to box up for the ride home.
Slicing into it at the kitchen table later feels like dessert and souvenir rolled into one.
Are prices a little higher than at some orchards? Yes, a bit.
The tradeoff is fruit and baked goods made with obvious care, and a Cass County location that sits an easy drive from both Omaha and Lincoln.
Late-season pickers get a bonus. Tart varieties can store well in a cool garage, stretching a single October haul deep into winter baking.
4. Apple Acres Orchard In Kearney
Far from the orchard cluster along the Missouri River, a smaller farm outside Kearney grows a lineup of apples that surprises anyone expecting slim pickings in central Nebraska. For families west of Lincoln, Apple Acres turns a fall outing into a short drive instead of a half-day haul.
Crisp, sweet, and snapping off the branch with a clean crunch, the fruit here makes picking your own a treat. Anyone short on time can grab already bagged apples inside the store instead.
What else fills the afternoon? A corn maze winds through the field, pumpkins wait to be claimed, and a small petting zoo gives little ones a chance to see farm animals up close.
Inside, the shelves carry cider, popcorn, and honey. The cider deserves a spot in the cart, cold and tangy, while the popcorn makes a fine road snack for the trip back toward Interstate 80.
Apple Acres stays busy with fall festivities right up until the end of October, so a late-month visit still delivers the full spread. The scale is modest compared to the giant patches near Omaha, and that works in its favor: less walking, less waiting, and more time among the trees.
5. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard In Gretna
Woodsmoke from open fires mixes with the smell of fresh-pressed cider the moment the gates come into view. Vala’s is a family-run pumpkin farm and apple orchard in Gretna, and its layout sprawls wide enough to feel closer to a state fair than a roadside patch.
Apple picking anchors the day, with rows of trees ready for anyone carrying a bag. The on-site cider mill turns part of the harvest into jugs of cider, a detail that gives the whole place its autumn aroma.
Would anyone guess a pumpkin farm could host races? Here, pigs dash around a track while crowds cheer from the rail, and kiddie train rides loop past the fields for the youngest guests.
Casual dining spots scattered across the grounds keep everyone fueled between activities. A single visit can easily stretch from morning into evening, and season passes let families return again and again during the fall run.
Timing works in its favor too. Vala’s operates daily through Halloween, and the lot offers both free and paid parking.
The farm has hosted Omaha-area families for more than two decades, long enough that kids who came once now bring their own.
6. Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard In Nebraska City
How many orchards can trace their apples back to 1925? Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City has grown apples, cherries, and dozens of other fruits and vegetables in the rolling hills of southeast Nebraska for about a century.
A tractor pulls pickers out to the trees, so nobody has to hike across the property with an empty bag. U-pick comes with an admission charge, which covers access to the orchard rows.
Late October keeps the operation humming, with apples and fresh produce stocked high.
Warm apple donuts and homemade cider lead the lineup inside. Caramel apple cookies, apple butter, and bags of fresh apples round out a haul that can cover breakfast, dessert, and snacks for a week.
Education sets Kimmel apart from the other stops on this list. An on-site educational center hosts classes on everything from honey production to apple growing, reflecting the founders’ belief in sharing what the land produced with their neighbors.
School field trips come here for the same reason.
Unlike the carnival-style patches, the kid activities here lean hands-on and farm-focused. Free parking makes the stop easy to add onto a day in Nebraska City, a town that has leaned on apples for generations.
