7 Nebraska Apple Orchards Where You Still Pick Your Own Apples Straight Off The Tree This October
The first time I pulled off a gravel road in Nebraska just to grab a bag of apples, I figured I’d be back in the car in ten minutes. Two hours later, my hands were sticky, my trunk smelled like cider, and I had more fruit than any sensible person needs.
October is the last real stretch to pick apples by hand in this state before the branches go bare. These seven orchards still hand you a bag and point you toward the trees.
1. Martin’s Hillside Orchard In Ceresco
Sticky fingers and a hay-dusted jacket are the usual souvenirs from this family-owned farm in rural Saunders County. Every fall, the gates open for u-pick apples, flowers, and pumpkins, and the whole place is built around getting outside.
A hayrack ride carries you out toward the trees, which saves little legs for the picking itself.
Apple choices run deep here. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Somerset are among the varieties ripening on the branches during the season, and the orchard grows plenty more beyond those three.
Bring a strong arm, because it is easy to fill bags faster than planned and head home with enough apples for pies, sauce, and lunchboxes into November.
How do kids burn off the rest of their energy? The farm has that covered with a corn box, a kid-sized corn maze, and a tire mountain to climb.
The pumpkin patch is stocked with more than carving pumpkins, too, including decorative pumpkins, gourds, and pie pumpkins for the baking crowd.
Plan for a weekend trip, since the orchard runs Saturday and Sunday hours during its fall season. Group tours can also be scheduled ahead of time, which makes it a handy pick for classes, scout troops, or a big extended-family outing on a crisp autumn afternoon.
2. Super Bee Orchard In Fort Calhoun
No ticket booth, no admission line, just trees and a scale. Super Bee Orchard sits along Highway 75 near Fort Calhoun, and its whole setup is refreshingly simple: you pick apples, and you pay for what you pick by the pound.
That approach suits anyone who wants an apple outing without paying for a pile of extras the kids may skip anyway. The orchard grows many varieties of apple trees for fall picking, so a single trip can stock the kitchen with a mix of sweet and tart fruit for snacking and baking.
Picture a small shop near the trees with shelves full of homemade goodies. Super Bee keeps its little store stocked with treats to take home, and the pork rinds are a salty surprise next to all that fruit.
It is the kind of stop where a quick browse turns into a second bag of something.
Here is a perk for pet owners. Dogs are allowed, so the family pup can tag along for the walk between rows.
The season also tends to stretch later than many orchards, often wrapping up around the weekend before Thanksgiving, so a late October drive north of Omaha still makes sense. Check the orchard’s current status before heading out.
3. Picnic Hill Orchard In Lincoln
More than 25 apple varieties grow at Picnic Hill Orchard, which is a lot of choice for a spot so close to Lincoln. Yankee Hill Road takes you out of the city traffic and into tidy rows of trees in just a few minutes.
Honeycrisp is a natural place to start. A slow walk through the rows is half the fun, and the orchard also grows cherries and blackberries earlier in the year, so it has a full summer-to-fall rhythm.
Picking runs seasonally from August through October, with Saturday and Sunday afternoon hours.
Then comes the market. Small-batch ice cream is the signature treat, made in limited runs and served right on site, and it pairs surprisingly well with a cool autumn day.
Warm donuts and fresh-pressed cider round out the counter, so nobody leaves hungry.
Free on-site parking keeps the visit easy, even when a carload of cousins shows up at once. School field trips are part of the fall calendar too, which tells you the grounds are set up for groups of curious kids.
For Lincoln families wanting a quick outing that does not eat up the whole weekend, this orchard fits neatly into a Sunday afternoon.
4. Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard In Nebraska City
Since 1925, the rolling hills outside Nebraska City have produced apples, cherries, and dozens of other fruits and vegetables at Kimmel Orchard. That is roughly a century of harvests on the same ground, and the history shows up everywhere you look.
Richard and Laurine Kimmel built the orchard on a simple idea: share what the land produces with your neighbors. Today the operation is dedicated to agricultural education, research, and historic preservation, so a trip here teaches as much as it feeds.
School field trips are a big part of the mission.
U-pick apples come with a small twist. You pay for the chance to pick, and you also pay for the apples you carry out, so plan your budget with both in mind.
Pre-bagged apples are available as well for anyone short on time.
Save room for the bakery side of things. Caramel apple oatmeal cookies are the standout, and the shelves also carry apple cider, apple donuts, and apple butter for spreading on toast at home.
Free parking and Wednesday through Sunday hours make planning straightforward. Pair it with a stop at Arbor Day Farm down the road, and Nebraska City becomes a full apple-themed day trip.
5. Arbor Day Farm
Ever ridden a tractor-drawn wagon straight into an apple orchard? Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City runs tours just like that, rolling past the orchards before you hop off to start picking.
Nebraska City holds a special place in tree history as the birthplace of Arbor Day, and this farm carries that legacy forward. Picking your own apples here feels like a link to the old family farm days, the kind of chore that somehow turns into a treat.
The activity works for all ages, from toddlers reaching for low branches to grandparents filling a sack.
Up in the trees, there is even more going on. A treetop village gives kids a chance to climb and explore well above the ground, which can easily stretch a short apple stop into a whole afternoon.
A barbecue eatery on site handles lunch without anyone needing to leave.
Hours run Tuesday through Sunday through October, with later evenings on Fridays and Saturdays. Free parking is plentiful, both in the lot and along the street.
Since Kimmel Orchard sits close by, two orchards in one day is a realistic plan for families who want to compare apples and make the drive from Omaha or Lincoln count.
6. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard In Gretna
Hayrides, kiddie trains, corn mazes, and crackling fire pits fill the grounds at Vala’s in Gretna, a family-run farm that turns every fall into a full-blown festival. Apple picking is one piece of a much bigger day.
Out in the orchard, a handful of apple varieties are typically ready to pick at any given time, so the selection shifts as the season moves along. Bags are the way to go here, and the trees are easy to reach.
If the apples are the main goal, head to the rows early before the afternoon rush builds.
A quick fact for first-timers: the pumpkin patch itself is seen mainly from the hayride, and the wagon will stop for photos along the way. The grounds stay clean and decorated in full autumn style, with pig races drawing a crowd and casual dining stands serving plenty of hearty fair food.
Long hours set Vala’s apart from every other stop on this list. The farm opens daily during its fall season and stays open well into the evening, which means a weeknight visit after school is possible.
Both free and paid parking are available. Fire pits make the after-dark hours especially cozy as October nights cool down.
7. Apple Acres Orchard In Kearney
Central Nebraska does not get nearly enough credit for its apples. Apple Acres Orchard, west of Kearney, changes that with a cozy, smaller-scale setup that feels personal instead of crowded.
The fruit is the star. Crisp, sweet apples hang from the branches, and so many varieties grow here that each trip can bring a different mix home.
Short on time? Bags of already-picked apples wait inside the shop, ready for a quick grab on the way out of town.
Inside, the shelves offer more than fruit. Fresh cider, popcorn, and local honey make easy add-ons, and they travel well for the drive home along the Platte.
Outside, a corn maze and a pumpkin patch give the afternoon some extra mileage.
Families with little ones will appreciate the small petting zoo, a gentle bonus that keeps kids busy while the grown-ups finish filling bags. Unlike many orchards that only open on weekends, Apple Acres keeps hours seven days a week, with afternoon hours on Sundays.
If you have driven Interstate 80 past Kearney and wondered what lies beyond the exits, this orchard is a sweet reason to finally take one and stretch your legs among the trees.
