Sky Top Orchard

Out of all the orchards in the Hendersonville area, this is our fave. The Apple cannons are a HUGE hit with my husband and boys. The tractor ride takes you up on the vista to see the most spectacular mountain views. The Apple cider donuts are fresh made and we love the apples with warm caramel. So good! Tons to do, but it’s best to go during the week since it can be quite crowded on weekends.

The mountain views are stunning, the air is fresh, and everything feels peaceful and natural. The apples are super fresh and delicious especially the Fuji ones! The market area is full of local products like honey, jams, and fresh fruit, all neatly organized. The staff are friendly, and the whole atmosphere is relaxing and perfect for photos. It's a great spot for families, couples, or anyone who loves nature. If you visit in the fall, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

This was my second visit since last year, and I continue to be impressed! The place has a huge variety of apples, all fresh, well-maintained, and of great quality. The ambiance is perfect for picnics, with stunning mountain views all around. The grounds are beautiful, and the staff are incredibly friendly, offering wonderful service and assistance whenever needed. A truly enjoyable experience—I highly recommend it!

Absolutely incredible! So much to do for the kiddos, doughnuts were amazing, apple cider slushy and kids apple juice souvenir cups in apples or pumpkins themes during the fall are super cute! Definitely busy on weekends but everything runs pretty smooth. Waited in line to purchase items less than 10 mins, they have plenty or registers. Lots of places to sit, a covered sand pit (I'd just recommend bringing your own sand toys) lots of play houses, some swings, hayrides, bee ride, apple shooting. The one thing I wish they had that I didn't see were those vats of corn kids can play in. Definitely bring your stroller or wagon if you have young kids, to carry your drinks and heavy bag of apples, don't wear your nice shoes, and be prepared to walk. Most of trees near the front had been picked over or didn't have apples that were ready to be picked yet. But with some walking down the hill a ways we had plenty of gorgeous apples to choose from. Overall, a wonderful experience and we will be making trips back in the future! ❤️❤️❤️

Decided to make visit not knowing what to expect. Upon arrival you know this was a big deal by the amount of people. The grounds were neatly kept with lots of staff to assist with directions. Even with the amount of people it was very organized and lines never lingered. Definitely if you have children this is a wonderland of exploring. The apple cider frozen was my favorite being super fresh and just the right amount of sweet. The donuts are a big item but don’t sleep on the caramel apple oatmeal cookies . We will definitely make this a reoccurring adventure.

We LOVED Sky Top Orchard!! We ate some delicious hot apple cider donuts, we bought some fresh Gala apples- so crisp and perfect! We also got hot apple cider which was fresh and sweet, and we got a small hand Apple pie - delicious! We enjoyed a hayride and the apple cannons were a blast! Definitely a great place to take the whole family! There were lots of people there but it didn’t feel too crowded because it’s huge!

Very nice to visit. If possible try to visit during the week as the weekend is so busy and in September. The apple cider doughnuts are amazing. My family went the first weekend in October so most of the apples in front of the orchard were gone. We ended up hiking it to the back of the orchard to pick apples. We weren't thinking we had to hike it back to our car carring 60 lbs of apples, thats 1 bag each of 30 lbs of apples. It was worth the exercise but next time will be taking a wagon for the grandchildren and the apples. 😃

Love this place! I went for the second year this past weekend. Great apples, cider and more. They even had sugar free jams and apple butters in their store. Keep an eye out on their website if you want to pick a specific type of apple, they list all that are being picked!

An absolute must. So much to pick from and do. We were late in the season but still got to go out to the orchard and pick. I like how you pay by the bag, rather than by the pound at the end. If you come late in the season or want other apple types you can fill up any left over space in your bag at the barn. We recommend the apple cider slushie and taking a walk down to the animal barn to see the gorgeous birds!

I've been to many of the orchard attractions that are close enough for a day trip. With it being less than a 3 hour drive, Sky Top is my new go-to fall outing. Plenty of orchard rows to walk with several types of apples to choose from. Apple bags are purchased before entering the orchard but you can also finish filling it in the store if you want to. There's even a raised platform to take pictures. Sky Top has lots to do outside of the orchard. There's an apple cannon, hay rides, bee train and playground. There were more food options than I expected. They offered pizzas, large pretzels, and hot dog combos. And there are so many treats! Fudge, ice cream, kettle corn, different types of dipped apples, and donuts. Everything I tried was yummy. Definitely a fun family day!

Update October 2, 2025 It was a nice drive up to Zirconia, NC with two of my siblings, and a cool morning at 56 degrees. My second visit this year to Sky Top. There many varieties of pre picked apples to choose from. Jonagold, Staymen Winesap, Evercrisp, Crimson Crisp, Golden Delicious, Blushing Gold, Granny Smith, Gala, Asian Pear, Rome and Macintosh. There are also mountain tomatoes in the stand. Don't forget to get some of those "hot now" apple cider donuts.

Great orchard to visit! They offer samples of the apples to try before you buy. There's some Carmel apples and other goodies for purchase too. A great place to explore and walk around. We also tried the hot apple cider which was good, but not my favorite. If you like sweet and simple apple cider then it's good, I just like mine a little more tart or spiced.

Tried and true orchard. They have a new addition every year . Always super friendly employees. Clean. Nice way to spend the day. You pick apples, hat rides, hot donuts and pottery along with slashes and pies fresh and frozen.

Absolutely loved it. We arrrived around noon on a Saturday. There is tons of parking but most of it is in the woods, so be very aware of where you park. We saw an SUV get stuck and really struggle to get out of the lot. There were a lot of parking attendants and they were very helpful. Definitely a family-focused orchard (if you don't enjoy kids, this may not be your jam). My toddlers had so much fun. We were able to easily navigate our double stroller throughout the orchard. Their "hens and chicks" bathroom includes a changing table. They have several different playgrounds and play areas for kids of all ages. Almost all of the picnic tables sit under greatly shaded areas. The tractor ride is $4 per person and gives a great tour of the orchard. They also have a bee train for little kids ($3 per person). You can buy various sizes bags of apples inside or pick your own 15lb bag for $30. The apple cider doughnuts were really delicious. We also tried the apple cider slushees and loved it. Again, we loved our visit and can't wait to go back * This visit was before Hurricane Helene. Sending extra prayers and support for the entire community.

Beautiful. I loved the road leading up to Sky Top. Once there, we found plenty of parking. It was raining, so any adventures on the orchard would have to be for another time. We walked around the shop though and bought some peaches and apples. A lot of the areas were closed down as it was a Sunday afternoon and raining, but we enjoyed our time here and I'd definitely come back.

Updating our last review: We have been coming back every year for the past 7 years and I have avoided using their bathrooms but today I had to... and was super surprised they were so clean and well maintained! And it was super busy there! We also tried the apple turnovers and they were delicious. Cider and donuts and apple selection were great just as they always have been. They opened up the playground area a bit which is an improvement. So we are updating our review to 5 stars. The only negative we can come up with is you have to stand in line to buy vouchers then stand in line for the actual donuts if you dont have cash. But that isnt so bad to take a star for sure. These guys have gotten better and better over the years.

We have been coming here for years. We love the donuts hot off the press. Only took away one star because the staff were not very friendly, and the you pick containers are now plastic peck bags instead of sturdy pails.

Located in the foothills of North Carolina, this family owned orchard has so much to be seen and picked. With a quaint market that is covered and just next to the hot and fresh apple cider doughnuts, this place is great for the family. They have row and rows of apples of all varieties. Plus they also have some already picked if you just wanted to buy them. I highly recommend their doughnuts and hand pies. Parking is either on the backside of the property or across the street. Be prepared to wear walkable shoes and water. But otherwise the kids can have fun at the playground or apple shooting, or bamboo forest and hay rides with bee barrel rides.

My wife and I always have an amazing time at Sky Top. Plenty of open space and a wide variety of apples, combined with the scenic view. Last but definitely not least, the donuts. They are to die for. It is our once a year destination. Frantz and Brenda

Prices are through the roof. Must purchase a bag to pick apples, each bag is $30, but atleast a dozen donuts is about $14. Saturdays in October are PACKED, traffic is pretty long and you're walking up and down hills scouting for some decent apples. Mid October is slim pickins

Being from Upstate NY, apple picking is a HUGE fall activity where I am from. There were a large amount of orchards within 30 minutes of my hometown, everyone takes their kids apple picking each September or October. It's a BIG tradition! Since moving to Raleigh, we have missed our autumnal apple activities. SkyTop was a good way to replicate that experience. My dad loves to bake apple sauce and pies/tarts, so our main objective was to pick up baking apples for him. There was a very large selection of pre-picked apples. We skipped the actual apple picking, but it was an option. Cider donuts are also a popular food at those Upstate NY orchards. I'm happy to say, there are also delicious freshly made donuts. We came on a Monday in late October, thank god we got in line at the right time because it got crazy long after we queued up. Hopefully, Sky Top can make that process more efficient next year. I read a lot of gripes on the local Raleigh message boards about this too, so it's not just me. My husband and I split a can of the hard cider, it was tasty. We went with something pretty basic, but we both liked it. So if you miss Vermont or Upstate NY fall, come to Sky Top for a similar experience.

Sky Top Orchard in Zirconia, NC is located at the top of a mountain road so if you enjoy driving on curvy roads this will be the highlght of your visit. I enjoyed the ride up to the orchard very much. When we got there, we were directed into a full parking lot and then had to cross the street and park wherever you could in the woods. I'd never seen parking like that before. Picking your own apples was quite expensive and more than the already picked apples. I chose this orchard as the website said they had macintosh and they did. I bought a peck of apples and some of the donuts that had a separate line. They had cider and pies and caramel apples too. I wanted more than I got but knew it was going to be a long enough walk back to the car and I just had so many hands. As much as I loved the drive to the orchard, I did not enjoy the orchard and wouldn't return to this one.

This was our first time Apple picking, so I have no other places to compare to. I still feel very confident that this orchard is one of the best choices for a fun fall family activity. I absolutely cannot stand crowds, especially with our two littles. We decided to come up on a weekday and we basically had the place to ourselves. The staff were so laid back and helpful. There are SO many things to see and do, even with no wait we were entertained the entire time we were there. I feel like the prices are very reasonable both for food and activities. Please do not sleep on the Apple cider donuts. We took a dozen home and they didn't last a full day. The cider is delicious too. They offer it frozen so you can get it home without it going bad. We quite possibly will be back this year, but this will definitely be an annual tradition for our family. Such a fun experience and beautiful sites.

My family and I had been going to this orchard for over a decade. In the past few years, they have done away with real baskets to pick the apples, apple pickers to get apples high up in the trees, wagons to pull kids/apples on, and necessary staff to help guests. Now you have to pay in advance for a bag to stuff your overpriced apples in. This orchard used to be a great, family-friendly place. There's nothing too friendly about this orchard anymore, certainly not the staff. We went on a Friday morning and it was packed with barking dogs and screaming children (which includes adults who are yelling at their kids). Lines to checkout weren't worth the wait. If you have physical disabilities, I would consider going elsewhere. Even if you don't plan on picking apples, the current layout is chaotic. There are kids running everywhere. In an effort to make more money, Sky Top Orchard has forgotten how to make guests feel appreciated.

Overall: A fun way to spend a day apple picking and enjoying with the family. The good: Definitely caters to kids and families, with tons of activities. Our little one enjoyed the (small) animal area, and once she's older she'll love the little play area with things to climb all over. Nice layout with everything in a central location, and the apples in easy walking distance. Plenty of parking and places to eat (is BYOF if you want). Friendly staff. The not-so-good: Expensive. Admission may be free but basically anything you want to buy is a good chunk of change. The apple cider donuts we bought were good, but not mind blowing. Apple selection was pretty picked over mid-October.

We were lucky to find a good parking space! We came friday morning so it wasn't really that crowded. It was mostly school field trips that were there. We went ahead and got the donuts and we waited maybe 5 mins. The whole area has a nice selection of apples but I wish they were labeled better. Some didn't have a sign of what type of apples. We got a good bit for one bag and it was worth it. The scenery and fresh air also added a nice touch. This is a great day trip and a fun event for the fall time!

This place has incredible views but seems really overrated. It's absolutely packed with children running around screaming (I'm not shy about admitting that I don't like kids, especially hyper ones). This is definitely a destination for families - there's a train, a big playground, an apple canon, and more. The checkout lines were super long. We went on a Friday morning and were shocked at how crazy busy it was. There's parking in front of the building, a huge lot behind the building (this is where you'll see the amazing views!), and parking across the street. We parked in the back since everything else was full. Honestly, after seeing how crazy the parking lots were, we almost turned around and left. But it's a very twisty road up the mountain so I didn't want to leave with nothing. There are many things behind the checkout counters so you'll have to wait in line to get cider and bakery vouchers. I got an apple hand pie which ended up being really bland. I also bought some cider, but I haven't tried it yet. We visited many orchards during our trip. The best apples we got were from Twisted Apple - perfectly sweet and super crispy! Just the perfect apples and the sweetest people. We also enjoyed Justus Orchard. Sky Top was a huge disappointment for us and we wouldn't go back.

How stinkin' cuuuuuute is this place? Having grown up in the Northeast, we're used to apple orchards and cider mills galore. Who knew the South could boast as well for this treat of a place. First timer here on hot cider donuts and they did NOT disappoint! Purchased already picked apples only because the place was jumping, and the price couldn't be beat. Still working on the apples during Thanksgiving prep time from our visit in September!

We were pleasantly surprised with our visit. This place is picturesquely beautiful. We went in November, the weather was perfect and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The kids rode the bee train, shot the apple cannon, walked the bamboo trail, saw the goats, sheep, and peacocks, played on the playground, and picked apples in the orchard. It's a great place to have a day out with the family.

We went during the height of autumn and enjoyed gorgeous mountain views and the amazing foliage of Asheville while picking so many apples that we had to bake some before they could spoil! We came around midday, which seemed to be the time to get there. There's lots of parking, but as we were leaving later that afternoon there seemed to be another rush to get in. Huge line of cars. Glad we missed that! They also have donuts, hot food, playground, and apparently a gem mining area that I didn't notice until we were leaving. Guess I have an excuse to return!

This place is awesome. Just about a 2.5hr drive from the house, so it's day trip worthy! Got there a little after they opened at 9! Cool morning in the mountains. Wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty! They had just cut the grass and our shoes came out green! Gala apples were ripe, so that's what we picked! An ice storm earlier this year ruined much of the orchard. So there was much variety to choose from. A fresh apple off the tree!!! DELICIOUS! Had to test the product! Afterwards, we went on a hay ride, shot the apple cannon, AND got hot apple cider donuts! Awesome!! You gotta get like 2 dozen because they like disappear! I want to go back for my Stayman Winesap!

The orchard is pretty with Mountain View's. The apple selection is just okay. I would say it's somewhat limited depending on when you go and the prices have increased noticeably over the years. The donuts are always delicious as is the cider. Now for the bad... The traffic was insane. 30 min to drive the last 1.5 miles up the mountain. Parking isn't adequate and given the prices, I don't think sitting in traffic like your in downtown Atlanta makes for an enjoyable visit. There are other orchards.

September 8, 2022. What a great day trip for us and another check off my bucket list. I have never picked apples before. I was excited that Honey Crisp were ripe for picking because they are my favorite! The facilities are nice and the workers are friendly. I enjoyed an apple cider slushy and the yummy cider doughnuts. We took home a huge bag of the best apples I have ever eaten. I definitely recommend a visit here.

Great place to pick apples. Great cider and AWESOME fresh cooked apple Doughnuts. They have a great selection of apples. I bought Asian Pears. Jelly and James. If you have kids they have a lot of fun things for the kiddos. Go see them. Tell em I sent you.

Sky Top Orchard is one of my favorite places near Asheville! There are so many activities from browsing the apple products, apple picking, and hanging out while enjoying the delicious products. Even walking around you get a beautiful view with mountains in the distance. You can pick the apples for $20.00/bucket There is usually a wait/parking can be challenging. I must say the apple cider donuts are to die for. They come fresh out of the oven and come for $10/dozen. They melt on in your mouth! Positives: Fresh apple cider donuts, so many in house apple products, large area Negatives: can get really crowded (especially challenging during COVID), some products can be expensive, and apples are not very abundant into the later parts of fall, need to bring cash

Great activity espescislly if near the area or visiting near Asheville! Go ahead and treat yourself to a dozen apple cider donuts. They are making them in a side room dedicated strictly to donuts and are fresh and hot. Recommend doing the pick a peck for 20 bucks for the group. We went end of the season so there wasn't much to pick from but that didn't stop us from having fun. We had apple pie, sliced apples and a cobbler with these apples. There's a playground and apple cannon where you can shoot apples at targets across waterways for 5 bucks. It's a great day time activity! The store also has jellies, Apple cider that was very fresh, pies and salsas and such.

Sky Top Orchard has amazing Apply Cider Doughnuts! Seriously, do not miss this during your visit! We got a pack of six but I really wish we had gotten the full dozen. They make them fresh right in front of you and were so soft and full of cinnamon sugar goodness. The setup is a bit confusing to get them. If you have cash, you can go right up to the outdoor counter. But if you're paying with card, you have to go inside, pay for a voucher, and then take it back to the outdoor counter. We also got some cups of Apple Cider which were delicious and refreshing. There was plenty of parking, but it looked pretty crowded in the apple orchard area, so we didn't end up doing any apple picking.

Maybe it was end of season... What I went for the U-pick experience. Just my luck, I got there on a rainy day... but I still decided to do the u-pick experience. I was prompted to purchase the bag first and then I could proceed to the orchard to pick. They have a map at the beginning but none for you to take.. only take a picture with your phone... I went Oct 8th and most apples were coming up to the end of the season. I was told that there was mainly Fujis available. I did find some fujis. I was able to taste the apples and fill my bag. Since the fruit was thin, I was allowed to top off my bag with with whats in the store bins. The picking experience would probably be better if it wasn't raining... There didn't seem to be any pickers for us to use to pick either. I didn't walk to the whole orchard since it was raining. The market area had a lot of items! I picked up a bottle of honey. Also grabbed some asian pear. The asian pears were very tasty! Though some of them looked beat up... I also had to try the cider doughnuts. **I AM NOT A DONUT FAN** To me there donuts tasted better cold than hot... I had one hot and didn't really like it... It is very sweet to me and tasted ok... I also bought a cup of frozen cider to drink, it was very refreshing.. and tasted like apple juice (not trying to be offensive). Over I had a good experience... minus the rain. Environment This 50+ orchard was located on top, hence the name... It was an easy drive. There is plenty of parking available, right out front and also across the street. There is a lot to be if it isn't raining... Niceness of the staff Super super nice staff. It was my first time doing apple picking and even trying cider! The lady was so nice to let me try them all (hot, cold and frozen). Dollar It was $25 to do the u-pick experience but you can fill the bag to the top! Yes Id be interested to go again during peak seasons... or even asian pear season!

We love Sky top Orchard. My granddaughter and I eat the ( fabulous) donuts as we watch my great grandsons play in the play yard. We visit Sky top several times a year. And the apples are delicious too.

This was a nice stop along our fall road trip. We stopped here to enjoy apple picking, and other fall activities. Unfortunately the orchard was closed during the time we went (October 2021), due to low fruit supply/high demand. We still enjoying waking around and seeing all the different animals. We also had a blast (punn intended) shooting the apple launcher into the woods. At the indoor market we had an apple cider doughnut and an apple cider slushie, perfect fall treat!

I had heard this place has majestic views and it certainly does. It is an expansive orchard and very impressive place. We luckily arrived at a time on the weekend where we rolled right up and parked but by the time we left the line to get in wrapped far down the mountain and seemed like it would be a very long wait which was perplexing because as we left there were tons of open parking spots. Things seemed poorly managed in that sense. We enjoyed our time here but things were VERY expensive compared to other orchards. 25/picking bag was the only option and it was the same size bag we paid 15 for at Perry Lowe a few weeks earlier. 15/a dozen donuts was steep and 4/rider for a bee ride that went in two circles was fairly exploitive but aside of the cost it was a very nice time. I don't know if we would be back, the view was amazing but it was far more costly than other options.

First time back here since I was a kid-- now married and came with my husband and we had a great time! Definitely don't come on a weekend because it is PACKED and the cashier-- though very sweet, was literally doing everything to n paper and it took over an hour to get through the line to buy apple cider/donut vouchers. But, we picked a bushel of apples and bought two pecks as well, a gallon of cider, some hard cider, and donuts! Next year we will come earlier in the year and on a weekday!

This place is the real deal for a pick your own apples! The have a huge barn area where you can purchase bags of apples, apple cider, donuts, and slushies. The donuts were so good and moist. Very gorgeous fields of apple trees and delicious apples. Very kid friendly!!

I would literally go out of my way for the Apple Cider donuts. We were lucky enough to catch them on the last day they were open for the season and we will be back. We did nothing other than get donuts and couldn't be happier. We ate them within minutes of them coming out fresh and hot.

Fall is the perfect time to go apple picking. Sky Top gives you a lot of options. You can simply visit and get pre-picked apples (there are more varieties this way) or you can pick your own. We went for the pick your own route. It was the end of the season so only three varieties were available to pick which we're pink ladies, Granny Smith and a gold. It was $20 for a bucket and we could fill it up with what we wanted. They give you a map and show you where the available apples are. For us, this was the very back of the orchard. Here's my tip. Wear comfortable shoes. It is an easy walk down to the trees, but if you go to the back, the way up is hilly and you're likely carry 12 lbs of apples. Also, bring someone tall. There's some apples lower but bigger prettier ones are near the top. We picked ours and they were quite tasty. Aside from the picking there's lots of family friendly activities. They have a hay ride, bee barrel train, a petting zoo and many photo opportunities. The store also sells hot cider, cider slushies, apple butter, apple pies and everything apple. But the one thing you must do is get the cider donuts. They serve them hot and fresh with plenty of cinnamon sugar. Also, bring cash, they don't take credit cards due to the location. It's well worth a visit.

We risked going for the first time on a holiday weekend, and it wasn't bad at all. Busy, but manageable. You can purchase pre-bagged apples or pick them yourself, and we opted for picking. There are nice employees that will explain the layout of the orchard and where to find the in-season apples you want. For $20, you can get a small basket and fill it with as many apples as you can, which ended up being around 20 for us. The orchard is mountainous terrain, so I recommend wearing tennis shoes. There are also lots of apples on the ground that can be stepped/slipped on. And, some of the apples are in the far end of the orchard so it can be a haul. And right now it's very hot, so plan accordingly especially with little ones. Once back in the store area they will hand you a plastic bag for your apples. We then tried the apple slush ($2) to cool down. We also grabbed some fried pies ($3) and hot apple cider donuts ($10/doz) to go. And yes, the donuts are unbelievably good and worth every calorie! Not a bad drive at all from Greenville. There are breweries and wineries in the vicinity so it's easy to make a day of it.

Beautiful orchard with a beautiful view of the mountains! 10/10 would recommend the apple cider donuts and frozen apple cider - they're fantastic!! There are some activities for kids, so it is a great place to bring a family. The checkout area has pre-picked apples, jams/jellies, baked goods, and more. It's definitely somewhere everyone should visit while in the area!

Nice Orchard and grounds. Great variety of apples and really nice views from the orchard. Very close to Downtown Flat Rock. Great place to spend a good time with the family.

We stopped here on our way home from a wedding. It is a steep drive up to this gem of an orchard but so worth it because the views are amazing. Unfortunately we went on a very windy and cold day and couldn't enjoy that much. It was our only day we had to go here so that was a shame! However, this place is everything a person craves from an apple orchard. There is this delicious cloud of heaven that greets you. You will be happy to know that the cloud of heaven is the smell of freshly made apple cider donuts. Get a dozen to eat for yourself and another dozen for later. You will thank me later. BEST apple cider donut ever. In the main pavilion you will find apples, cider, honey, baked goods and other local products. My only complaint here is that the apples weren't well labeled. I am really not sure what kind of apples we bought. They were good though but it would be nice to see better labeling. I also found the whole checkout process confusing as you don't order the donuts from the donut building but from the pavilion. They then give you cards which you turn in at the donut building. Other than that, there seems to be many other areas to enjoy and it seems to have a lot to offer for kids. Unfortunately we didn't get to do any of that because it was SO windy. But we plan on making the trip back here because from what little we saw it is worth the trip to explore better again. Please note the one star off was because of the confusion in the pavilion not because of the wind and cold which they obviously don't control.

Came here for apple picking during the fall season and had a ton of fun! It was a bucket for you to fill up for $20. There were rows and rows and rows of apples trees, of a lot of different variety as well. There were also freshly made apple cider donuts for sale as well as apple cider slush which were both delicious and made the experience so much more fun. Highly recommend for a family fun activity!

We really like this place. Best doughnuts in the area of the 6-7+ locations I've tried. Today was disappointing, though. We came earlier in the season on a Saturday. It was VERY busy, with both overflow parking spots nearly full, but lines moved fairly quickly everywhere. I thought a weekday would be more carefree, but I was wrong. Today, on a weekday, there were far less people, yet the wait was almost always 2-3x's more, especially the doughnut line, which was 15+ mins (vs 5 min on the VERY busy Saturday). Lines were about the same length, yet moving slowly, and not as many attendants. No one likes to be kept waiting that long. Positives: 1) Close to Greenville 2) Great Apple selection w option to get exercise & pick your own 3) Best doughnuts around 4) Many other food & beverage options (candy apples, cider slushees, etc) 5) Tractor trailer rides (all) & bee trailer rides (kids, but only Sat/Sun) 6) Animal feeding (goats, etc) w feed dispensers for $0.25 & other animal enclosures 6) Bamboo grove walking trail 7) Large playground for kids (could use more variety like other playgrounds at other orchards) 8) Nice views Areas to improve: 1) More staff. Long lines w/ long waits. Even apple sampling area had crowd waiting w empty sample dishes as attendant went back and forth between that, bagging, & sending people off to pick. 2) More iPads or cash registers for credit cards. Sharing a single iPad w credit card reader was slowing things down even more. 3) Better purchase process, especially w doughnuts. When 2nd in line, waiting behind a large order, I asked if I could pay and come back, but was told I'd lose my spot in line. That's less efficient. I suggest one window for payment, another for pickup. Also, allow purchase of doughnuts at main registers inside Apple area, & provide tickets (or receipts, etc), then people can redeem at pickup window at their convenience, rather than having to wait in 2 unnecessarily long lines and cart around doughnuts they may not prefer to have until later. And of course, more people. Same guy handling cash and doughnuts isn't sanitary. Mistakes/shortcuts will be made and it takes longer. 4) Restroom doors need wood (or something) on outside to prevent burning from hot sun when opening. Also, need to be adjusted as small children can't open (sticking). 5) Better grounds upkeep. I saw a tree branch fall on a family sitting at a picnic table as they ate doughnuts and cider. No one appeared to be injured. It was clearly dead and should have been cut down long ago. 6) Offer bee-rides at certain times on weekdays. I realize demand is slower on weekdays, but if you did it every 2 hrs or at certain peak times, you'd probably have enough to justify the ride.

This past weekend my family and I visited Sky Top Orchard for the first time. We ventured here after hearing a few friends talk about how it was by far their favorite Orchard in the area. With this region of Western North Carolina being know as Apple Country there are several popular Orchards to choose from and some of which are more popular than others. We knew we had lots to choose from but really wanted our first Orchard visit for the fall season to feel truly special. So we took a gamble and drove just a little further away and headed to Sky Top. The name is perfectly suited because you are immediately introduced to wonderful Mountain View's as soon as you begin the climbing drive up to the location. Once we arrived I was immediately concerned as we saw a loooong line forming out front. My first thought was, "oh man, look at that line to get in". What were we doing coming on a beautiful fall day during the weekend?? I bravely parked the car and walked up to the line and much to my surprise I find out the line is literally only for the fresh made donuts. Wow really?! Are they worth waiting in line for?... Well let me tell you here and now...yes, yes they are. I waited in line, bought a dozen (for a family of 4) and after receiving the steamy hot donuts in hand I can honestly say they did not last for the ride home as intended. We gobbled those donuts up like they were going out of style. The kids washed them down with the fresh Apple Cider and my wife And I with the Delicious hard Cider (which is produced and bottled by Noble Hard Cider which is one of my favorites). *Note. They only take cash for the Donuts. No Cards. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful mountain views combined with the rolling hills of the orchard, letting the kids play on the playground and buying a few local items from the large barn-like market area. We did not pick our own apples or pay for the wagon rides so I cannot give a full 5 star representation as of yet but hopefully On a future visit we can enjoy all they have to offer.

Clean environment, very family friendly and oriented. We tried samples, walked around the store, and purchased the famous apple cider donuts. The staff shared that it would not benefit us to pick the Arkansas Black, they were not fully ready. So we switched our quest for green apples. A nice gentleman shared that while we could pay $20 and go pick Golden delicious apples, the other options were pre-picked, packaged and ready for cash and carry. So we gathered our "pecks" of Blushing Gold apples along with the Mutsu and made our way to the cashier. Ultimately we were not there long because we had no kids to entertain and no apples to physically pick. But in a weird, but "Anniversary-day" frame of mind, it was nice for my husband and I. Great weather for the day made it nice for some pictures in my the orchard. My only concern was the parking lot because we arrived on a Saturday at 9:30 and the staff was working-hard to get cars in the spaces but not really monitoring the number of kids flinging open car doors creating more stress or an already fast-paced transition Also "exit" signs would be a nice addition for the "lost" first timers like us!

You should not need to risk your life to pick apples, but that was literally the choice we had to made because Sky Top Orchard took absolutely zero precautionary steps to protect its visitors. The orchard creates a bottleneck through a covered confined space that requires you to walk within inches of all the people in order to gain access to the orchard itself. At most, 20% of the visitors had masks and I saw no attempt by Sky Top to encourage let alone require people to socially distance while in this area. Sky Top creates this bottleneck through the building to keep people from stealing apples I imagine, which is fine in normal times, but not during a pandemic. In short, it seems like the owners care more about their apples and making money than they do the safety of their guests. So we waited about 1.5 hours in our car just to park and then turned around without picking any apples because of Sky Tops' gross negligence. They didn't even try to make it safe. I guess they must be anti-maskers or just plain greedy and uncaring. Don't bother making the trip; they don't deserve your business.

A blast and a great place to take the family. We enjoyed our day from start to finish. The apples were delicious and it was so much fun to celebrate the upcoming season change. The view is stunning and well worth the walk around the mountain; there are a ton of different activities to do (be advised some of them are extra cost), apple cannon, bee train ride, tractor ride (no hay), and a pond to feed ducks. There is a playground for children and tons of areas designated to take pictures with fall themed wooden pieces. The farm store is great with so many gooodies to take home! We bought apple cider doughnuts (that we were able to watch be made), these are a must in our book. The Apple cider slushees were a great treat as it was hot but they tasted like fall. My advice buy two dozen doughnuts one for while you are there and the way home and then the rest for next week when you are still craving them! They also have a ton of items in their store: honey, jam, Apple butter, fudge, caramel apples, frozen pies, apple cider, kettle corn, and I am sure I am missing some. All of the food items are amazing. They also have a ton of apples already bundled and ready to go; if walking through the orchard to pick your own apples isn't your thing! It's a great experience you won't be disappointed.

Visiting Sky Top has been a family fall tradition for years as this place is oriented towards kids and families having fun. There are hayrides, playgrounds, places to take fun or goofy pictures, a petting zoo with some farm animals and of course, pick your own apples is an option. They are also selling cider, a wide variety of apples, apple pies, caramel apples and the Mac-Daddy of them all, fresh made Apple Cider Doughnuts. The line for the doughnuts will be long, but worth it. Many people buy 2, 3 or even 4 dozen. Most do not buy just one dozen. $10 per dozen. PRO TIP: Bring a gallon of ice cold milk and cups in a cooler and enjoy those piping hot doughnuts immediately. A glass of ice cold milk never tasted as good as at Sky Top with a hot fresh cider doughnut! Another PRO TIP: Sky Top is in the mountains and will be at least ten degree's cooler than the lowlands, so if it is warm where you start your journey to Sky Top, remember to bring a sweater/sweat shirt or jacket. We went near the end of August. Already the Honey Crisp, Macintosh and a few other varieties are available. Also, the crowd was negligible and this is the time to go! Prices for pre-pick was $15 per peck and $20 per bushel. They do not take credit cards because the technology to process them is not available at the top of the mountain, or so they say...so PRO TIP #3 is bring about $30 - $50 cash. If you are planning a trip in October or November on a Saturday, or Sunday afternoon, it will be very crowded. Bring milk! You will thank me profusely later.

Firstly the website is incredibly deceiving... it does not tell you that once you reach the entrance you still have another mile or 2 uphill to drive and if you are stuck at the entrance in traffic, expect to be waiting in your car for another hour to hour and a half. Need to walk to the very back of the orchard to find apples still on trees and not on the ground. People have ZERO awareness of those around them and very few people actually wearing masks even though it states it is enforced in certain areas. The petting zoo area was mediocre at best. Playground overrun with families not wearing masks. Not worth the 2 hour drive from Charlotte!