Stribling Orchard

Great way to spend a Saturday morning. All things apple are available and be prepared to walk the Hills. Vendors of wine , Popcorn and other food are available. I highly recommend trying their Apple Stick pastry!!

Stribling Orchard has it all - easy access from I-66, views for miles, many different types of apple trees, a farm market featuring their delicious jams, apple butter, meat from animals raised at their farm and all the apple baked goods you can think of. You can drive into the orchard (stay on the road, no parking against the trees themselves) and park near the trees with the apples you want to pick or you can park near the farm store and walk. You will have to stop at the farm store to have your apples weighed and pay for them. On the weekend there were also multiple food trucks, making it an easy family day out experience. Entrance and parking is free, you only have to pay for what you pick or choose to purchase at the farm market.

Pleasant place to visit with your family. I decided to go to visit a winery tasting that was being offered there. There were a lot of apple trees to pick from and a lot of varieties to choose from. A lot of apples have fallen on the ground so it makes for some slippery spots. Watch your step! It would be nice if the owners made sure the apples that had fallen had been picked up. Some could have been saved from being trampled. Using them for apple butter or something is acceptable. The food choices were limited to mostly meat eaters, and cash was required (Venmo was listed as a last resort). I didn't have anything to eat. I did have a spiced apple sangria from one of my favorite wineries. Overall it's a good choice for families. The scenery is beautiful. The historical structures onsite were a wonderful plus.

Stribling Orchard is a beautiful spot to enjoy the best of Virginia’s countryside. The views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are stunning, and the orchard is well-kept with a wide variety of apples to pick. We really enjoyed our visit.

Great atmosphere for couples and families who want to pick a variety of apples with gorgeous mountain views. Lots of parking available. Hot dogs, burgers, baked goods, pumpkins, ice cream, and kettle popcorn were available today. A couple local wineries on site today. The live music by Leon Rector was great too!!

This place is great to go apple picking. There are many varieties and many trees. I have been coming here for 25 years. I only come during the week though because it can get crowded on the weekends.

Absolutely amazing Apple farm! We’ve been to many apple orchards around Virginia over the years and this is hands down the best we have found! The trees are robust and mature, the apples are among the sweetest and best tasting we’ve had, the views from the farm are spectacular, and they even sell their own grass-fed beef, jams, and a variety of assorted farm goods in their store. All of this at only 1 hour from the city. We will definitely be back! As an added bonus, there are multiple wineries in the area to check out when you are done. We went to Naked Mountain Winery, just 8 minutes away, and had some absolutely classic Virginia wines.

Pick your own fruits. We went in today, 07/06, for peach. The people who work there are very nice, plenty peaches. They told us peaches would be there until the end of August. They sell about $2/lb.

Decided to check out this orchard. Apples are in season and that's what we went for. As you drive up, the workers will greet you and give you a bag for apples and tell you to take a picture of the map. If it's your first time here you may want to drive around before you park. Depending on what type of apples you're aiming for you may want to drive closer as it's an incline up. You pay for your apples at the store. There you can find pies, apple cider, bread, canned goodies and they also sell meats. The apple season began a month ago and most of the apple trees were picked at height level. We used an apple picker to get the apples high up. It was a beautiful, clear day ; about 80 degrees. Watch your ankles as the ground is uneven and there can be a lot of apples on the ground under and near the trees. There were other vendors near the store and portable toilets throughout the property. We are hoping to pick peaches next season!

Amazing prices, I got 9 apples, and apple cake for $12. The property was beautiful, you could see the mountain line. Trees were color coordinated based on apple variety. We had so much fun for our first time apple picking! They had tons of pumpkin and apple products in a farm store and baked goods, there were also some tents with vendors set up.

After a beautiful drive out I66 from Alexandria, we arrived in Markham and found Stribling Orchard for a day in the sun picking apples. Beautiful orchard with a wide variety of apples, many hilly areas to explore and enjoy. The staff was very helpful, providing a "screen shot" map and pointed you in the general direction. It was nice to have the map right on my phone as I'm always taking photos. After picking time, our group visited the snack shake, baked goods and many canned products. Nice area to sit relax and have a picnic. Great times!

We visited today and it was simply delightful!! Set in the country with the mountains as a backdrop. The young man who assisted us was so helpful and likeable!! The trees were pretty full with different types of apples and we also purchased a package of beef! It was quiet and cool and our little dog is also allowed to accompany us! The store was clean and well maintained and the restrooms were clean even if on the outside of the building. We will definitely be back! Oh! And you can't beat an apple that has just been picked off the tree in taste!!!

I really liked the fact that they had ample parking, a clean restroom, a nice country store, pumpkins, and several vendors selling savory food as well as kettle corn, ice cream, and wine. Their cider was delicious and they had four varieties of apples to pick which I liked. Overall a wonderful experience and friendly customer service. Highly recommended!

We love all activities in our family and as my birthday fall in the fall, I can't help but do all of the "basic "ball girl activities for Instagram content or just general memories with the family. This location was ideal to complete with a little zoo with a beautiful donkey, some goat an incredible array of Apple trees ranging from sour granny Smith apples too very sweet red delicious apple. It's important to know that while it is peak apple season plenty of the band favorite apples were already completely sold out. For example, pink ladies were very difficult to come by and Fuji as well. The individuals that help check you in when you drive in are super helpful and recommended for us to try to stay man apple and we actually really love them for their balance of acidity and sweetness, with a not very thick skin to easily fight through. The local store carries a very delicious apple bread that was suggested to me by another helper, and I'm so glad that I tried it because it truly was very moist and full of flavor. I also have to say the pumpkin pie was incredible as somebody who tends to just purchase a Costco jumbo pumpkin pie. I would truly make the visit in the order ahead for a pumpkin pie from here because it was superior and I truly don't say that lately. They had a lot of vendors when we first arrived. We were able to enjoy a little ice cream with our apple cake and they had some adult apple beverages as well. We also were able to take home some local honey which we will enjoy throughout the season. They also carry some local beef which we did not purchase, but might be worthy for somebody else. The only reason I don't get this review I start is because around closing time exactly 5 PM on the dot the attendees owners become very impatient with our guest who have spent a good amount of Money And to come here for enjoyment and family time just to be shoot away and treated a little rudely. I understand that an apple orchard is tremendous amount of work and while I am extremely grateful for this business and I will come back again I was just a little thrown off by the lack of Courtesy and poor attitude the second 5 PM struck. All in all my husband and I, my brother and his girlfriend all took home a bushel of apples and some desserts and enjoy a lot of laughs along the way. It is not a cheap date per se as ultimately we each ended up spending approximately $40 per couple, but it was worth it. I saw a lot of families taking the time to take pictures amongst the pumpkins or just have a joyful bonding session in the element.

Some type of signage letting you know what kind of apples your picking or numbers to consider with your map.

Great experience, fun, and customer service! Also high quality apples of different varieties. Highly recommend

Apple picking has always been at the top of my list and this year I made it a point to check out one of the many Northern Virginia orchards in the area. Stribling Orchard is located in Fauquier County and has an activity for everyone in your party. A map is provided by the staff to let you know what areas you can pick your apples from. During my visit the apples on the tree were on the small side, so I ended up not purchasing any. However, I did enjoy the experience and ended up discovering a new hard cider, Cobbler Mountain Cider and walking away with a four pack.

Perfect family outing on a late October day. The varieties of apples differ depending on when you go. We found the walking map confusing but still found our way around. There are trailers selling food and some private companies providing wine and cider tastings. Would be a great place for family portraits.

Beautiful scenery. We had no trouble finding parking. We were given bags for apple picking before we parked. They had live music playing and Apple cider, pumpkin/apple desserts. The workers were friendly. The apples we picked were small but they had bigger ones at the shop. Our family had a great time, we'll be back next time.

The apple crumble pie was very good. It was still warm from the oven. I think the other baked items we got were apple sticks? They were also good. They had an impressive variety of apples. More than I've ever seen. I don't remember seeing samples, just quartered would have been great. We bought 4 different kinds. Sorry that I don't remember the names. Obviously people like different qualities in their apples. We like slightly tart, juicy apples with thinner skin. Having had samples we would have chosen differently on 2 of them. They were, what we call, mealy and not juicy enough. I'm not sure if mealy is the right term or even a word lol. Soft and grainy like texture. I think they are like red delicious apples. I don't like the texture or the taste of the skin. Overall it's a cool place. Now that I'm thinking about this I think I started to write this review. If I finished it I guess you get some of the same information. I'm handicapped so getting up and down the hill of the parking lot with my walker was precarious. Level parking near the fruit stand would have been nice. But still, it was cool. The stand was surrounded but fruit trees.

- extremely overpriced - poor selection of baked goods - tiny apples - poorly organized - apple trees are not well marked + beautiful scenery

We enjoyed our time visiting Stribling Orchard. Everyone was friendly & very helpful. Quality of apples & baked goods was excellent. A beautiful, scenic, peaceful place. We'll definitely visit again!!

It's a big place that you can drive to different part of the orchard but I felt like they didn't have much of matured apples left. Many of it was on the ground and the ones on the tree was so little. The shop didn't have any pastry because they said it's only sold on the weekends. I don't think it's my favorite orchard. I can find better.

I had such a great time at Stribling with some friends! It was definitely pretty crowded when we went (it was the first weekend with cool weather), so I think it might have been a little bit over-picked. They have 20 different types of apples, but they're not all available at the same time. They map they gave us wasn't super clear, but the trees are very clearly marked. We saw a bunch of families and dogs and even saw a few people having picnics throughout, which seemed like a great idea! I bought some apple cider and apple bread in addition to the few apples I picked. Everything I bought was really tasty! It was the perfect fall Saturday activity. Other info: We were able to find parking pretty easily, which I know could be a problem. There are only two bathrooms, so there most likely will be a line when you go.

Overall this place is fun to bring kids to. I wish there would be some sort of markings as far as where you are at in the field. They give you a map but to be honest I had no idea on how to use it. My kids loved it.they have some farm animals. They also have baked goods. The popcorn is bomb. Paid $12 for it but it was worth it.

This orchard is located about an hour outside of DC. The land is huge and they have many varieties of apples which are peak at different times in the season. Their map is helpful in locating different varieties of apples. I went towards the later end of the season but called ahead and they let me know there were plenty of apples for picking. That was true but almost all of the apples were heavily spotted with black spots. Even a lot of the apples still on trees were bruised. That was a minus. They have a small store with plenty of honey, jelly, jams, pies etc.

Their peaches are tasty and juicy. The beef is good too. I made hot pot, beef strew, and beef chow fun. My family liked them. We will come back for apples!

My whole family loves Stribling Orchard. We try and make it a fun family day out every year. My mother and husband can't stop picking apples. We pick apples and shop in the little shop and always check out the farm animals. We live in Fairfax but drive down to Markham with ease just to go to Stribling Orchard for September apple picking.

I had a absolutely wonderful time picking apples this place is really great for family's There's so much to see and do here so please if you're ever in the area stop in and check it out

Gorgeous! Love that the whole family could explore the entire orchard and pick whichever apples we wanted from their current picking list. The bakery smelled splendid and we picked up some jams and jellies while there. The orchard is so big and they provide you with a color coded map to show which apples were in season to pick. Reasonable pricing, great experience. We will definitely go back.

Best place to grab some fresh apples, no enter fee, I got like 25 pounds of apples for $18 and the experience was very nice, they provide plastic and paper bag, but please this is a nice enviroment so use your own shopping bags, it feels good! I took my basket and they deducted the weight of it before I went for picking.

Wow We have a friend who one day wanted to go pick some apples. So we googled for locations and chose this place. It's exactly what you would expect, an apple orchard. They also have a little store that sells pastries which is what we were interested in. Carmen went out into the field. I followed her. They have various types of apples from Granny Smith to whatever, and they have a map so if you prefer a certain type, then you can find it easily. They also sell apples near the little store if you don't want to pick them yourself. But the bakery was excellent. We got a couple of no-sugar-added pies. The apple pie had piles and piles of sliced apples in there. It was delicious. This place is seasonal so it closed, and we went to another orchard to buy their pies, but they weren't as good. Next summer we'll be wanting to get some more pies.

The family likes to do a yearly apple picking adventure, and while we have often had very positive experiences, we also like to try new places. This year we made it out to Stribling Orchard. Not too far off of 66, this orchard has a great system. When you pull up, there are maps, poles for picking. No carts and the amenities for food and drink aren't the best, but they do have some pop ups ( popcorn, vineyards, a grill). Prices are reasonable and the people working are very nice. Parking can be a little suspect if it is muddy, but on nice days there are no issues in/ out or parking. Check their website or call for what is being picked.

Despite the distance from the city, this farm is very popular and the cars constantly drove I to its parking lot! I came here mid October only finding out that there were no more apples on the trees! Apple harvest is peak in Sept! I still enjoyed the farm atmosphere and energetic crowd and some vendors selling food. Their map handed at the check-in is very easy to read and we were able to navigate ourselves well. I will return earlier time of the year next time!

This is the more crowded and probably more "trendy "orchard in Markham. We usually start across the street (or highway) at heartland and then make our way over to Stribling for caramel apples. The price for Apple picking at stribling is about double and it's usually about two times as crowded. Today they had a cidery or winery and some live music. We like to pick up our treats and apple pie at stribling. We like heartland for the Apples themselves and the scenic overlooks. I really recommend going to both as it really captures the fall Apple picking experience. We also end our morning at the Apple house about 10 minutes away for good barbecue!

Love this place! We had a great time picking apples here, something I haven't done in years. You drive up to the little station, manned by several teenagers. They hand you a map that shows which areas are available for picking that day, and ask if you want a "peck" or "half bushel" bag. Since my daughter was with us, we asked each for a "peck" bag, which was explained as about 15-25 apples. He said you are charged by the pound, not by the apple, so it doesn't matter which kind you fill the bag with. One thing I liked was that you can actually drive through the orchard, which is quite large! They have a few areas for parking, or you can just pull up anywhere near a tree you like and start picking! We drove a little ways and decided to start with the Jonathans. Using that as our central point, we wandered around and found Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious in abundance. One small issue was in finding one of those poles that allows you to grab the apples up on high. There was only one broken one available in the area where we originally parked, but there were a whole bunch on the other side of the field, which we only discovered after getting over to that side. It seems to me that it might be a good idea to have an employee make sure those poles are distributed throughout the orchard so that everyone can find one without a problem. After having our fun filling up the bags, we headed over to the "Harvest House" where they have donuts, apple pies, jams and preserves, as well as pumpkins. Sadly, they were out of apple cider, something I was looking forward to! We stocked up on some of their other goodies, taking home one of the delicious looking apple pies, though, so all was not lost. And the price for our apples was less than we expected, so that was a pleasant surprise. The scenery is gorgeous and it's a great place to hang out. It was so much fun, I want to go back again next month and hopefully pick some Fujis and Nittanys!

Perfect place for apple picking. Not too far. They have tables for picnics. Perfect place for a family outing.

This review is for the Stribling Orchard in the Markham, VA area near SR-66 north of the freeway. Have been here several times in the past few years and it is a good location for families. Observed that mostly parents with kids like to come to this venue, over other nearby choices, and seem to make a day out of it. Recommended.

Had an awesome day , definitely happy we decided to have a family first at the orchard . Would definitely recommend this for cool family day trip

Lovely place to visit with your family. Excellent selection of pastries was an added bonus.

NERD ALERT: Apple picking is super duuuuuper fun! I friggin' love apple season. The plucked-from-the-orchard apples you can get at farm markets this time of year put those mealy, tasteless grocery store apples to shame, and they're the only apples I'll eat these days. Not having picked my own fruit since I was a kid, tho, I figured it was about time to reconnect with nature. So husband, some friends, and I headed out to Stribling Orchard today to get our apple on. Great call on our part. It was busy on our visit, but not so busy we couldn't get away from other pickers and enjoy some space to ourselves. Stribling's been around over 200 years. The original, chinked log farm buildings are still standing in the shadow of the Shenandoah foothills, and the orchard trees are mostly old-growth. Views and grounds are spectacular. They have all kinds of varieties of apples in the fall -- Jonathan and Honey Crisp two of my faves -- and stone fruit ripe for the picking in the summer. It's $1.50 per lb (way better than farm market prices), or $1.00 if you pick 20 lbs or over. And trust me: it's easy to get up to 20 lbs of fresh, delicious, crisp apples. When you've had your fill of apple pickin', you can peruse Stribling's charming little store. Wares include apple butter, sandwich spreads, jams & jellies, and honey made right there at the orchard from bees that have pollinated the apple, nectarine, peach, and plum blossoms. They also sell fresh apple cider and pastries and pies made from the seasonal fruits. Outside the store is the Snack Shack -- run by a wonderfully friendly and funny crew -- serving fare like burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork BBQ (husband thought it was some of the better he's sampled), and homemade, delicious veggie chili. The orchard provides the perfect, bucolic backdrop for a picnic. Stribling Orchard is a fantastic place to while away an afternoon! Get out there as soon as you can. And tell Mother Nature I said "hello."

I was shocked to see the low reviews for Stribling on Yelp. I've been going to Stribling for years for my annual fall apple-picking and I've never been disappointed. This year, of course, my husband and I chose to go the first day after it had rained for 5 straight days, so it was very, very muddy. If anything, that's my only complaint but I had planned for it and dressed accordingly. We got there early, so we were able to park in the convenient "lot" right behind the harvest house, which was easy to get in and out of despite the mud. When you arrive, they provide you with a map, bags (if you need them) and an apple picker (essentially, a little cage with a hook on the top of a long wooden pole). The map is pretty easy to follow and they make it fool-proof by circling the areas that are currently ripe for picking (as the season goes on, it varies from week to week). They offer around 12 different apple varieties, and usually up to around 8 are available at any given time. They also let you drive into the orchard, which I'm sure is nice for those who aren't as able-bodied, although those of us walking around have to watch out for the cars. I love the harvest house. Every year, I look forward to getting there early, bringing my coffee and starting my day with one of their apple pastries or breads. This time, I got an apple stick (essentially apple stuffed in pastry, with a glaze in the shape of a stick). They also offer apple bread, pie and turnovers. I've sampled them all over the years and they are all delicious. On nice weekends, they also set up a grill outside the harvest house and grill hamburgers and hotdogs, which is a nice touch. They also offer honey, apple butter, salad dressings, jams, jellies, and other specialty grocery goods. I've never been disappointed with my purchases. Bonus: in October, if you're looking for a one-stop shop, they offer pumpkins, too. A word of warning: it gets very, very crowded, especially on nice days and even on not-so-nice ones. Be there early if you want to be there when the orchard isn't jammed. We always try to get there right when it opens or up to 20 minutes after.

Stribling Orchard did not make us reach for the stars but sure made us reach for dem apples. I didn't know I could love so many delicious things that were apple-y, including: + Apple cinnamon bread $6 + Apple crumble top pie $12.99 + Apple cider + Apple Danish $2 + Apple sticks $1 & cinnamon sugar donuts $2. If I was smarter, I would have bought two ciders, two pies, and two loaves of bread.... ALL FOR MYSELF. GENERAL STORE - Have your friends wait in line while you take turns to browse the goods. Some unique items are: - Apple cider or peach vinaigrette $6.15 - Good & Evil hot sauce $3.45 - Pumpkin, apple, mango, or sweet potato butter $4.45/5.30 - FROG (fig, red raspberry, orange ginger) jam - Green or red pepper jelly $4.25 ORCHARD - From the general store/main entrance, it's a half mile to the back of the orchard. This may seem small but it's enough. Once you find those good trees you are all set! :) Choose from red delicious, gala, york, Granny Smith and more. TIP - The "end" of apple picking season is usually around Columbus Day weekend, so plan accordingly! Apple love aside, I find Stribling fantastic! :)

What a perfect location for some fall family fun! There was a wide variety of apples, and the orchard was well-kept and adorable. And the items for sale were amazing! We walked away with a huge bag of fresh-picked apples, honey, apple cider, donuts, and apple butter all for under $40!

Apple picking is a yearly autumn activity for my family and Stribling Orchard has always been the perfect venue. Loads of different Apple varieties, some small some large, tart/sweet, but always loads of fun! The staff are friendly and efficient, there was a stand for fresh dipped caramel apples and kettle corn (drool!). Little kids love this place lots to see and it's just beautiful, rows after rows of apple trees in a picturesque mountain scape.

I've been apple picking all over Maryland, so I was a little nervous to try a new place in Virginia. Thankfully, the quality and variety of apples available at Stribling were pretty great. My one complaint is about the apple map, which was VERY confusing. The apple trees all have spray paint marks corresponding to a section on a map you're given, but once you start wandering around it's hard to keep track of where one section begins and ends. I wish they would have signs up at each section so you could easily figure out, oh the granny smiths are in these 3 rows and then the golden delicious rows begin in the 4th rows etc. Homestead and Larriland Orchards both do this and it makes finding the apples really easy. I did appreciate the apple picker devices spread throughout so we could reach up to grab apples off the high branches. As a note, there is a great winery a few miles down the road called Aspen Dale if you need a few drinks after apple picking :)

This is one of the stops we make every time we're on our way to one of our favorite wineries. I love their shop! There is a jar of honey crisp apple butter in my fridge right now, and it is a delicious spread with a very natural flavor. They have a variety of baked goods (delicious apple cider donuts!) and a lot of jarred homemade goods. Outside, they had a cider tasting, a kettle corn pot, hot spiced cider, and a caramel apple station. I don't know how consistent this is, but can attest that they've been there for both of our last 2 visits. Everybody is really pleasant, and they create a very family-friendly atmosphere. On our last visit, they had live music which really lent to the experience. There is also a grill station outside, and I think this may be run by another family. Again, this lends to the community feel you get from the place, and gives you the chance to offset all of that sweetness you just put yourself through with a delicious burger or hot dog fresh off the grill. Just be sure to bring cash and/or check for the grill station, and also have cash for the other stations (caramel apples, hot cider, and kettle corn). As far as I know, the only place you can use a card is inside the shop itself. We've tried to go apple picking here twice now, but I think we might be making it too late in the season. Make sure you make it early in the season, and early in the day, if you want the best experience. It was overcrowded, and the trees had been stripped pretty bare. I know it's not their fault that they are crowded, but it's a factor that is affecting the business nonetheless. Definitely would recommend this as a way to get out of the city and take in some rural hospitality. With a whole bunch of wineries in the area it becomes a trip you can make a whole day out of.

Lots of different types of apples to pick from;) Love the store with treats and goodies to buy.

I haven't been apple picking a couple of years so when my friend suggested it for 10/2/16 I jumped at the opportunity. Stribling Orchard has a large amount of apple trees available for picking. (It also appeared that some of the animals from the fields around the trees enjoy the fruit after all the customers leave.) I thought. Overall, the customer service at Stribling Orchard was good. It appeared that most of the employees really enjoyed their jobs. It was also nice that you could pay for your "pickings" at multiple points with and/or without some of their bake or can goods. I bought a pumpkin pie home from the orchard and, although not the best pumpkin pie I've ever had it is not bad (and better than anything I could have picked up the grocery store in terms of freshness). Stribling Orchard is not cheap either for you "pickings" or their baked or can goods. In many ways (and I am okay with) you pay for an upcharge to enjoy their fantastic scenery. I thought. My friends and I would luck out with the crowds due to the fact it was a fairly overcast day when we went. I was mistaken. As the other yelpers have pointed out, it can get very crowded at Stribling Orchards. However, the crowds were polite and never felt rushed or that anyone was rude while my friends and picked apples and/or waited in line. I did not like the parking situation at Stribling Orchard. I got into a near accident with someone backing out of spot and someone trying to pull into another spot at the same time. Basically the field that you park on has nobody directing the large amount of cars. In a nutshell, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Stribling Orchards. However, based on my novice experience with apple picking I stop short of calling it an amazing experience. Tip: If apple picking goes too quick for you and you want to spend more time in the great outdoors. Chateau O'Brian Winery is literally 6 minutes from Stribling Orchard. (They offer tastings and a fantastic view if you're looking to extend your day.)

Pros: Diversity of products like breads, kettle corn, apples (duh), lots of good smells Cons: over-picked (trees bare), overcrowded, less wine than advertised, picking sticks in high demand, map of the premises was less than useful, and resorted to purchasing already picked apples Recommendation: Avoid weekends, show when they open in the AM & pick apples early in the season

Nice setting, nice story, advocate of small farms, am sure nice people. BUT, regardless of weeks of rain, and maybe no customers or apples were on ground, find way to recycle them apples and dont sell them as just picked. That in itself was a red flag. Couple other negatives. I arrive, but before looking around, i take three soft drinks from fridge, and ask if I can pay later with apples or now. Answer , now. ok easier to keep track of . I go to apples outside, followed by farm hand, we chat, he is farm hand. He stated, picked same day or yesterday and pushed me to buy honey, which i would have among many other things, but wife and pet were grouchy. so, also bought honey. Difficult for me to rate honey, take their word for it. NOw, re apples, all varieties were starchy. Not one day fresh, not a week but more. I could be wrong, but i doubt it. Cannot htink of name now, between Warrenton and Luray, Thornton's ? maybe, 3 times, they batted 1000. juicy. And guess what? they told me they picked the the week before!! again, if rain was issue, make jam, cider, etc. I do not and hope farm would not fail by not selling the old apples.

This is something that's gotta be on everyone's 'bucket list' of things to do before you die - apple pickin'! This is the place to do it too... My wife found out when the season was right, and planned a day trip with picnic and all. First: prep some sammiches, potato salad, fruits, and your trusty wine and picnic basket, then next stop, a winery (lots of them nearby, your choice), once there enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Make sure you park down hill so the tired walk back to the car don't kill US city slickers, get your apple bag to fill, and don't forget your apple pickin' pole... climbing trees is hard for US older folks! Next, find yourself a nice spot with a view (watch out for red ants and other critters), lay your picnic blanket out - and have at it. Fresh breeze, warm sun, natural grass and trees, wonderful scenery - yeah! Then, work off the wine and food with apple pickin'. Then make your way back and make sure to go into their country store for some real swell local goodies - the edible kind! Great fun with a group... We'll be back!

Went here last Saturday with a group of friends to fulfill my autumn-activity-love- apple picking! We arrived early around 10am, got our apple bags and 'joust' (apple picker), given a map and parked right by the store. I have been to other orchards in Charlottesville, and this place is nice and compact. You can easily walk to different apple varieties from where you park your car near the entrance and store. Once parked, we headed in the direction of the Johnathan apples as stated on the somewhat-hard-to-navigate map. In addition to the numbered map, the trees have a swatch of different paint colors to identify different apple varieties that are scattered throughout the orchard. After picking and paying for our bounty, we settled for a brought-from-home picnic at a few picnic tables that are also scattered about the orchard. Even though it was a drizzly day our all-adult-plus-one-toddler crowd had a blast! Their store has several goodies for (somewhat pricey) purchase, including apple jams and butters, different salsas and wines, pastries and freshly baked pies that smelled delicious. They had a bunch of bins of already-picked-apples of different, no-longer-in-the-orchard apples like honeycrisp. They also have a BBQ food bus (ala food truck) if you have a hankering for some BBQ ribs for lunch. I did not partake in the BBQ but my friends that did said it was good, if a bit overly-smokey flavored. They have hot cider and freshly made caramel apples to eat, too! They have regular (read: indoor plumbing!) bathrooms located on the backside of the store near where you pay for the apples and across from the parking lot by orchard. They also have porter johns in different areas of the orchard. Prices are decent for pick-your-own, but be warned- fill up your bag or you will be charged by weight vs per peck which is cheaper. Overall a great experience with some tasty apples! Can't wait to make a bunch of apple goodies!

I came here with a few friends during the last weekend of October; I think it's also the last weekend that they have open for apple picking. There were still a couple of apple types that you could pick directly from the trees, and if you're a noob like me you get excited when you see the first tree and then realize that everyone does that and that the trees closer to the end have a ton of better apples :P You've been warned; it's not my problem if you fall in the same trap haha Otherwise there's a small shop that offers a few apple products including jam, honey and cider. Unfortunately, the shop was almost empty so I am not sure how I feel about that. Overall, I had a ton of fun and would definitely be back!

Each fall season, my family and I venture out to Stribling for our annual apple picking trip. The drive is beautiful, especially if you go around the time the leaves are changing- plus there are a multitude of wineries close by for a little post-apple picking relaxation :) I will say, that this year my trip with friends was a slightly different than in previous years. I am not sure if the secret is out and that's why they were overwhelmingly busy, or if it was just the beautiful fall weekend that drew the masses. Apple picking: Oodles of variety at Stribling. Several had already been picked and were located in large bins near the checkout area. Trees still had some ripe for the picking as well and we used the one remaining apple picker to do the job. The varieties we came home with that day were Fuji and Staymen. Tart and crisp all the way! Now to decide what applesauce recipe to use... Picnic area: A few picnic tables scattered about and we snatched one up for our group of 9. We brought our own but as other reviewers have said, they also have a little BBQ area set up with typical fixins. If all weekends are a busy as the one we visted, they may want to consider adding a few more tables. Bakehouse: OMG. In one word, heavenly. It would be great if they could figure out how to bottle up the smell and sell THAT! Fresh baked pies, breads, jams, dressings, etc. We like the pumpkin butter, apple cinnamon jelly, and the apple cinnamon BBQ sauce (YUM-O!) Bottom line: Virginia is second behind only Washington state in the production of apples. Stribling gives you a great place to experience the picking season!

Lovely pick-your-own orchard. And outstanding that they let you drive into the orchard - saves a lot of hiking. However, we're going to have to go back again next year as very little left to pick. We learned a few helpful tips from this visit though. Check the web site for what is in season - we did, but even so it was late in the season and there were few apples left to pick without a picker Go early in the day - we arrived mid-afternoon. Most of the goodies from the store were already sold out and all the pickers were handed out so we were left with trying to find low-hanging fruit that we could pick with our hands. Definitely will go back. It was nice to get out of the city on a beautiful fall day even if our efforts only delivered a few pounds of apples only suited for sauce.

My friend chose this orchard for her birthday apple-picking festivities. We got there at 10 a.m. on a Saturday which ended up being perfect - the place got busy quickly! As you enter, you are directed to the side of the house where a couple of employees are handing out maps, bags, and if needed, apple pickers. If you have kids, be sure to request the short stick. You can then either park immediately in front of you or drive up to an orchard. As long as everyone is in good health and happy to walk, there's no need to drive into the orchard unless the apples you want (if available) are way up top. Currently (mid September) the apples available are Jonathan, McIntosh, gold and red delicious. The weather was less than desirable (spit rain) but that didn't stop us from having a great time. Despite the map being a bit confusing, each tree is clearly marked with a color which identifies what kind of apple tree it is. The apples were a bit small but it was still fun to pick your own apples. And a half peck runs you about 12 bucks - not bad for a bounty! After we paid, we perused the shop and then had a picnic at one of the tables. If it's busy in the main area, just walk or drive up to one of the other lots where there are plenty of picnic tables (and no one to stalk you to take your table when you're done). The apples are great quality and are tasty, the staff was super friendly and helpful. The cashier encouraged us to top off our bags to get the most bang for our buck. There are crates of already picked apples to help you fill up. You can pack a picnic or pick up some BBQ from the "food bus" parked outside of the shop, or go into the shop for some fresh pastries. Other good things to know: they take credit cards and there are a LOT of wineries nearby.