2024 Far Western North Carolina Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Far Western North Carolina in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for pumpkins that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have pumpkins farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Buncombe County

• Hickory Nut Gap Farm - CERTIFIED ORGANIC blackberries, blueberries, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (Spring, black), Turkeys, Fresh eggs, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, trike track, pony rides, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, group reservations
  57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview, NC 28730. Phone: 828-628-1027. Email: office@hickorynutgapfarm.com. Open: Summer to Fall during store hours - please call for availability. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Hickory Nut Gap Farm Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesBlueberries: Mid June-Late July Black Raspberries: Late June-July Blackberries: July-Mid September Red Raspberries: August-Mid September. We are certified organic for some cropsNotes: Activities vary by season. Please call for current offerings & U-pick availability. Admission fee for activities during September and October.
• Rayburn Farm - Uses integrated pest management practices, pumpkins, winter squash,
  136 Dillingham Road, Barnardsville, NC 28709. Phone: 828-424-5109. Email: mlrayburnfarm@gmail.com. Open: Mid September to October; Saturdays, 1 to 4 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. We use integrated pest management practices(ADDED: April 18, 2015)

Graham County

• Stoney Hollow Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), flowers, grapes, melons, other berries, pears, peaches, peppers, persimmons, plums, pumpkins, raspberries, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, prepicked produce, farm market, gift shop, restrooms
  941 Ollies Creek Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771. Phone: 828-735-2983. Email: stoneyhollowfarm@outlook.com. Open: 5 days a week, 8 am to 6 pm; Closed Wednesdays and Saturdays. Directions: From the center of Robbinsville \(Hwy. 129Hwy. 143\) go North on highway 129 3 miles. Just before the Ted Jordan Bridge, turn right on E. Buffalo Circle. Go 1 mile and turn right on E. Buffalo Road Go .3 mile and turn left on Ollies Creek Road Go .9 mile and you will see the farm on the left. Parking, farm map, and picking buckets are available in the barn at the top of the hill. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Stoney Hollow Farm Facebook page. From the center of Robbinsville (Hwy. 129/Hwy. 143) go North on highway 129 3 miles. Just before the Ted Jordan Bridge, turn right on E. Buffalo Circle. Go 1 mile and turn right on E. Buffalo Road Go .3 mile and turn left on Ollies Creek Road Go .9 mile and you will see the farm on the left. Parking, farm map, and picking buckets are available in the barn at the top of the hillCrops are usually available in April through NovemberJams and baked goods featuring products from the farm are available. Be sure to visit our website and sign up to receive a free e-letter with updates during the peak season. We use natural practices, but are not certified Organic. (UPDATED: July 25, 2023, JBS)

Henderson County

• Continental Divide Produce - apples pumpkins
  2494 St. Paul Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-674-9764. Open: You will have to call for hours and availability; they have no online presence. Click here for a map and directions. U-Pick Orchard with apples and Pumpkins and already harvested Vegetables. (ADDED: June 28, 2018, JBS)
• Coston Farm and Apple House - Apples, pumpkins, gift shop, bakery, farm market
  3748 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-685-8352. Email: costonfarm@bellsouth.net. Open: Monday to Saturday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, closed on Sunday. Directions: Bat Cave Exit 49A off I-26, 6.5 Miles on U.S. 64 East \(Chimney Rock Road\). Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: 828-685-8350 Bat Cave Exit 49A off I-26, 6.5 Miles on U.S. 64 East (Chimney Rock Road)Click here for a map to the farm. Picking Season: Labor Day (Golden Delicious) to late Oct or early November. Enjoy a memorable pick-your-own-experience at Coston Farm with the NC mountains as a back drop. You can pick fresh apples in the Coston Farm U-Pick Orchard August to October by the bag, box or truckload. Golden Delicious will be available Labor Day weekend. Please check back to see if the other varieties listed below will be ready to pick. Pick Your Own Orchard open until the end of October or until all apples are picked. Reservations are not required in our U-Pick Orchard; call ahead for availability. Drop by the Apple House for an apple picking container for your fresh-picked apples. Their market has cider, homemade apple pies, fried apple pies, frozen apple cider slushies, caramel apples, and more. (UPDATED: August 16, 2020 JBS)
• Creasman Farms LLC - apples, pumpkins
  280 Bent Arrow Lane, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-685-7728. Email: creasmanfarms@hotmail.com. Click here for a map and directions. . Animals to pet (goats and ducks)Take I-26 to Exit 18A (Bat Cove Exit) to US 64E; turn right at red-light onto Sugarloaf Rd; go approx. 6.5 miles on Sugarloaf (past 5 Points Grocery); turn right onto Ridge Road and go one quarter mile; turn right on Union Hill Road then take 2nd gravel drive on left.
• Grandad's Apples N' Such - Apples, nectarines, peaches, pumpkins, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo
  2951 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-685-1685. Email: grandadsapples@yahoo.com. Open: 7 days a week until mid November from 9 AM to 5 PM. Directions: I-26, Exit 49-A. Go straight on 64East 2 miles. Big barn with tractor on silo on left. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Grandad's Apples N' Such Facebook page. Click here for their Facebook page. Select pre-picked fresh apples right off the tree from our assorted bins inside the store or the opportunity to pick your own from the orchard is available! We offer more than 20 different varieties of apples that can be purchased pre-picked! We gladly let you mix and match your varieties. .Apple Varieties / Ripening Schedule . (UPDATED: August 16, 2020 JBS)
• Jimmy Nix and Sons Apple House - apples, pumpkins
  305 Orchard Valley Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731. Phone: 828-685-7222. Click here for a map and directions. Jimmy Nix and Sons Apple House
• Just Us Orchard - blackberries, apples and pumpkins, bakery, restrooms, snacks and refreshment stand, picnic area, picnic area
  187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-974-1232. Email: Apples@JustusOrchard.com. Open: 7 days a week from Mid August through Early to Mid November, daily, from 8:30 am to 6 pm; Apples - mid August thru early November; peaches - August thru early September; blackberries - early July thru September. Directions: Take Interstate 26 to Exit 49A \(old exit 18A\) to 64 East. From 64 East, turn left at North Henderson High School \(Fruitland Road\). Proceed to stop sign at the end of Fruitland Road. Turn right onto Mills Gap Road. Go up the large hill and turn left onto Garren Road. Look for our signs with the red and yellow apples all along the route. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard . We have many . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard .
  Just Us Orchard Facebook page. They close November 8 in 2010Take Interstate 26 to Exit 49A (old exit 18A) to 64 East. From 64 East, turn left at North Henderson High School (Fruitland Road). Proceed to stop sign at the end of Fruitland Road. Turn right onto Mills Gap Road. Go up the large hill and turn left onto Garren Road. Look for our signs with the red and yellow apples all along the routeWe have many Apple Varieties to choose from including Gala, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, September Wonder, Red Delicious, Candy Crisp, Ambrosia, Mutsu, Cameo, Jonagold, Stayman Winesap, Rome, Hampshire Mac, Ruby Jon, Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gold Rush, Arkansas Black. Check our apple ripening schedule to see what will be available when you plan your outing. Justus Orchard Facebook page. Blackberries from July thru AugustApples from Mid August thru Early November. (UPDATED: August 16, 2020 JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on November 02, 2010: "Loved it! Went today for the first time. They have apple cider donuts which are out of this world, hot apple cider, and apple slushes that are awesome. Also, two friendly dogs. Their brochure also states apple pies and cobblers; jam, jelly and preserves; local honey; boiled peanuts, pumpkins, mountain cabbage and sweet potatoes; and tractor rides and more. Church groups welcome."
• McConnell Farms - Apple, Asparagus, Honey, Strawberries, Vegetables, Indian Corn, Pumpkins
  177 Old Dana Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: (828) 692-2819. Open: Sunday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm; March-November. Directions: Take Four Season Blvd in Henderson to Dana Road 2 miles to Howard Gap Road, turn left, go approximately 300 yards to Old Dana road, farm on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Crop availability: Strawberries - May-June Asparagus - March-May Bedding plants & Rhubarb - April-June Pumpkins & Indian Corn - August-November Mixed Vegetables - March-November Apples - August- December. Hanging Baskets & Homemade Ice Cream. 5.5 Acre Sunflower Field.
• The Farm - beans, blueberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), eggplants, onions, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg,
  2731 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-696-5375. Email: sharon_searcy@yahoo.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 9 am Until 6 pm May through October. Directions: Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A \(Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave\), go 1 12 miles and The Farm is on the left \(about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville\). . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A (Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave), go 1 1/2 miles and is on the left (about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville)

Macon County

• J. W. Mitchell Farms - lettuce, spinach, tomatoes (including heirloom varieties), cucumbers, squash, peas, green beans, runner beans, black-eyed peas, okra, multiple peppers (hot and sweet), onions, watermelons, cantaloupe, beets, pumpkins, winter squash, and flowers, restrooms
  Bradley Creek Road, Franklin, NC 29734. Phone: 828-349-2725. Open: Usually they open May 1st; This year 2010 they open June 15 through about October; 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on Monday through Saturday; Closed Sunday. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check. Usually they open May 1st; This year (2010) they open June 15 through about October; 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on Monday through Saturday; Closed SundayClick for here for a map and directions
  Comments from a visitor on June 03, 2010: "I love this farm. I live on the road next to it so I go there all the time. It is quite large and they let you pick almost anything they have. They usually have an extensive vegetable list as well as their own watermelons and cantaloupe. One of their specialties is you-pick flowers. They have some of the best corn around. No strawberries this year, but sometimes they grow them. They have also planted a young peach orchard. "

Swain County

• Darnell Farms - strawberries, pumpkins, Christmas trees
  P2300 Governors Island Rd, Bryson City, NC 28789. Phone: 828-488-2376. Email: jeffdarnell11@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. Directions: Located on the Tusckasegge River just east of Bryson on US 19. Click here for a map and directions.
  Darnell Farms Facebook page. Darnell Farm is a family owned farming operation. A seasonal produce stand, open everyday, anchors the retail division. Darnell Farm is happy to host several festive celebrations thru the year, beginning with the Strawberry Jam - a mixture of guitar jams and strawberries - to the fall festival of Timberfest - a tribute to the economic importance of logging in this region. Come visit Darnell Farm in Bryson City. Darnell farm is . Enjoy our beautiful Riparian zone, a view of the National Park, and our fields of corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and whatever else we have planted. You won't soon forget Darnell Farm. The farm also offers ice cream stand, camp sites, fishing, hayrides in the fall, guided field trips for schools in the fall, upcoming music festival.

Transylvania County

• Davis Family Farm - Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Squash, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Blue Hubbard squash, Pumpkins, Corn
  81 Honeybee Lane, Penrose, NC 28766. Phone: 828-877-3881. Open: Sale on the local farmer market on Tues Thur and Sat. Click here for a map and directions. Davis Family Farm 7am-12noon. Other times you can call and place an order.

 

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

• visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
• free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
• Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

• Sugar - Excellent for baking
• Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
• White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
• Mini - Great for decoration
• Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

• How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
• Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
• How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Butter!
• Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
• Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers