7 Maryland farms for apple picking, pumpkin patches and the cider-obsessed

When the mornings turn crisp, the trees start flashing red and gold, and jackets come back into the rotation, I am ready for fall weekends outside the city. I grew up in Carroll County, where orchards, roadside farm markets and pumpkin patches were always part of the season, and I still look forward to heading somewhere surrounded by farmland.

Give me apples straight from the tree, a pumpkin patch, a hayride and something warm from the bakery, and I am happy. Maryland has plenty of places to lean into the season, from longtime family farms to sprawling festivals packed with things to do. Here are seven farms and orchards where you can pick your own fun before fall is over.

Lohr’s Orchard

• 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville

A jug of freshly pressed cider is enough to get me to Lohr’s Orchard, where the family’s cider-making tradition stretches back more than 50 years. The family has been farming in Churchville since 1928, and fall weekends pair apple and pumpkin picking with free tractor-pulled hayrides through the property. Lohr’s shares its latest picking conditions on Facebook as the season progresses, so you know what’s available. Then there is the farm market, where choosing between an apple cider doughnut and a pumpkin doughnut seems unnecessary when you can just get both, as well as pies and other baked goods.

Butler’s Orchard

• 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown

Butler’s Orchard goes big for fall. The Germantown farm is celebrating its 46th annual Pumpkin Festival through Nov. 1 with hayrides, giant slides, jump pads, barnyard animals, a corn maze, a straw maze, a corn pool and access to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Weekends add pony rides, face painting and the pumpkin cannon. Apple picking is the one thing missing this year after a late spring frost damaged the 2026 crop, but the festival still gives you plenty to fill an afternoon. For lunch, the Farmer’s Porch serves sandwiches, pizzas and rotating seasonal dishes, while the Side Porch has caramel apples for dessert. Reservations are strongly encouraged, particularly on weekends, when dates can sell out.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm and PeachBerry Farm

• 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville; 11425 Harford Road, Glen Arm

Weber’s offers two ways to enjoy fall in Baltimore County. The original Parkville farm dates to 1908 and is home to Maryland’s oldest cider mill still in continuous use, where fresh apple cider is pressed using a mill purchased in 1947. Fall Harvest Days run through Nov. 8 this year, bringing hayrides, a hillside slide, duck races, farm animals and the returning Pumpkinland to the barnyard. Inside the market and bakery, apple cider doughnuts, pies, pumpkin crème rolls and other baked goods fill the cases. For the actual picking, drive about five miles north to Weber’s PeachBerry Farm in Glen Arm, where apples and pumpkins are offered on select dates throughout the season.

Larriland Farm

• 2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine

At Larriland, the day can start in the orchard, wind through a corn maze and end with a warm apple fritter. The family-run Woodbine farm grows more than 20 crops and 90 varieties throughout the season. The farm also posts a daily harvest report, making it easy to see exactly what is ripe for the picking when you plan to visit. Weekends include tractor-pulled hayrides, two different mazes, the kid-friendly Boo Barn and live music as part of its Fall Festival. The Red Barn Farm Market also has pre-picked produce, jams, baked goods and other local products to add to the mix.

Baugher’s Orchards and Farms

• 1015 Baugher Road, Westminster

Baugher’s is one of the places I associate most with this time of year in Carroll County. Tractor rides carry visitors into the fields for apples and pumpkins, though what’s ready to pick can shift with weather and crowds, so keep up with their current crop status online. Back at the main farm, there’s a free petting zoo that has pigs, sheep, emus, peacocks, rabbits and goats, along with playgrounds and the Orchard Market. My attention eventually ends up at Mrs. B’s sweets window, where warm apple cider doughnuts, slushies and floats are among the seasonal options.

Gaver Farm

• 5501 Detrick Road, Mount Airy

Gaver Farm is where fall starts to feel a little like an amusement park. Its Fall Fun Fest packs dozens of attractions into the Mount Airy property, including a seven-acre corn maze, giant slides, jumping pillows, pedal karts, a zipline and plenty of farm animals. Free hayrides head toward the pumpkin fields, where visitors can choose their own straight from the patch. There is no pick-your-own apple crop for 2026, although locally grown apples are still available in the market. The Donut Hut is another reason this attraction gets my attention: The Fall Shake Up layers cider slushy and ice cream, then tops it off with an apple cider doughnut. The festival runs daily through Nov. 1.

Montpelier Farms

• 1720 North Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro

Montpelier Farms is one of Prince George’s County’s biggest fall destinations, and its private campfires give you a reason to stay until dark. The Upper Marlboro farm’s Fall Festival runs through Nov. 8, with a seven-acre interactive corn maze, giant hill slides, hayrides, pig races, farm animals and a pumpkin patch where you can choose your own. You can also visit the patch without festival admission if pumpkins are your only mission, but I would be tempted to stretch the trip into the evening by reserving one of the campfires. Weekday Playdays offer a smaller slate of activities Tuesdays through Thursdays in October, while the seven-acre maze and public bonfire are only on weekends.