Where to Go Apple Picking Near Westminster

Just in time for the first day of fall 2012, Patch brings you places to go apple-picking.

Apple-picking season is in full swing, and it will last until the end of the crop, which is usually around early October. Here are some nearby orchards. 

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Baugher's Orchards in Westminster takes apple-pickers out to the orchard in wagons, led by a tractor, on its 200-acre property.

There are dwarf trees where pickers can get their fill, and step ladders if needed on-site. The orchard is "bustling," according to the website for Baugher's.

After picking, visit the farm's petting zoo with goats, peacocks, lambs, alpacas, a donkey and a llama or swing by the Baugher's restaurant and market on Main Street in Westminster.

Baugher's Orchards is at 1015 Baugher Rd. in Westminster, MD. Apple-picking is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in October. Call Baugher's hotline before coming: 410-857-0111. 

Rock Hill Orchard is located in the Agricultural Reserve between Damascus and Mount Airy on Route 27. "Pick your own" apples currently include Galas, Empires, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonathan and Jona-Golds with more varieties ripening in a few weeks.

PYO Apples cost $1.19/lb under 20 pounds and $1.09/lb for 20 pounds and over. 

Rock Hill Orchard is at 28600 Ridge Road in Mount Airy, MD. Picking will be open on Tuesday - Sunday, 10 a.m. to close, weather and availability permitting. Call (301) 831-7427.

Larriland Farm in Woodbine is a 280-acre farm that includes 16 acres of apple orchards. Meet at the red barn on the premises to get buckets for what you pick and you'll be on your way.

The owners of the family-run operation advise planning your apple-picking adventure before October, when the farm gets really crowded.

The time to come is based on which of the 17 types of apples they grow that you want to pick, Lynn Moore, president of Larriland, told Patch.

"Right now, we're running about two weeks early," she said of the crops, because of the mild winter. See the apples and harvest dates in Larriland's online brochure.

"We have an excellent crop this year," added Guy Moore, Lynn's brother and Larriland's vice president. "It's the best crop in quite a while."

Larriland Farm is at 2415 Woodbine Rd. in Woodbine, MD. Apple-picking is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call 410-442-2605 for picking conditions.

Know of other great spots for apple picking? Tell us in comments.