Best Apple Orchards around Toronto

It's fall, and that means—oh yes, it's time to look for a spot to pick apples and have some fall fun! We've searched out some of the lesser-known orchards to help you beat the crowds and have a lovely family outing. Don't forget to take photos, because kids + hay bales + apple bushels = great fodder for photo calendars.

This is a gem of an orchard in Waterdown, just outside of Burlington. We love the pick-your-own option on dwarf apple trees, perfect for little pickers! And the little red wagon that we can wheel out to the trees is great for the obligatory photo ops. Kids adore the petting zoo, swings and slides, jumping straw, corn maze, and sandbox. Plus—yup, the food is awesome too, with homemade soup and cheddar biscuits. Delish.

If the kids are too young to actually, you know, do any real apple picking, Algoma Orchards is the place to be. Apples and apple juice are available for sale but that's not all—there's an entire gourmet marketplace featuring pies and other delicious baked goods (cinnamon buns, freshly churned butter). It's an outing for the kiddos and grocery shopping for the whole family in nearby Newcastle!

This is a lovely little farm in Markham with a variety of organically grown produce, including the currently in season fruit of the moment, apples! There is also a wonderful shop featuring a wood-fired oven that produces some absolutely amazing artisanal rustic breads. The butter tarts are reason enough to visit.

Dixie Orchards in Caledon has got all the bells and whistles, including farm animals for the kiddos to adore and a BBQ on weekends of tasty fare. After a weekend wagon ride we can wet our whistles with apple cider and have some fun in the corn maze and straw jump.

This apple orchard in Brampton is just as sweet as can be. Aside from the usual picking des pommes, the kiddos can have fun in the hay barn, play with toy tractors and help make apple pies. As to be expected, there is a market in the barn with all sorts of delectable treats for now, for the car and for later.

Apple picking the way we think it should be done, in a fresh clean setting in Stouffville. There's also a farm, playground, petting zoo, corn maze and wagon rides. Plus, did we mention it's also a winery? Perhaps the parents can pop in for a quick tasting and bring back a bottle of delicious 'Apple Jack'.

Come to King City for the awesome Pine Farms Orchard! There's pick-your-own apples but let's face it, we're really interested in the café. The kids go crazy for the apple-decorated cupcakes and we admit to swooning over the pies. The view is great for photos with and without the kids. To find more great apple orchards and farms for kids, check out Help We've Got Kids!