This apple orchard in North Carolina ranks among the nation’s best. Here’s why
As autumn gets closer, one North Carolina destination has been named an ideal place for fall fun.
Sky Top Orchard, in the Flat Rock area, again ranks among the nation’s best apple orchards, according to USA Today’s 10Best.
The destination landed at No. 3 after travel experts nominated top places that grow apples across the country. Editors said they narrowed down the finalists before readers could spend a month voting on their favorites.
The resulting list of readers’ choice award winners consists of 10 places that “open their gates for visitors to come and pick their own fruit or shop pre-picked apples in their markets, often with added autumn entertainment,” 10Best wrote in its Sept. 17 report.
Why fans love the NC apple orchard
Sky Top Orchard was the only place in North Carolina to be recognized among the U.S. apple orchards that fans love the most. The destination in the mountains earned spots on similar lists from 10Best and the review website Yelp last year, McClatchy News reported.
These days, the orchard on its website said visitors can go on hayrides, eat apple cider doughnuts and participate in other fall-themed activities. There also are opportunities for people to pick their own apples.
“Sky Top Orchard offers its guests the chance to celebrate a nostalgic fall on the mountain,” 10Best wrote in its report. “The cool summer nights and warm days create perfect conditions for growing over 22 varieties of apples, with the u-pick season lasting from July through the end of October. Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady are just a few available varieties.”
Sky Top Orchard, a roughly 35-mile drive south from Asheville, has roots that date back to the 1960s. It’s located in Henderson County, which “grows more apples than any other in North Carolina and is one of the top 20 apple-growing counties in the nation,” according to the area’s tourism website.
The apple orchard wasn’t the only North Carolina destination to rank among the nation’s favorite attractions to visit for fall. When it came to the top corn mazes, Hubb’s Farm in Clinton landed in the No. 10 spot. But places in the state missed out in other categories, such as the best pumpkin patches and fall foliage spots.
For apple orchards, the nation’s No. 1 place was Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut. 10Best has told McClatchy News it doesn’t reveal the number of people who vote in its contests.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 10:50 AM with the headline "This apple orchard in North Carolina ranks among the nation’s best. Here’s why."
