Your pooch may be the apple of your eye, but did you know you can take her to pick apples with you, too? Many farms and orchards around the country welcome four-legged guests. Not only can you use apples to make apple pies, apple cider and apple butter, but your pup can enjoy the fruit as well! Apples are safe for dogs to eat in moderation, as long as they avoid the seeds and core.
Go Apple Picking With Your Dog
Posted by Brandi Bangle
Deardorff Orchards
Located just an hour from Minneapolis, Deardorff Orchards loves dogs, which is why they have two separate pet water stations on the premises and waste bags available for guests with pups. You’ll find 10 varieties of apples hanging from 3,000 trees to ensure you have the pick of the litter. Deardorff also has red wagons if you want to tow your kids or your exceptionally lazy dog, and farm animals for Fido to meet. Guests are welcome to enjoy the apple barn, listen to live music, sample wines from Parley Lake Winery, and take a tractor ride on the weekends. Pick-Your-Own apples at Deardorff starts in early September.
Wind down at the welcoming AmericInn Waconia. Treats are always available at the front desk for canine guests, and there’s a relief area on the property.
Wrights Farm
Your pooch will love exploring Wrights Farm’s vast 453 acres. In addition to picking from the 100,000 bushels of apples they grow every year, visitors can hike, bike, picnic or tailgate here. They even welcome you to stay all day and bring gas grills, kites and Frisbees. The farm, which has been family-run for five generations, also offers pick-your-own pumpkins and sells a variety of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, jams, jellies, pickles and apple sauces. Leashed dogs are welcome. Pick apples at Wrights Farm seven days a week during September and October.
You won’t need to travel far to rest those weary legs after a day of picking apples. Minnewaska Lodge is located nearby and welcomes pets in its cozy rooms.
Kiyokawa Family Orchards
Create fall memories with your furry apple picker at Kiyokawa Family Orchards. The family-owned and operated business has been growing produce (more than 120 varieties of apples and pears today!) since 1911. Dogs can lend a helping paw in the orchards but may not enter the fruit stand. There is a water bowl for your pup to cool off, and waste bags are available for easy cleanup. After you get your selection from the largest U-Pick orchard in the valley, don’t forget to snap some photos of Fido with the gorgeous backdrop of Mt. Hood. Kiyokawa Family Orchards is open for U-pick from August 23 through November 3.
Book a cozy pet-friendly cabin to enjoy the mountains longer at Cooper Spur Mountain Resort.
Cider Hill Family Orchard
Pick from 18 varieties of apples on 1,500 trees at Cider Hill Family Orchard. Leashed dogs are welcome on the 38 acres of farmland, but not in buildings or the gift shop. Cider Hill also has a pumpkin patch, a fishing pond, a fire pit, hayrides and kid’s train rides. While you’re here, don’t forget to sample delicious treats made on site like cinnamon-cider doughnuts, apple crisp, kettle corn and apple butter. Apple picking at Cider Hill begins in August and runs through the beginning of November.
You and your pup are invited to make a pit stop at the Comfort Suites Speedway - Kansas City. This comfortable hotel rates highly among BringFido users staying in the Kansas City area.
Applecrest Farm Orchards
Applecrest Farm Orchards is not only the oldest continuously operated apple orchard in America, but it’s also dog friendly! Well-behaved, leashed pups are welcome. The farm boasts 220 acres and more than 40 types of apples. While dogs are not permitted in buildings or in the blueberry fields, you and Fido may enjoy the free tractor rides offered to and from the orchard on weekends in September and October. Customers can pick apples from mid-August to late October.
Like apple picking, camping will keep Fido in touch with his roots. Wakeda Campground down the road from the farm welcomes dogs and even has a dog park so they can play off leash.
Hilltop Orchards
Hilltop Orchards uses eco-farming methods to grow no-residue apples, which you and your leashed pup can pick together. The family-run property sits on 200 acres and grows 26 varieties of apples, most of which are available for pick-your-own. On weekends during peak season, they offer free hayrides for two- and four-legged guests. Hilltop Orchards also allows visitors with pets to use their land for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing. In addition, pups can join you for wine and hard cider tastings at their on-site Furnace Brook Winery. Apple season at Hilltop Orchards usually runs from Labor Day through Columbus Day.
Bring your apple-loving dog to Pittsfield for a night at the Best Western Plus Berkshire Hills Inn & Suites.
West Valley U-Pick
West Valley U-Pick welcomes leashed dogs anywhere on the property to help you sniff out your perfect pick of apples or other seasonal fruits and veggies. You can even bring your bushel to one of the orchard’s old-fashioned hand-cranked cider presses and make your own cider. Fido can pick apples from late August until the end of September.
Located a short walk from Norman & Nellie Byrd Off-Leash Dog Park, Fido can be the king of his jungle at Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center.
Doe Orchards
Doe Orchards has offered pick-your-own apples since the 1960s. Leashed four-legged guests are allowed during the fall as long as their two-legged companions clean up after them. Doe Orchards also has pumpkins, gourds, honey and cider. There are plenty of areas for picnicking after a long day of fruit-filled fun. Apple picking begins at the end of August and lasts until they run out.
Bring the pack and stay overnight at Red Roof Inn PLUS+ Boston - Framingham, a pet-friendly motel.
DeMeritt Hill Farm
Dogs are welcome to join you at DeMeritt Hill Farm as long as they are leashed at all times. Don’t worry if you forget one! Leashes are available for rent or purchase at their store. There are trash bins throughout the property for easy cleanup after your pup. Dogs are allowed on the orchard grounds (with 25 apple varieties) and trails, just not in the buildings or on the hayrides. DeMeritt Farms is open for apple picking from late August through October.
Take a quick detour to nearby Friend-Lee Pets Dog Park for off-leash fun, then drive into Durham for forty winks at Holiday Inn Express Durham.
Grandad’s Apples
One of the best ways to enjoy Western North Carolina's crisp fall weather and vibrant foliage with your four-legged friend is to spend the afternoon at Grandad’s Apples. Whether you pick your apples from the orchard or select your favorite variety of pre-picked apples, your dog is welcome to join in on the fun. Other pooch-friendly activities include a pumpkin patch, painted farm backdrops for fun photos, and a 5-acre corn maze that challenges the whole family. Kids will love riding the Cow Train and petting the Barnyard Corral of animals. Stop by the country store and bakery before you leave to sample and purchase items to take home including local honey, apple ice cream, apple cider, and apple doughnuts. From August through November, the orchard and store are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy the bounty of the harvest as you sip on some apple wine made at nearby local pet-friendly wineries, Burntshirt Vineyards and Saint Paul Mountain Farms. Afterward, relax in comfortable, dog-friendly accommodations at Hampton Inn Hendersonville.