U‑Pick Apple Orchard Near Gaylord, Michigan
Walk out to the orchard at Wilderness Valley Farm and fill a bag straight off the tree, then finish with cider pressed here on the farm. Apple Fest lands Saturday, October 3, right in the middle of peak picking.
Buy TicketsPick By The Bag
Fill A Bag Straight Off The Tree
Grab a bag at the orchard and fill it yourself. No weighing, no counting, and no guessing what it will come to at the register. What fits in the bag is what you take home.
Bags are sold at the orchard and are separate from your admission. Everything else on the farm comes with your ticket.
Included With Every Admission
A Whole Farm Around The Orchard
The orchard sits in the middle of the property, so picking apples is never the only reason to be here. One ticket covers the reindeer barn, the Tibetan yak and Texas Longhorn pastures, the rides and the play areas. Gates open at 10am and close at 5pm.
Animal Encounters
Feed Lilly the reindeer and meet Paisley, our 26 inch micro donkey.
Farm Rides
Tractor-pulled hay rides and the barrel train.
Cart Track
Race the paved loop on pedal powered karts.
Play Areas
Playgrounds, balance beams, corn pit and the tractor tire park.
Duck Pond
Ducks on the water and picnic tables along the bank.
Food & Treats
Waffles, burgers and cold drinks, priced separately.
Pressed On The Farm
From Our Trees To Your Cup
The apples come off our own trees and the cider is pressed here on the farm. Nothing arrives on a truck from downstate, which is the whole reason it tastes like the orchard you just walked through.
The orchard sits right in the middle of the property, a short walk from the duck pond and the tractor tire playground, so you can wander out and fill a bag whenever you feel like it. Grab a cup of cider on your way out, or take a jug home with you.
Timing Your Visit
When Apples Are Ready In Northern Michigan
Apples ripen later up here than they do downstate. Otsego County sits far enough north that the orchard comes on in September rather than August, which is worth knowing before you plan the drive.
Too Early For Apples
The farm is open and the whole place is running, but the orchard is not ready yet. Come for the lavender, the animals and the pumpkin field, and save the apples for a later Saturday.
Picking Begins
The trees come on through the month. Early September is the start of it, and by the back half of the month the orchard is properly in swing.
Peak Picking
The best few weekends of the year for apples, and they land right alongside peak fall color in Northern Michigan. Apple Fest on October 3 sits in the middle of it.
Mark The Date
Apple Fest, Saturday October 3
The orchard is open through the season, but October 3 is the Saturday built around it. It lands at peak picking, when the trees are carrying the most fruit and the color is coming up across Otsego County at the same time.
Same $15 admission, same whole farm open from 10am to 5pm, with the orchard and the cider at the center of the day.
Buy Tickets For October 3Before You Come
Plan Your Visit To The Pumpkin Patch
Apple Fest Hours And Admission
| Fall season | Aug 29 to Oct 31 |
| Apple picking | September and October |
| Open | Saturdays 10am to 5pm |
| Closed | Sunday to Friday |
| Adults 14 to 59 | $15 |
| Children 3 to 13 | $10 |
| Seniors 60 and up | $10 |
| Children 2 and under | Free |
| Bag of apples | Priced at the orchard |
Getting To The Orchard
6500 Nicklaus Drive
Gaylord, MI 49735
About twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord in Otsego County, and an easy drive from Petoskey, Traverse City, Boyne City, Grayling and Alpena. Parking is on site and free. Driving directions from twelve nearby towns.
If your GPS still calls this the Wilderness Valley Golf Course, you are in the right place. The eighteen hole course closed years ago and the property is the farm now, which is why there is so much room to walk.
The orchard is a walk from the barn on mown paths, so wear closed shoes and dress for the weather.
Questions before you come? Call 989-858-6859 or send us a message.
Questions
Apple Picking Questions
Can you pick your own apples?
Yes. The orchard is u-pick. Walk out to the trees, fill a bag and take it home. Bags are sold at the orchard and are priced separately from your admission.
When can you pick apples in Northern Michigan?
September and October. Apples ripen later this far north than they do downstate, so the orchard is not ready on opening weekend in late August. Early October is peak, which is why Apple Fest lands on October 3.
Is the cider made on the farm?
It is. The apples come off our own trees and the cider is pressed here rather than trucked in, so what you drink came out of the orchard you just walked through.
Is the orchard open every Saturday?
Wilderness Valley Farm is open Saturdays only during the fall season, 10am to 5pm, from August 29 through October 31, and closed Sunday through Friday. Apple picking runs during the September and October Saturdays once the fruit is ready.
What else is included with admission?
The whole farm. Lilly the reindeer, Bud the white Tibetan yak, the Texas Longhorn herd, Paisley the micro donkey and the free-roaming peacocks, plus hay wagon rides, the barrel train, the cart track, the playgrounds, the corn pit, the tractor tire park and the duck pond. Apples, food and gifts are priced separately. See the full Saturday lineup.
Where is the orchard, and how far is it from Petoskey or Traverse City?
Wilderness Valley Farm is at 6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord MI 49735, about twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord in Otsego County. Families drive in from across Northern Michigan, and our directions page has routes from twelve nearby towns including Petoskey, Traverse City, Boyne City, Grayling and Alpena. Parking is on site and free.
More Of The Season
Other October Saturdays At The Farm
The orchard is open through October, and each Saturday has something of its own on top of it. All included with the same admission, with no separate event ticket. See all thirteen 2026 event dates.
U-Pick Pumpkin Patch
Pick your own pumpkin out of the field, free with admission, every Saturday of the fall season.
Fall Colors On The Farm
Peak color weekend in Northern Michigan, with the hay wagon running the tree line the week after Apple Fest.
Halloween On The Farm
Costumes, games and candy on the final Saturday of the fall season, and the last call for the orchard.
Saturdays, September & October
Come Fill A Bag Near Gaylord
The orchard sits in the middle of the farm and the cider is pressed a short walk away. Buy your tickets ahead so you can head straight through the gate.
Buy Tickets