The sign was hand-lettered, the gravel road was bumpy, and the trees behind the fence were so heavy with fruit that the branches sagged. That quick detour on a fall afternoon in Nebraska turned into a trunk full of apples and sticky fingers from a warm donut.
October is the last good stretch to pull apples off the branch yourself, and once the season ends, the chance is gone until next year. Here are six orchards across the state where the ladders, bags, and rows of trees are still waiting.
1. Martin’s Hillside Orchard In Ceresco
A hay rack ride rolls you out to the trees, and from there the only rule is to fill your bag. Martin’s Hillside Orchard is a family-owned farm that opens each fall for u-pick apples, flowers, and pumpkins, so one trip can cover the whole autumn shopping list.
Kids get plenty of room to burn off energy here. The grounds include a corn box, a kid-sized corn maze, and a tire mountain, along with other outdoor play areas scattered around the farm…