Every year, we’re on the hunt for the perfect pumpkin. And this year, we know we’ll find it at one of our several Western NC pumpkin patches and farm stores! Pumpkins are usually abundant across our area from mid-September through Thanksgiving, with many pumpkin patches and farms open daily. (Feature Image: Jeter Mountain Farm; Credit: Corrine Elaine Photography)
Are you looking for the best pumpkin patches in the Western North Carolina mountains? Check out our pumpkin patch guide below. On the hunt for apples? We’ve got an apple farm orchard guide too!
Credit: Balsam Business Photography
Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard
221 Stepp Orchard Dr., Hendersonville, NC, 28792
(828) 685-9083
Open mid-August through early November, Stepp's is a fourth-generation, 70-acre working farm with mountain views, just 5.5 miles from I-26 (and a mile off US Highway 64). Pick your own pumpkins on their 6-acre pumpkin field of orange and specialty pumpkins, and shop in their Country Market with apples, pumpkins, cider, apple butter, and gifts. On weekends, ride on the farm wagon through acres of orchard and Farmer Stepp’s pumpkin patch. Enjoy fresh apple cider with a doughnut in the picnic area. Kids of all ages love the apple canons!
Learn more and check availability.
Grandad's Apples ‘N Such
2951 Chimney Rock Rd., Hendersonville, NC, 28792
(828) 685-1685
Open August through mid-November, Grandad's Apples ‘N Such is just two miles from I-26 on US Highway 64. Find a massive selection of pre-picked pumpkins or pick your own in the orchards, which arrive on the farm in late September or early October. Grandad’s Barn and Country Store has a great selection of fall harvest decorations, local honey, carving utensils, and more. Enjoy apple turnovers, fried pies, apple bread, caramel apples, ice cream, apple slushies, cider, and many other treats! Stroll through the orchards or explore the corn maze.
Learn more and check availability.
Justus Orchard
187 Garren Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 974-1232
For over four generations, the family at Justus Orchard has been growing delicious pumpkins, NC apples, pears, and blackberries. Whether U-Pick or they pick, you can sample, mix, and match your produce to walk away with a whole bushel and a peck. Besides apple picking and pumpkin picking from mid-September through October, there are many activities for the entire family. Tour the orchard, let the kids ride the Cow Train, visit some farm animals, and take home some sweet treats in their on-site bakery.
Learn more and check availability.
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
57 Sugar Hollow Rd., Fairview, NC 28730
(828) 628-1027
From September 2 through November 11, come out to Hickory Nut Gap Farm—a local producer of some of the finest meats around Asheville—for fall activities unlike any other. After grabbing a pumpkin from their farm store that is perfect for jack-o-lantern making, find a spot on a hayride or let the kiddos take a pony ride.
Learn more and check availability.
Credit: Corrine Elaine Photography
Jeter Mountain Farm
1126 Jeter Mountain Rd., Hendersonville, NC, 28739
(828) 513-0404
Open July through October, this farm offers 23 varieties of apples available in their U-Pick orchards in addition to pumpkins, sunflowers, peaches, blueberries, and Christmas Trees. Their U-Pick pumpkin patch is open in early October—check their website for accurate dates before you go! They also feature apple cider donuts, a play area, apple butter, garden salsas, hand-made soaps, and wagon rides. Enjoy hard ciders at Flat Rock Cider Co. Taproom on the farm, serving six hard ciders on tap, including a special Jeter Mountain Farm original blend.
Learn more and check availability.
The Nix Pumpkin Patch
3726 Chimney Rock Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 808-7346
The Nix Pumpkin Patch is a one-of-a-kind farm stand that offers U-pick pumpkins and winter squashes and gourds, as well as a wide variety of local produce, local meats and dairy, handcrafted gift items, coffee, baked goods, and more available for purchase. Open seven days per week from July through the end of fall. Nix is the perfect place to celebrate an early start to Autumn.
Learn more and check availability.
Packa’s Place
4210 Brevard Rd., Horse Shoe, NC 28742
(623) 221-3164
A sixth-generation, family-owned farm just 20 miles south of Asheville, Packa’s Place specializes in blue ridge beefalo—an animal containing 3/8 American Buffalo and 5/8 domestic cattle—and it also houses an on-site beer garden called THE BARn. And in 2023, they’re also opening their first pumpkin patch and hosting their first fall market! Open Wednesday through Sunday in September and October, Packa’s Place lets you pick your new jack-o-lantern while waving at the roaming beefalo around the farm.
Learn more and check availability.
Sky Top Orchards
1193 Pinnacle Mtn Rd., Zirconia, NC 28731
(828) 692-7930
If you’re in the Flat Rock area, don’t miss the incredible apple orchards and fall festivities at Sky Top Orchards. The area’s warm days and cool summer nights create conditions perfect for over 22 varieties of apples, and you can also grab a great pumpkin from their fruit stand in late September up until Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to shoot the apple cannon, pan for gems at their Gold Rush Gem Mine, or take a ride on their bee train and hayride.
Learn more and check availability.
Darnell Farms
2300 Governors Island Rd., Bryson City, NC 28713
(828) 488-2376
Along the banks of the Tuckasegee River in Bryson City, North Carolina, you’ll find a gorgeous second-generation, 100-acre family farm that produces strawberries, pole beans, sweet corn, pumpkins, squash, a variety of tomatoes, and much more. Darnell Farms offers families and friends hayrides, corn mazes, and even a Spook 5K run to celebrate Halloween every fall season.
Learn more and check availability.
Coston Farm and Apple House
3748 Chimney Rock Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
(828) 685-8352
Coston Farm and Apple House is a newer farm to open in the Western North Carolina region. Feel free to pick your own apples in their orchard or shop pre-picked goodies in their gift shop and bakery. Not just for apples, you can find an incredible selection of pumpkins and other fall products at their neighboring building labeled “The Pumpkin Patch.” Make sure to call 828-685-8352 for availability on the produce you’re looking for!
Learn more and check availability.
Eliada’s Annual Corn Maze
2 Compton Dr., Asheville, NC 28806
(828) 254-5356
Named one of the top 12 corn mazes in the country and the largest in Western North Carolina, this corn maze includes four miles of trails covering 12 acres on the campus of Eliada Homes. But, it also is the perfect place to purchase a pumpkin (say that three times fast)! Better yet, all proceeds go toward caring for the children at Eliada. This year, you can visit the maze on Fridays from 3 PM-7 PM, Saturdays from 9 AM-7 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM-6 PM.
