The Orchard At Altapass

Very disappointing. No apple donuts or cider. Barely any trees to pick apples from. Workers were very rude and acted like they hated their jobs. Definitely not for younger crowds or for children. Definitely recommend going to a different apple farm! Not worth the drive.

So many times I have driven by here on the Blue Ridge Parkway and never stopped. On a recent trek along the parkway, I was about to get off and head home and then saw the Orchard building in the distance and decided to check it out.
The orchard is historic and has been around since the early 1900’s. Inside they sell apples, of course, but they also sell canned foods you’d expect from an old-​time general store. There is also a counter where they sell treats like fudge and ice cream.
On weekends and some holidays they may also have live entertainment and one end of the building has a stage and seating for that. When I was there, they were doing a covered dish dinner for the localss but anyone traveling through could partake from just $ 12.
Definitely a nice place to stop in the mountains and take a break from people driving too fast on the parkway!

We headed up to go hiking as it was listed as part of the track trail program. When we got there, the staff working wasn’t really helpful on explaining where to go or anything about the trails, so do your homework before hand. The trails are mostly just walking through the orchard, and we were not overly impressed… though we did see birds and butterfly who seem to like living in the orchard.
We did enjoy the apples that we bought and brought home, and we enjoyed some old-​timey music before it was time to leave.
Fudge is so-​so.

Do not miss this stop when you’re driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains!!! It’s been around for over 100 years, since 1908.
There is a store with jams, jellies, ice cream, fudge, etc. Most of the goods are made by or for the Orchard.
The best thing is that you can try anything and everything! They have a sampling table which is great to try a bunch of things, but if there is something you want to try that’s not already out, they’re more than happy to bring some out for you to sample!
Out of the jarred goods, we settled on Peach Grilling Sauce, Sweet Bourbon Glaze, Huckleberry Pecan Butter, BEAR Jam, and Black Bean Dip (which so so good, I don’t normally like Black Bean Dip!).
You MUST try the apple pie. I shared a slice with my boyfriend but was feeling pretty greedy about it… so good! Get your own slice hehe
When we stopped by, in the middle of the day, there was live music and dancing… so cute! There’s a balcony with a great view and tons of tables.
Oh! And just a note, they’re closed on Tuesdays.