This week, I am going to share our two favorite apple orchards that offer very different experiences for families. I think apple orchards, like Christmas tree farms, bring about a very nostalgic feeling for me. It’s always hard for me to change my habits and try a new place because I’m so afraid of the disappointment a new orchard or farm may bring; like what if they don’t have the wagon ride with hot cider or those amazing pumpkin donuts, right?! So I’ve come to a place in my life with this, where I have a few favorites in rotation and the two apple orchards I will share with you in this week, offer completely different experiences from one another.
Orchard Overviews
Brackett’s Orchards:
Located in Limington, Maine, Brackett’s Orchards offers that quintessential Maine experience. Think cider, donuts, tractor rides, and that Maine hospitality I hope never disappears. For example, you can call, or even text, the owner, Guy Paulin, with any questions you have! And…Brackett’s U-Pick location could be a photo shoot location for the Fall catalog of LL Bean or J. Crew, no joke.
Brackett’s Orchards has two locations. Their farmstand is located at 224 Sokokis Avenue in Limington and their U-Pick location is just a bit past the farmstand at 32 Staples Road in Limington.
The U-Pick location is at a 12 acre orchard on a hill-top. After picking apples, feel free to take a ride on the tractor & wagon or try your hand at the apple sling-shot. Most weekends, they offer donuts and hot mulled cider and for the 2024 apple picking season are trying to have a food truck vendor serve lunch here. Well-behaved dogs, on leashes, are welcomed here.
Along with your apples, you will also be able to purchase apple cider at the U-Pick location.
I highly recommend stopping at their farm stand on the way back to grab other yummy goodies like homemade blueberry jam and, of course, some pumpkins!
Be sure to check their Facebook or website for hours of operations before heading out to their farm stand and orchards.
The Bathroom Low Down for Brackett’s Orchards
Brackett’s Orchards offers one all gender/single user bathroom at the cabin at their U-Pick hilltop location. While it is small, and fitting a stroller into it would be tight, it is better than a porta-potty situation. As a reminder, please do not use a travel potty or change diapers near the apple trees for sanitation and hygiene purposes.
Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm:
Located in Limerick, Maine, Libby & Sons U- Pick Farm offers a festival atmosphere with a side of fruit picking. For example, most weekends, they offer music, 1-2 food trucks, a balloon animal vendor, and lots of yummy food like donuts, smoothies, slushies, and kettle corn.
Libby & Sons offers lots of fruit for picking and if you head out there in September there is a good chance you could pick peaches, blueberries, and raspberries along with your apples! Be sure to check their website, Facebook page, or Instagram for their “What’s Picking Today” update.
In order to head into the picking fields, everyone must have purchased picking containers or be added on as a Guest Pass which can make picking at Libby & Sons a little more expensive than Brackett’s Orchards. Again, I would encourage you to check out their website for more information about their Pre-Purchased Container policy.
While I shared that it can be a little more expensive to pick apples at Libby & Sons, we really enjoyed our experiences (and I think my husband slightly prefers this location over Brackett’s). If you asked my daughter what her favorite thing to do here is, she would tell you it’s being driven around the orchard in the golf cart. This orchard does shuttle patrons to different parts of the orchards with golf cart-like shuttles and it’s just another fun aspect of the orchard experience here.
On their pavilion, they offer a shaded picnic area where patrons can listen to music, eat some freshly made donuts, or grab lunch from one of the food trucks on site.
No dogs are allowed. Service animals trained to help people with disabilities are always welcome.
Libby & Sons are located at 86 Sawyer Mountain Road. Google maps and Waze will try to have you use Norton Road. Avoid using that road along with Coffin Hill and Staples Road. They are NOT shortcuts. Your best bet is once your navigation gets to Route 11 in Limerick to just follow their U-Pick signs.
The Bathroom Low Down for Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm
Libby & Sons offers two all gender handicapped accessible/family bathrooms in their main building and a sex-separated, multi-room facility between their main building and golf cart shuttle. It’s one of those fancy trailer bathrooms you might see at a wedding or other outdoor venue. Again, as a reminder, please do not use a travel potty or change diapers near the apple trees for sanitation and hygiene purposes.
Looking to add on to your apple picking adventure?
If looking for an additional activity to add on to your apple picking adventures, I would highly recommend heading to this Rest Area in Limington. Locals call it the Limington Rapids Rest Area, Google will call it the Bonny Eagle Recreation Area, and I will call it a neat spot to explore and eat some lunch. Located at 11 Ossipee Trail W Limington, you will pass this spot if using Route 25 to head to either of the orchards mentioned above.
We checked this place out during our 2022 apple picking adventure and it’s a great BYO Lunch spot and offers some exploration for kiddos 4 years and older. While this spot would have some very active rapids in the Spring, we felt quite safe exploring the calm waters around this unique piece of land. While they have outhouses and porta potties on site, all were locked when we went in September so I suggest using facilities prior to departing the orchards.
Consider bringing extra clothes and shoes as, with any great exploration near water, kiddos could end up a little wet.
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
Water
Changes of clothes and shoes
We just purchased this tablecloth and bench cover set for our camper. I’m loving the bench covers!! They are great to bring along and come in a bag to put everything in!
Key Takeaways:
- Brackett’s Orchards is going to offer a quieter, more Maine quintessential experience with great views from their hilltop orchard. Well-behaved dogs on leashes allowed.
- Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm is going to offer a festival-like atmosphere where you can pick additional fruits with your apples. Only trained service animals are allowed.
- Consider checking out the Limington Rapids Rest Area for a great BYO Lunch spot. Bring this table cloth and bench cover set in case of less than stellar picnic tables!
- Check out Maine Pomological Society for an interactive map of all the orchards in Maine and a county-by-country listing of them.
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~Natalie
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