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Cider Hill Farm
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for Cider Hill Farm
Review Highlights
"Hands down, best apple picking around."
(in 10 reviews)
"Yummy cider donuts are warm out of the oven."
(in 26 reviews)
"ok and me- in addition to the beautiful orchards."
(in 9 reviews)
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41 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie L.
Boston, MA
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
New to the New England area, when a friend invited me to go apple picking I absolutely had to jump at the opportunity! Cider Hill Farm did not let me down from the fairy-tale I'd built up in my head about what apple picking was all about.
Adorable general store area in a large barn, with hot apple cider and, beyond my wildest dreams, warm freshly made cider donuts! Pumpkins arranged all around the outdoors for purchase, a place to feed chickens, a hay ride, and, of course, the orchards!
Yes, you have to walk a bit to get to and through the orchards. This is not a grocery store where you just pick up your fruit and go home, so expect some walking through uneven, sometimes muddy ground- that is part of the fun!
They had many varieties of apples, the trees were plump with them, and you're encouraged to sample the product (within reason) as you go along through the orchard. As someone who doesn't really know the ins and outs of every apple variety, this was fantastic, and I settled on 4 types to pick and take home. The group I was with had a blast wandering through the long aisles of trees to find the perfect picks, and we all returned to the cashier with bags brimming with apples.
After a bit of shopping in the general store, I left with an added bonus of pumpkins at half the price of those in the city ($0.49 instead of $1.00/ pound), freshly baked, delicious bread, and delectable goat cheese.
I recommend this place to anyone looking for the quintessential New England apple picking experience. (At least, the version of it Midwest kids like me grew up with.) Bonus: The apple porkchops & apple crisp the next day were delicious! -
Review from Meredith K.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Doughnuts and bumbleberry pie were scrumptious. Hot cider was good.
Lovely setting. Hills, chickens, etc.
Didn't have any honey for sale, and had instant coffee.
If I'm in MA again, I will go back during summer for more of their produce. -
Review from George L.
Amesbury, MA
11/10/2011
Do you want to know what heaven tastes like? I mean REALLY know?
Yeah, that's right. REALLY, REALLY know?
Well, I dunno. I've never been there. BUT if I had to guess I'd say it's something like a fresh Cider Donut from Cider Hill. Amazing.
Their grocery offerings could be more locavore friendly (think Tendercrop in Newbury) but of course they grow a lot of seasonal stuff there including APPLES! Never will you find a larger selection of apples elsewhere.
Pass -
Review from Kat H.
Somerville, MA
10/3/2011
Cider Hill Farm offers a wonderful afternoon of nostalgic holiday entertainment. The fall season brings hefty pumpkins, gnarly gourds, warm cider donuts and delicious cider. You can spend the day doing pick-your-own, or shop in their recently renovated farm stand/store like I do.
Their pumpkins are the cheapest I've seen at 49 cents per pound. You can walk right into their pumpkin patch if you want! The farm stand is full of produce, apples especially, and plenty of frozen pot pies, local cheeses, et cetera. It also has a plethora of pantry items, mostly from Stonewall Kitchen (a brand I love).
I travel all the way from Somerville for their cider, it is that good. The early presses are tart and the later batches are sweet. The best part though? It's not pasteurized - if you're into making hard cider!
VISIT EARLY, or on a weekday. It sounds like it can get crowded, though I've always gone at 9am so I haven't witnessed the crowds directly. -
Review from Megan H.
Medford, MA
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
No need for a long review. Just come for the fresh apple cider doughnuts. Always warm, delicious, sugary, cinnamony, delicious, indulgent, amazing, delicious, extraordinary, mouth-watering, delicious, phantasmal, and orgasmic. Just do it. Go here and be jolly. No other cider doughnuts would ever dare compare.
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Review from Lauren F.
Amesbury, MA
10/20/2011
What they do - they do very well! Fruit picking, cider donuts, chicken coop to enjoy. I love going there and have a great experience every time.
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Review from Cody S.
Peabody, MA
12/18/2011
Cider Hill Farm is a beautiful and scenic New England Farm. They have everything from apple, berries and fresh vegetable in season. Also the farm store carries some great local products and yes it can be a bit pricey. Worth the trip and a chance to visit Amesbury. Don't let let winter arrive until you visit!
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Review from Jessica W.
Durham, NH
9/30/2011
Hands down, best apple picking around. We went last week and I was amazed at how much they still had to pick - lots and lots and so many variety. We changed from our old place to this farm and I am happy to say it was a great experience. The donuts were AMAZINGGGGGGGG - and my kids loved watching them get made. Lots of treats in the store, VERY friendly people, free hayrides and more. A nice day had by all!
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Review from Joe S.
Somerville, MA
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I dragged my husband to half a dozen farms last fall. This was by far the best. I stood in line for nearly an hour for a cider donut. Was it worth it? Hells yeah! I didn't pick any apples; I'm Mexican and it is against my cultural heritage to pick fruit unless I'm properly represented by a union. Luckily, my husband doesn't have the same problem. Those apples made the best pies.
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Review from D C.
Brighton, MA
9/3/2011
I went with friends for pick-your-own today (Sept 3), and folks on here have somehow managed to overlook the MASSIVE SHLEP involved with picking fruit here! You have to park a ways from the entrance, but then climb a massive hill to get to the apples, followed by another massive hill to get to the peaches, followed by a rocky hike to get to the nectarines/plums. It's not handicap-accessible, though I did see an intrepid woman powering a stroller over the rocky path. Don't go here for pick-your-own unless your ready for a work-out, or are willing to take whatever fruit is closest, regardless of quality.
That aside, the farm is quite pretty, and had I gone on a crisp Fall day instead of a 82 degree Summer one, I would've really enjoyed the view once we got into the nectarine/plum section, which is surrounded by scenic woods. I did really appreciate the extensive variety of fruit available (we picked apples, plums, peaches, nectarines, and blueberries) though the peaches/nectarines aren't ripe yet (which is strange, considering it's September). The price was reasonable, and there was a lot of easily-accessible, good quality fruit available.
The cold cider was really refreshing and tart, and the cider doughnuts were delicious. I only intended to have one, but couldn't help myself. There was also an abundance of baked goods, fruit/veg, beverages, dairy, etc available in the farm store.
I was a bit annoyed that when I'd called ahead of time, a recorded message said pick-your-own was only open till 3 PM, but when I checked Cider Hill's website the day-of it said pick-your-own was available till close, at 6 PM. I would much rather have gone picking later in the day, when the sun was closer to set.
We made a lot of wonderful goodies with our fruit, and I'd definitely go back to Cider Hill, but not till the cooler weather comes around in the Fall! -
Review from Kim K.
We went around 10AM on a Saturday morning. It was busy but not crazy. When we left around 12:30PM the traffic and amount of people had definitely picked up.
The whole experience here was great. I pick a different orchard every year to go to on my annual birthday apple picking outing. The reviews on Yelp were awesome so Cider Hill Farm was my choice this year.
The shop was cool. All kinds of specialty foods and uniquely fall items. The cider donuts were delicious. Did I also mention the cider donut ice cream? YEAH.
The animal area was cool too. The chicken coop was fun to look at and the sheep and goat were adorable.
But on to the apples. The orchard is split in to two sections. We went to the orchard on the right, closest to the parking lot, where you don't have to take the hayride to get up to. It was organized and well labeled. A lot of the trees closest to the parking lot were pretty picked over but farther away and towards the middle there were trees with an abundance of apples! The honeycrisp, macs, mutsu, and cortlands were what we picked and they all were delicious!
Prices were fair - pay by the lb. for what you pick instead of paying for a bag before you pick. I think this method is very fair and better for the consumer. The staff was great and everything here is neat and tidy.
I'd come back anytime! -
Review from Courtney N.
Gloucester, MA
10/20/2010
I had heard great things about Cider Hill Farm, and finally made a trip out there to see for myself. I was not disappointed! Compared to other farms, the apple picking experience is simply awesome and amazingly easy at Cider Hill. No waiting for "rides", no feeling of being watched by farm employees, just a nice walk through exquisite foliage to the apple orchard. Simple and oh so beautiful. Apples were in abundance, and in reaching distance! Well worth the price (which is based on how many pounds of apples you bring back).
The rest of the farm was just as impressive. There was a small animal feeding area, with a very friendly sheep and several feed stations. There was a cute ride that simulated racing a horse for children. And plenty of chickens.
The store is also great. The prices are more than reasonable, especially compared to other farms in the area. The cider donuts were the best I have ever tasted. The cider was yummy. Really, I could go on and on and on... They even had several house-hold goods that were very tempting; including utensils that I did not need and hand woven rugs at a nice price. Everything was spaced out nicely and there was not the usual crowded, small store feeling. And unlike many farm stores, it accepts credit cards!
Apple picking season is sadly over, however, the farm has a ton (and I do mean a ton!) of pumpkins to pick from. Have a fun time with your family and visit Cider Hill to purchase your Halloween pumpkin! It's what my family is planning to do this weekend! -
Review from John S.
12/8/2010
You can pick apples, pick pumpkins, watch cider donuts get made (by a machine!), watch bees make honey, feed a goat, ride a rockinghorse made out of a tire, eat baked goods and run through fields.
Cider Hill Farm, you're perfect. -
Review from Kate G.
Burlington, MA
10/11/2010
I have been coming here since I was a kid and today got to take my 2 year old for the first time.
The farm offers many options for picking and acquiring fresh produce. Prices are reasonable and parking is organized and abundant.
Their huge farm stand is stuffed with fresh apples, corn, and a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. The staff is friendly and helpful.
Don't forget to pick up fresh apple cider and donuts too! Those are my favorite and are quickly becoming my little girl's favorite too.
This farm is open from April until late November and there is always something going on here.Listed in: Great Destinations
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Review from Coco P.
Amesbury, MA
8/21/2011
Perfect place to grab and go. Fresh muffins, purple and white peppers, corn on the cob and ice cream pizza. Great mix! Oh and the bumbleberry pie is supposed to be fabulous...I got the last one;) Oh and don't forget the cider donuts!!
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Review from Christine H.
Amesbury, MA
9/20/2010 2 photos
We love Cider Hill, in fact we find ourselves getting antsy at the end of summer for them to start selling their cider again! best around! not to mention the cider donuts are the friggin' amazing, there's just no competition anywhere!
The farm is so picturesque, there is never a shortage of apples and there is ample parking for everyone who wants to go. the fact that it gets so crowded during its prime hours should say something - people keep coming back! Highly recommended! -
Review from Brian B.
Boston, MA
10/10/2007 3 photos
Apple Bapple Bo Bapple Banananana Pho Phapple Me My Mo Mapple APPLE!
Since our recent visit to this beautiful, scenic farm only about an hour north of Boston and set upon rolling hills spotted with lush orchards and gardens, I have been eating every varietal that you can imagine - Macintosh, Empire, Mutsu, Cortland, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and, like a thousand other types of apples that I can't even pronounce.
This is America, so it's an all-you-can-pick/eat proposition. And, because it's America, you'll pay for it. I did. I think I got carried away - I ended up spending about 25 dollars on freakin' apples. Do I feel guilty - hell no. Apples RULE. Okay, maybe not, but this apple-picking thing is addictive when you're in an orchard and all you can see are ripe, luscious apples saying "choose me," "make me into a pie," "caramelize me and pour nuts over me," "crush me and drink me," and "make me part of a donut." All of these chosen apples, of course, have their dreams come true. You can find them in the farm store there.
My wife and kid and I had a blast. My boy ran around trying to eat the chickens (caged, don't worry), licking every pumpkin within an acre of him (we wiped them clean), stealing apples from people's bags (we kept them), and, of course, eating apples. We're city folk, so seeing our boy running around with carriers of the bird flu and hoof/mouth disease and eating unclean produce really made us fall in love with place. And, I think he would have really loved the hay ride we went on had he not been so focused on eating the hay. This place is kid-heaven.
Even during the Fall with the increase in visitors, there was still a serene vibe to the place. You could just walk off and meditate on the more philosophical aspects of apple picking, like, does the apple feel pain when it's picked....
All I know is that my family plans on making this a Fall tradition to get our seasonal fill of fiber.Listed in: Places My Kid Can Poop
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Review from Tuck R.
Boston, MA
10/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best cider donuts ever! Warm and fresh.
We came here for apple pickin' and a wicked punkin patch.
Cute little store, lots of autumn selection. A hot dog stand.
Not super busy, but enough for you to know you were in the right place.
Rows and rows of apples still available even this late, and a good enough punkin selection.
Would highly recommend and we will be back next year. -
Review from David J. W.
Salt Lake City, UT
6/21/2007 4 photos
Some great things about this farm:
1) The apple cider - award winning and unpasteurized, has the most marvelous and fresh taste of any cider I've ever had.
2) Fresh made cider donuts - both plain and sugared.
3) The apple cider but served hot and mulled
4) The orchards of course.
I was first introduced to this farm back in about 1987 when a friend of mine moved to Amesbury and took me there. It was smaller so to speak in that the store items were more limited and it was not as popular yet. Over the years I brought friends to go peach and apple picking. Once my wife was introduced to it after we met in 1996, it became our fall tradition to go there for the cider, cider donuts, to pick fruits of all kinds from raspberries to peaches, apples, and pumpkins. And over the years it got more popular until now every weekend after labor day the place is packed with families and folks. The store has also grown in the number and types of items that they sell but they also expanded the store in the barn where it resides.
The barn store sits at the base of the road and from there you can walk across a large field where corn and berries and pumpkins are grown to and go up the hill and over and beyond to pick apples and peaches. The orchards go on for many acres beyond what you can see at first. In the fall there is a hayride that goes back and forth between the barn and the base of hill if you'd rather ride than walk and the kids like it. It's very scenic and picturesque. Near the barn is a small petting zoo and of course if you don't have the time or inclination to go picking there is ample quantities of pumpkins and flowers and plants to choose from outside and other fruits and veggies in the store.
The farm is about 45 to 50 minutes drive from Boston but well worth it. Yes we just call it "the farm" not by it's name Cider Hill. One time we decided to try another farm somewhere west of Boston but it just wasn't the same. Cider Hill was our farm, the farm, and now since we left we miss it. Check out the photos I am (will be) adding to the photo section. They also have a website and a mailing list if you want to be informed of farm news. Remember that it can get crowded on weekends but that also means the donuts are fresher when there is large demand! You can go later after 4pm to avoid the crowds as they are open until 6pm. I tell you there is nothing like sitting down on a bench outside the store to enjoy a nice warm cider donut with a cup of fresh cider or hot mulled cider and take in the scenery and the people! Also it's not everyday that I give 5 stars to anything. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Napa, CA
10/13/2008
I am in love with this place.
The colors were changing, the apples were ripe, and the donuts were excessively sugar-coated... 1+1+1= perfect day.
Cider Hill Farm was the facilitator of my perfect day. The place was huge so that there was no fear of over-crowding or of being surrounded by screaming children. The prices were so reasonable that I felt like I was thrifting for apples. Plus the store was stocked full of healthful and not-so-healthful goodies; I picked up some donuts & a caramel apple *drool* and my boyfriend grabbed some sugar-free strawberry jam.
So, if you're looking for a traditional, fall weather, cutesy date spot (like I was) definitely check out Cider Hill Farm. -
Review from J E.
Haverhill, MA
6/29/2011
I thought the cider doughnuts were forgettable, I will still make the trip out to Russell Orchards instead. Many of the baked goods looked burnt, however we tried the liked the Everything Bars and the dumplings--though we thought they could use a glaze and a few nuts.
The items in the store were pretty much the same things that could be purchased elsewhere. I will probably go back in the fall to try the cider. -
Review from Rebecca O.
Haverhill, MA
11/3/2007
Great family farm. Plenty of parking and check out lines. Accept both cash and credit. Farm store attached with all the cider donuts and apple crisp mix you could wish for. Have tons of apple varieties, but plenty of other fruits as well. The have a chicken coop and hay rides for kids.
Not long after we visited, we found out that this is a green farm and the wind turbines on the property power it. Supporting green businesses isn't always easy, but here it is!Listed in: North of the North Shore
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Review from Michael N.
Seattle, WA
10/5/2008
Went here for the first time yesterday. It was lots of fun! They had a great selection of apples to pick from. The raspberry and blueberry bushes were pretty well picked over, and the peaches were completely out of season.
So when we first pulled in to the parking lot I was nervous - they had people waving you into parking spots like you see at baseball games and whatnot. There were tons of people in front of the store - chaotic. None of us had been there before so we were fairly lost as to how to go about picking apples. The ratio of customers to employees must have been 200:1 - so it was rough trying to find somebody to ask. This was far from an auspicious beginning!
However - once we finally got some bags and were pointed in the right direction everything was dandy! We quickly cleared the crowds and were pretty much out there on our own. There are tons of trees, with tons of varieties. Each row of trees is labeled as containing a couple different apple varieties. Now - I definitely feel like I know apples better than your average joe - but still - how am I supposed to know which apple tree is which kind? You're pretty much left to guessing, which is really aggravating.
Next we went in search of raspberries. I never saw a map of the place - so we walked around for a while and eventually found a person out by the store to ask - and they pointed us in the right direction. Seems like there could be signs or a map to make this a whole lot easier.
Anyways - we went back to the store and paid for everything. They were perfectly nice. They accept credit cards inside but in some places outside they only take cash/checks - so be warned. There was an amazing wall of jellies/jams/preserves/etc. that makes me pretty sure I'll be back some time in the not too distant future.
Anyways, I just made some old fashioned German apple cinnamon pancakes with some of the apples - very good! Overall a great experience that could be made awesome if they'd just hire some more employees, make the place easier to navigate, and do a better job labeling things.Listed in: Fruit!
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Review from Celeste C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
10/14/2008 1 Check-in Here
I first went to Cider Hill Farms 2 years ago with a roommate and I went back on Columbus Day this year with my gentleman friend.
I like it for several reasons.
1) Pay by the pound. I think it's crazy that some people make you pay to enter the farm or for a bag.
2) Lots of apples. Two years ago, I went late in the season but there were super lots of apples. This year, even though more orchards were open, I found less apples that I liked that were close to the ground (I only like greener ones and I'm pretty short.)
3) You get to walk around, get a little exercise, marvel about how interesting apple trees are, and shop in the store.
4) Cider freaking doughnuts. Good stuff!
Apple picking is fun for friends, couples, and families. Yay! And now I get to bake! -
Review from Sean B.
Amesbury, MA
10/5/2010
Plain and simple: If you like cider donuts or apple cider, go to Cider Hill Farm! Both are the best around, period.
The farm is picturesque and the pick-your-own apples are awesome too. We also liked that the pick-your-own apples are done by weight instead of pre-paying for specific sized bags.
The only complaint is that I wish the store was open a little later for those of us who are workaholics and have trouble making it there before 6pm. -
Review from Virginia su m.
Boston, MA
10/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
suggestion: BRING YOUR OWN BAGS! i've never seen so many douches in a field with plastic bags at one time. i found myself picking up garbage along with apples. :/
nevertheless, the home-made apple pie that resulted from this excursion was as good as the actual visit to the farm. :)
turkeys, chickens, goats, and sheep will entertain small children... ok and me- in addition to the beautiful orchards. each row of apples was marked with the type, which made perusing fun and informative.
the little store on the way out had everything from fresh apple cider dough-nuts, to produce, to preserves, to gallon jugs of apple cyder. i wish we'd bought 2- so delicious!
i'll be back for pumpkins and strawberries! what a charming place! -
Review from Alexis L.
Boston, MA
9/24/2009
Yay! Apples!
A great place to pick apples, berries, peaches and pears. I've had a ball each time I visited Cider Hill Farm...aside from rolling my ankle after slipping on an apple..oops.
The fruit is really great, it seems as though they pay attention to their trees and there were not a lot of rotten-ness as I've found at other farms. The selection of apples is awesome..you can find any variety such as: Macintosh, Macoun, Cortland, Suncrisp, and Gala..and some newer varieties as well.
With pumpkins and a corn maze, this farm is complete for a great Fall experience. I just went last week and apples were $1.75 per pound..expensive but totally worth it. I know I'd rather pay to pick and choose which apples I like rather than settle for a grocery store selection that has been passed through lord knows how many hands.
The store at Cider Hill Farm is always buzzing with customers...most of which are in line for freshly made hot or cold apple cider..yummy. They also had some different items such as pumpkin butter and white hot chocolate mix, which was absolutely DELICIOUS, creamy, and white chocolaty! Pricey but if you're a smart shopper, you'll know what to splurge on and what to pass on.
Ahhh, I love the beginning of Fall..and this place really emulated that! -
Review from franko b.
Livermore, CA
8/5/2009
I love this place so much that I proposed to my fiance here!
The best seasonal fruits and produce are always available and the farm is absolutely beautiful!
**I've been meaning to update this for a while now, I was just so excited to share the news about getting engaged that I didn't include enough info about the farm for this to be a useful review.**
I absolutely love this farm and highly suggest that everyone stop by when they get a chance. I've been a customer/friend of the farm since 2003 and consider it "my" farm. The farm is beautiful to walk around, even if you don't plan on picking anything its worth visiting. Sometimes we stop by just to check out the bees, goats & chickens or talk to the owners about the wind turbines & solar panels. Seriously, I just like to hang out around the farm, even when I don't need any produce.
They sell amazing flowers & planters, pick your own strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, pumpkins and apples. Inside the store there you can get the best tomatoes I've ever tasted. Prior to tasting these I'd tell you that tomatoes are just OK, but now I crave them. These are nothing like the junk that passes for produce at a supermarket, you can tell it was cared for and picked at the peak of ripeness.
Its obvious that the owners and employees are proud of their farm and community by the way they happily interact with everyone that stops them. The store opens around May 1st each year and closes the day before Thanksgiving. The store is stocked with seasonal selections of produce, local dairy, meats, pies, honey and lots of baking supplies & mixes. All that is well & good but the can't miss items are the fresh unpasteurized cider & warm cider donuts, soooo good!
Seriously though, don't skip the donuts, they are available May through November so there is no excuse not to try one. You'll have to wait until September for the fresh cider but personally I say wait until October for the sweeter apples to be added to the blend. With so many varieties and years of experience the employees can create some delicious blends, each week is a little different but always amazing. -
Review from David B.
8/11/2009
After seeing Cider Hill Farm listed on the attractions sign on I-495, pulled off the highway and went looking for the place. Worth the search, a lovely corner of the world! Liked it so much, came back a few days later to pick blueberries and raspberries!
Their blueberry bramble is large....lots of bushes meant easy plucking for the other pickers were widely dispersed. What a fab year for these little blue culinary gems! Picked a pound and a half. Although the raspberry area is also large, not much to be had. We picked about a quarter of a pound. Finished the day with one of their cider donuts (yum) and a visit to their chicken ranch (Ginger was gone...probably on holiday). We look forward to returning in the Autumn. A friend at work said that they have the best cider in the area! -
Review from Tani S.
11/1/2009
The drive out to this farm was nice with beautiful fall colors along the way.
It was a nice, quiet place without tons of people milling about. We enjoyed picking apples in the orchard (really good Golden delicious ones) and it was good that you paid for how much you picked instead of being forced to fill up a bag... Our toddler enjoyed the farm animals (chickens and goats) and the cider and cider donuts were amazing..
It was a nice, relaxing day... -
Review from Nicky S.
Somerville, MA
10/11/2010
Great place for apple picking (especially with a toddler). Cider Hill Farm is easy, fun and delicious. I loved not having to take a hay ride to get to the orchards but they do have a hay ride if you want to go on one. The Cider Donuts were amazing, the honey bees cool, and apple picking beautiful. The orchard is a quick walk back to the parking lot in case you want to drop something in the car or forget something.
Loved it! -
Review from Erica C.
Portsmouth, NH
9/19/2010
What a perfect thing to do on a lovely day in September. There are many different types of apples that are growing here. The day I went, there were also raspberries... but I didn't go out foraging for those. There is a little shop that also has food and candles and candy and houseware things that you can buy. And I highly recommend getting the cider doughnuts. They are soooo good! Why 3 stars then? Well I didn't like how there were soooo many people that I didn't buy anything in the store as to avoid the lines that went outside of the store. I also found myself getting a little pissed off that I had to pay so much for apples that I picked myself off of the trees. Isn't this nature's gift to everyone? But definitely go even just to get the cider doughnuts :)
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Review from Kristine M.
West Newton, MA
6/9/2008
I went there yesterday to go pick strawberries. Their website said that PYO strawberries had begun, but as it turns out, it hadn't. So definitely call if you're unsure.
Even so, it was a nice place to visit. Some of the best cider doughnuts I've had in a while. There were lots of cute country-store type items, chickens that you can buy chicken feed for, and some gourmet groceries such as cheeses and jams.
Nice place to visit and I'd definitely go back to pick berries. -
Review from Emily F.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2008
My boyfriend and I loved this place. We got a zip car and drove up on a beautiful fall day to pick apples. We got tons of delicious apples (not enough actually) and got to walk all around the orchard.
It was really really busy when we were there, but since the farm is so big, it was never a problem until we were inside the store - lines were pretty long for the apple cider donuts. But they were soooooo good. You definitely have to try a donut while you're here.
Just beware of the parking lot - two cars next to us got stuck in the mud. -
Review from Chris A.
Andover, MA
10/8/2010
The apples were awesome!! I don't think I have ever eaten apples that sweet and fresh!
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Review from james w.
8/18/2008
definitely the best of the orchards i've been to thus far. absolutely HUGE. i spent about 3 hours here and didn't see anyone for about 2 of them. wear good boots/mud shoes and head up into the hills for areas of the orchard the little ones don't go and have fun climbing the trees.
big farm stand at the base where you pay for your apples by weight, so byob - bring your own bag. the donuts were hot and straight out of the fryolator, covered with cinnamon and brown sugar, and nearly freakin' perfect. by the time i got them to the car, i'd eaten 2 and the bag was wet from the grease. of course, they have the jellies, preserves, jams, pies, cider (duh, it's cider hill), and other interesting items in the farm stand.
in terms of picking, they have pretty much everything here. berries, pumpkins, apples, and pears (all depending on the time of year), hay rides, a petting zoo and, if i recall correctly, they were working on a maize maze that was flooded the last time i was there. the varieties of apples were well-marked so you could actually tell what you were biting in to, which was very nice.
cider hill farms is about an hour from boston. -
Review from Ashley J.
Roslindale, MA
9/24/2009
I used to live near here and never went. Now I live an hour away and I go here a lot. Go figure! Me and the fam went peach picking here and we picked the most absolutely enormous, mouth watering peaches I have ever seen. They were almost a full pound each. The pick your own here is of amazing quality but I think they are the most expensive place I have ever been too. The charge by the pound while other places charge by the container so we very quickly picked $45 worth of peaches in about 10 minutes. I don't mind paying extra to support the local farmer but I am sure they have received many complaints about price because EVERYWHERE are signs saying only pick what you want and ask about pricing estimates before you pick.
They have a great little country store as well with amazing baked goods and DELICIOUS cider donuts. The best I have had since I grew up near Russell's orchard and theirs went downhill. They also have a small animal area for the kids. If that is a big draw for you I would pick another orchard. All the have are 3 goats and a whole mess of chickens.
All in all a fun way to get out on a fall day. In fact I might go apple picking tomorrow now that I think about it.... -
Review from LeftCoast Y.
San Bruno, CA
4/30/2010
This place is heaven for your taste buds! The cider is the juice of the Gods! The cider donuts are unreal - I ate and ate until I will ill. :)
Came back to CA and searched until I found fresh pressed cider and it was no where near that of Cider Hill Farm!!!!
Go and enjoy! -
Review from Tracey N.
Hanover, MA
10/22/2006
This is a beautiful farm less than an hour highway drive from Boston. The website is accurate and helpful. Lots of things for kids to do: hay maze, hay rides, swings. Not the greatest signage for apples, but the grounds are so mellow that it's a lovely place to wander. You pay for apples by the pound, not by a pre-paid bag for picking. Great farm store, flower shop & bakery. Yummy cider donuts are warm out of the oven. The store also has loads of other freshly made treats, cheeses and prepared food for picnic lunch, and frozen foods to bring home.
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Review from Quinn E.
10/4/2008 3 photos
My girlfriend doesn't like apples. So naturally, she was hell bent on going apple picking. Which was fine with me, I love apples and making apple crisp and all that stuff. But I was worried. I've been apple picking many times, and it's always nightmarishly crowded with horrible American families. When we got to Cider Hill, there were teens directing cars into a lot full of minivans. I got all set to say, "I told you so," but we snagged a primo spot and got a couple of bags in about 3 minutes total. There were a ton of families, but they weren't out of control. If they were, we didn't notice, because once we got into the orchard, we felt like we were the only people there! We didn't have to walk to the far reaches either, the place is just so big everyone spreads out. And the amount of trees/apples was far and away the most and best I've seen near Boston. I would absolutely definitely go back for apple picking, no question. If I hadn't picked enough apples to last all year I'd probably go again later in the season. The only negatives were the lines for cider donuts and the seriously overcrowded country store. But, those are far less important than the apple picking to me.
Listed in: Let's Go Outside!
