How many apple varieties can you pick at Graves Mountain?

The orchard on the Graves' Mountain Farm property lists more than 27 apple varieties. Which ones are ripe depends on the week, so check with the farm before you go.

What days is Graves Mountain apple orchard open?

In the fall the orchard is open weekends only. Confirm current times and conditions with the farm before driving, as we have no recently verified posts.

Where is the Graves Mountain pick-your-own orchard?

It is on the Graves' Mountain Farm property in Syria, Madison County, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge foothills near the central district of Skyline Drive.

Graves Mountain Apple Orchard: Weekend Picking in Madison

Graves Mountain Pick-Your-Own Apple Orchard in Syria, Madison County, is a u-pick orchard on the Graves' Mountain Farm property with more than 27 varieties of apples, and in the fall it is open weekends only. If you are planning an October apple outing, build it around a Saturday or Sunday and confirm current picking details before you drive.

Quick Facts

What: U-pick apple orchard with more than 27 varieties
Where: Graves' Mountain Farm property, Syria, Madison County, VA
When: Weekends only in the fall
Season: October 2026

Why This Orchard Is Worth the Drive

Most pick-your-own orchards give you a handful of varieties and a hayride. Graves Mountain's orchard lists more than 27, which is the number that matters if you care about the difference between an apple for the pie dish and an apple for the cheese board. Twenty-seven-plus varieties means the rows are staggered across the season, so what is ready on a given weekend depends on the calendar. Ask at the farm what is ripe before you start filling a bag.

The setting is the other half of the appeal. Syria sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in Madison County, and the orchard belongs to the working Graves' Mountain Farm property rather than a standalone roadside stand. That gives an apple-picking afternoon the feel of a real mountain farm visit, not a staged one.

How to Plan a Weekend Apple Day

Because the orchard is open weekends only in the fall, the sensible approach is to treat it as the anchor of a Saturday or Sunday rather than a stop you squeeze in on a weekday. A few practical notes:

Go early in the day. Weekend picking is the only option, so the orchard is likely to be busiest midday. Arriving earlier is a reasonable hedge, though specific crowd patterns are not something the orchard has published.
Dress for the hillside. Orchard rows in mountain country are rarely flat. Closed-toe shoes you do not mind getting grassy are the right call.
Check the variety list first. With so many varieties, ripeness varies week to week. A quick call or a look at the listing before you go will help you set expectations.

Pair It With the Mountains

Syria is also the gateway to the central stretch of Skyline Drive, the 105-mile ridgetop parkway through Shenandoah National Park, which runs along Madison County's edge. An orchard morning followed by a slow afternoon on the ridge is a natural fall pairing. If you want to continue up the parkway, Big Meadows and Byrd Visitor Center sits at Skyline Drive mile 51 and is a high-elevation open meadow with a visitor center and campground.

Planning Your Visit

Venue: Graves Mountain Pick-Your-Own Apple Orchard
Location: Graves' Mountain Farm property, Syria, Madison County, VA
Hours: Open weekends only in the fall; confirm current times before you go
Website: madisonva.com/venues/apple-picking

Full details on this orchard are on its Holler Guide page: Graves Mountain Pick-Your-Own Apple Orchard. We have not received recent social posts or verified updates from the orchard, so please confirm weekend availability and picking conditions directly before making the drive.