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Western North Carolina pumpkin patches

5 patches across 2 counties, 1 free to enter. The season opens August 15 at Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard.

What to expect in Western North Carolina

5 of the 22 North Carolina patches we track are in Western North Carolina, spread across Burke County, Henderson County. 2 of them run a corn or crop maze, and 2 have farm animals your kids can get close to. 1 have their 2026 dates confirmed on the farm's own site.

One patch here is free to walk into, which makes it the low-risk option with unpredictable toddlers — you are not out $80 if the visit lasts twenty minutes.

Elevation runs this season. Mountain farms open cooler and earlier, often as orchards first with a patch attached, while Piedmont and coastal farms run warmer and later — an early-October afternoon near the coast can still be genuinely hot. In the mountains, peak leaf season and peak patch season land on the same weekends, so the approach roads matter as much as the farm does. Note too that late-September and early-October storms reach both states, and farm lots hold water afterwards.

Sky Top Orchard in Zirconia, NC

Sky Top Orchard

Zirconia, NC
Apple OrchardMountain ViewsTimed ReservationsDoughnuts
Daily, seven days a week (including Labor Day)See site
Justus Orchard in Hendersonville, NC

Justus Orchard

Hendersonville, NC
Apple OrchardU-PickFried Apple PiesAlpacas
Season dates TBDSee site
Aerial view of Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard in Hendersonville, NC2026 confirmed

Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard

Hendersonville, NC
Free AdmissionU-Pick ApplesCorn MazeDog Friendly
Daily, Monday-SundayFree