Vermont Champlain Valley Apple Country · fall harvest
Vermont Champlain Valley Apple Country
Apples are a Vermont tradition, and VermontVacation.com - the official state tourism site - spotlights orchards clustered in the Champlain Valley, from Allenholm Farm in South Hero (the state's oldest commercial apple orchard, tended by the Allen family since 1870) to Champlain Orchards in Shoreham with 146 varieties and counting. Pick-your-own runs in September and October, paired with cider doughnuts, hard cider, weekend wagon rides and corn mazes. Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains frame the drive, making this a postcard fall RV route. Heirloom varieties like Esopus Spitzenburg add a collector's-table dimension to the picking.
Harvest window
Pick-your-own apples in September and October (orchards typically open around Labor Day weekend)
Crops & activities
U-pick apples (many varieties at some orchards) · Cortland, Empire, Macoun, Esopus Spitzenburg · Hard cider & cider doughnuts · Wagon rides & corn mazes
Where
Champlain Valley orchards around Shoreham, Shelburne and South Hero, western Vermont
Nearest RV base
Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh on Lake Champlain - about 53 tent/RV sites (no hookups) with an RV sanitary station; for full hookups, a private campground in the same valley (such as Shelburne Camping Area) offers electric, water and sewer.
Plan it honestly
Peak shifts with the season's weather and is never guaranteed, so check ripeness before a long drive. Each orchard is a private business with its own hours, U-pick days and fees - confirm before you go. Button Bay has no hookups; choose a private full-hookup park if your rig needs them.
Plan the route with the official agritourism source: VermontVacation.com (official Vermont state tourism) .