Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard

Fall is my favorite season. Like many, I love everything about fall in New England, from the pumpkin spice lattes offered at the local coffee shop, to the days when it’s finally chilly enough to wear boots and scarves. I like to drive along the twisting roads, looking out at the swaths of orange and red that carpet the forested mountains and tree-lined marshlands. Last weekend, I spent an idyllic afternoon at Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard in Greenville, New Hampshire. For me, and I suspect several of you will agree, the most quintessential New England fall activity is apple picking. Who doesn’t love traipsing through an orchard, munching on an apple, while looking for the next full branch of apples ripe for picking? Once the apples are picked, and you get them home and washed, fall is not fall without an aromatic homemade apple crisp.

After stopping in the small store for some warm apple cider and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, we took our apple bag and headed for the orchard. We missed the hayride that takes visitors to and from the orchard, and in our impatience to get our hands on some apples, we opted to walk the short distance. The orchard boasts four varieties of apples, but McIntosh and Cortland were the only two that were ready. Lucky for me, McIntosh are my apple of choice and work well for dipping in caramel and baking. Our bag was overflowing by the time we left. A day at Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard is not complete without a tour of the corn maze. Right before Halloween the maze becomes a labyrinth full of spirits and monsters, but throughout October it is simply a puzzle that must be solved. I’m a little ashamed to admit that it took us almost an hour to find our way out!

The pumpkin patch offers a nice selection and offers picturesque views of a typical New England barn against the mountains and changing foliage of southern New Hampshire. Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard is your one stop spot for all things fall in New England.

Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard. 66 Mason Road, Greenville, NH. 603-878-2101. Open 10:00am – 6:00pm Monday through Sunday. facebook.com/Washburns-Windy-Hill-Orchard Do you have a favorite New England fall farm stand, orchard, or corn maze? This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE: Best Apple Orchards in New England Best Corn Mazes in New England

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