Millstone Creek Orchards in Ramseur is your one stop shop for all the U-pick fruit your heart desires! In the spring they have blackberries and blueberries, and then summer brings the peaches, grapes, and sunflowers. My favorite happens in the fall when they have apples, pumpkins, and gourds. They even end the year on a high note with pecan picking in November!

In addition to a year-round harvest, they also offer lots of extra fun at the orchard, including a hay ride, fishing, and a farmer’s market to explore!

Fishing

There are two separate ponds available for fishing at Millstone Creek Orchards. Since it is on private property, you do not need a fishing license to participate. The orchard requires registration in advance and they charge $2 per person. You will need to bring your own equipment, but you can fish as much as you like.

Unfortunately, we didn’t catch any fish and only had a few bites. I think my kids were too loud and scared all the fish off!

Apple Barn Country Store

Before you head out to pick your fruit, swing by the Apple Barn Country Store to do a little shopping. Inside you will find a variety of homemade items for sale, using fresh ingredients from the orchard.

Outside you will be greeted by a relaxing rocking chair waiting for you on the front porch. This is a great spot to hangout after you’ve picked your fair share of fruit!

Farmer’s Market

If you visit the orchard on Saturday you will also be able to shop the Eastern Randolph Farmers Market. It was fun to browse the handmade items while we waited for our tour to start. There was everything from homemade bird houses, soap, jewelry, and grass fed beef.

Kiddie Corral

The Kiddie Corral is a homemade playground for the kids made out of wood and old tires. It was located near the picnic tables so it would be very convenient to let the kids play while the parents chat! Unfortunately it was closed during our visit due to COVID-19.

Ice Cream Parlor

Behind the country store you will find the Sweet Retreat Ice Cream Parlor. It’s open every weekend from May to September and has 12 different flavors to choose from. This was a nice treat after the heat of picking our berries, so I definitely recommend you make a stop!

Hayride Tours and Events

During our visit we participated in the Very Berry Adventure Tour, which included a hayride throughout the orchard. At $14.95 per person, the tour included the hayride, 1 pound of berries per person, and a double scoop of ice cream at the end.

Our tour stopped at each of the different fruit trees at the orchard and got to see them at their various stages of growth. We were able to pick a baby apple and examine the baby grapes before they were fully ripe.

It appears that usually hayrides are available for everyone who comes out to the orchard to pick. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic they have limited the hayrides to those who participate in the tours and programs so they can keep everyone socially distant.

In my opinion the tour is a great deal for everything you get, so check the calendar for more all-inclusive events! I saw they host Fruity Pickin’ Story Time for the kids on Monday and Tuesdays if you are able to make it during a weekday morning!

U-Pick Fruit

As I mentioned previously, Millstone Creek has a ripe harvest available all year long. We visited in June and were able to pick blackberries and blueberries.

The peaches were almost ready, but had just gotten their last anti-fungal spray so they couldn’t be picked for a week. I’ve never been peach picking before but they sure did look delicious!

Keep an eye out for fire ants while you pick. The tour guide pointed them out to us and explained that they had just treated them the day before, but there were still lots of mounds throughout the grass. Definitely want to watch your feet!

Also keep in mind that you have to pay for what you pick, so don’t go too overboard. I believe the regular berry pricing is around $6/lb and the bucket they give you is a 5lb bucket.

Our berry tour admission included 1lb per person, which with a family 5 equated to filling up ONE bucket total. However, we were given a bucket per person, and lots of families ended up picking a lot more than they were supposed to. You will have to pay for any extras at the end, so make sure you don’t go over unless you are willing to pay!

I really enjoyed visiting Millstone Creek Orchards and I can’t wait to come back for all the fall festivities! Usually apples only grow in the mountains, so we are lucky to have an orchard nearby. This is the closest apple picking available to the triangle so if it’s something you’ve been wanting to do then save the date for AppleFest in September! You will be also have an opportunity to grab some of their famous apple cider donuts and apple cider slushies! You won’t want to miss it!

If you’re looking for other spots to pick blueberries, check out our list here.

Millstone Creek Orchards is out near the NC Zoo and Jordan Lake Educational State Forest, so if you’re up for the challenge you could make a full day of it!