By Harper Hope        

Market on Carter Mountain Orchard. Photo credit: Harper Hope.

On a recent weekend in October, I had the pleasure of visiting Carter Mountain Orchard. As I began the brutal hour drive to the orchard, just outside Charlottesville, my curiosity continued to increase. I was excited to see if this same orchard would live up to the same expectations I had when I was little. When I was younger, visiting Carter Mountain Orchard with my family was a cannon event. Picking apples and eating warm apple cider donuts was an unbreakable annual tradition that could not be interfered with. However, I had not visited since the coronavirus pandemic first struck in March 2020. 

Finally, after what felt like forever, we parked the car, and my friends and I eagerly jumped out. We quickly scanned our entry tickets and headed up the mountain. It was even more than I had remembered. Memories from my childhood vividly ran through my head. The bundles of apples, fun-face pumpkins, piles of hay, tractor rides, and strings of twinkling lights above all struck me at once. Despite the cloudy and humid weather, I was immediately put into a cozy fall mood. 

Carter Mountain is also a place of great history. In 1729, John Carter, whom the mountain is named after, obtained a grant with control to this 9,350-acre piece of land. After his death in 1752, the land was given to his son, Edward. Later, in 1771, it is believed that Thomas Jefferson was given the land from Edward in exchange for “legal services.” However, it wasn’t until many decades later that Carter Mountain began to prosper.

Once the Chiles family gained full authority over this empty piece of land in the early 1900s, they slowly began to make it into a farm. Through generations, this family first planted apple trees, then eventually adding in peach, nectarine, cherry, pumpkin, and vegetable plants throughout the four seasons.

During my visit, the incredible food, views, and experience all made the long car ride to the Charlottesville area worth it. I was thoroughly impressed with the new variety of food trucks parked there for visitors: tacos, pizza, and barbeque. My friend Kate Mitchell and I split a margarita pizza, made fresh right in front of us. Mitchell, a Saint Catherine’s Senior, claimed, “The pizza was a perfect balance between tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. It was quite delectable.” We both believe this was the best margarita pizza we have ever tried. In addition to these fresh food trucks, they offer warm apple cider, donuts, caramel apples, and a variety of other snacks sourced directly from the mountain.

During the fall season, September through November, they offer apple and pumpkin picking. Carter Mountain Orchard grows thirteen different varieties of apples, including Ambrosia, Candy Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Crispin, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, Red Delicious, Stayman, and Winesap.

Children 12 and under do not require a ticket, and regular morning or evening passes are only eight dollars per person. I definitely recommend buying your tickets ahead of time, as they sell out fast during the fall season weekends. As for apple picking, they offer four different sizes bags, all of which are greatly priced for the size. My friends and I each purchased the smallest bag they sold, which held about fifteen apples, much more than we needed.

Current Senior Catherine Owen (’24) picking apples on her Kindergarten field trip to Carter Mountain in 2011. Photo credit: Tia Owen.

As I did not attend Collegiate’s annual Kindergarten class Carter Mountain field trip, I interviewed a few of my fellow classmates that did. Ella Goodbody (‘24), Catherine Owen (‘24), and Lily Berger (‘24) all shared that their favorite memory from this field trip includes making their “apple t-shirts.”

Carter Mountain began to offer field trips in the 1980s, educating students about the history and generations of farmers. Today, owner Cynthia Chiles has made these field trips even greater than before. Carter Mountain Orchard now extends this enjoyable experience to homeschool students and summer camps.

If you are looking for a family friendly event this fall, a fun time with friends, or even just need an excuse to get out of the house, Carter Mountain Orchard is the place for you. From when I was little to now, Carter Mountain has continued to create memories that I will forever look back on. I could not have asked for a better way to spend my Saturday.

Featured image credit: Harper Hope.