Fall bucket list: Pumpkin picking, haunted houses and other activities around Charlotte
It’s time for the season of cooler weather, changing leaves and, of course, fun fall activities.
There are plenty of things to do, places to go and activities to add to your fall bucket list for those who want to embrace the new season.
From pumpkin picking and corn mazes to hiking and haunted houses, here’s a list of popular fall activities and things to do around Charlotte this time of year:
Go apple picking
Apple Hill Orchard & Cider Mill
Location: 2075 Pleasant Hill Ave., Morganton NC, 28655
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $3 per person. Free for children 2 and under. Picking prices vary.
Apple Hill Orchard & Cider Mill has 22 varieties of apples planted with 18 available for picking through early November. Make sure to purchase a picking pass in advance online if you’d like to go.
Perry Lowe Orchards
Location: 8741 NC-16, Moravian Falls, NC 28654
Hours: Saturday- Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $2 per person. Free for children 2 and under. Picking prices vary.
Perry Lowe Orchards has several sweet and tart apples available to pick this season. The family-friendly farm does require reservations in advance, which can be made online.
Sky Top Orchard
Location: 1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC 28731
Hours: Monday-Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: Free admission. Picking prices vary.
Sky Top Orchard is a family-friendly and dog-friendly farm that is open for apple picking everyday. Apple picking season is open through mid-November.
[READ NEXT: 11 places to go apple picking this fall near Charlotte.]
Stroll through a corn maze
The Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill
Location: 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville, NC 28078
Cost: $9+
Stroll and weave your way through the corn field maze at Rural Hill farm in Huntersville through Oct. 29. During the Amazing Maize Maze season, you can explore the maze during the day on Fridays-Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Friday and Saturday nights from 6-9 p.m. Sign up and get tickets online.
Cherry Place Farm
Location: 1922 Oakdale Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Cost: $10
Take a weekend trip to Cherry Place Farm to explore through the 2 acre corn maze. The local farm, open on Saturdays and Sundays, also has a pumpkin patch, hayrides and barnyard games for children.
Country Days Corn Maze
Location: 416 Joe Lee Helms Road, Indian Trail, NC 28079
Cost: $8
Country Days Corn Maze, about 20 miles outside of Charlotte, has two corn mazes you can explore through the first weekend in November. The family-friendly spot is home to the Big Ears Maze, designed in honor of country star Reba McEntire, and the Little Ears Maze for those 10 and under.
[READ NEXT: Ultimate fall festival guide to events in the Charlotte area to check out.]
Visit a pumpkin patch
Bush-N-Vine Farm
Location: 1650 Filbert Hwy, York, SC 29745
Cost: Picking prices vary
Plan a trip to pick out the perfect pumpkin Bush-N-Vine Farm, open every day except Sundays. Select your favorite pumpkin, then grab a bite at the farm’s kitchen, which offers donuts, ice cream, hot dogs, apple cider slushies and other sweet treats.
Carrigan Farms
Location: 1261 Oakridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville, NC 28115
Cost: $15+
Take a tractor-drawn hayride and pick out the perfect pumpkin from the Carrigan Farms. All through October, you can book a reservation to visit the pumpkin patch. If you’re up for a scare, you can also visit the 275 acre farm transformed into Scarrigan Farms on select nights, with haunted trails filled with monsters, zombies and more.
Hodges Family Farm
Location: 3780 Rocky River Rd., Charlotte, NC 28215
Cost: Free admission. Picking prices vary.
Hodges Family Farm, about 10 miles outside of uptown, has a wide variety of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Visit the farm to stroll through the pumpkin patch, take a hayride or picnic on the property.
[READ NEXT: Go big or gourd home! 10 best pumpkin patches in and around Charlotte.]
Plan a mountain getaway to go hiking and leaf peeping
Crowders Mountain
Location: Crowders Mountain State Park, 522 Park Office Ln, Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Located about 30 miles outside of Charlotte, Crowders Mountain is a popular spot for those who don’t want to venture too far to take in sky high views. Visit Crowders Mountain State Park to go hiking, padding, fishing, picnicking, rock climbing or bouldering.
Grandfather Mountain
Location: Grandfather Mountain State Park, 9872 Highway 105 South, Banner Elk, NC 28604
Take a road trip to Banner Elk and take in the views of the fall foliage at Grandfather Mountain. Check out the Mile High Swinging Bridge or explore through Grandfather Mountain State Park, which is between the Grandfather Mountain attraction and Blue Ridge Parkway trails.
Mount Mitchell
Location: Mount Mitchell State Park, 2388 NC-128, Burnsville, NC 28714
Mount Mitchell, about 30 miles outside of Asheville, is a popular spot for hikers in North Carolina, especially during the fall. Take in the views on a hike or a picnic from the highest point east of the Mississippi River.
[READ NEXT: The best NC destinations to admire fall foliage. When and where to go in 2023.]
Venture through a haunted house or trail
The 13th Acre
Location: 3718 Plyler Mill Rd, Monroe, NC 28112
Cost: $25+
The 13th Acre is an outdoor walking trail with three different Halloween-themed attractions. Brace yourself for a night of terror through the Coffin Creek, The Forbidden Acre and Reaper’s Row trails nestled in the woods.
Hickory Grove Haunted Trail
Location: 4064 Mountain View St, Gastonia, NC 28056
Cost: $20
Hickory Grove Haunted Trail is one of the oldest haunted attractions around Charlotte. Expect a night of suspense and scares as you make your way through the haunted trail near South Fork River.
SCarowinds
Location: Carowinds, 14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273
Cost: $44.99+
Get in the spooky spirit as Carowinds transforms into SCarowinds ahead of Halloween with haunted mazes, scare zones and live shows — you’ll be in for a night of thrills on and off the roller coasters. Venture through the haunted park on every Friday and Saturday night in October.
