When is just one apple cider donut enough? Never is the right answer. So we made the Apple Cider Donut Tour to help you taste test the best of apple cider donuts near Upstate, SC.
If you’re looking for places to go apple picking near Greenville, SC, we have our Apple Orchards Near Greenville, SC guide for that!
Many of these places offer u-pick apples and other fall goodies like slushies, fried apple pies, apple cakes, and cider. But we’re here for the donuts. These donuts have a crispy outside sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and are hot and soft on the inside, bursting with fall flavors. Save your appetite though so you can be sure to taste donuts at all of the stops.
Donut Tour Tips
When you’re planning your trip, look at the hours at where you want to go. A couple of places are only open weekends and Holt Orchard only has donuts on Thursdays and Fridays (but you could do the whole thing on a Saturday if you started here in Greenville at the Saturday market with a Holt Orchard tour and took it on the road!).
And try to go early in the day. Most of these places are pretty popular.
Apple Cider Donut Driving Tour
Here’s the map of your best fall foodie adventure, which should take you a few hours:
List of Stops
🍎 Sky Top Orchard
1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC
Open daily 9 am – 6 pm
🍎 Holt Orchard
17 Holt Pond Dr, Flat Rock, NC
Open September 1 – end of October Wednesday – Friday from Noon-5 pm and Sundays 11 am – 4 pm.
*You can also get their donuts at the Greenville Saturday Market starting August 12, 2023
🍎 Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
170 Stepp Orchard Drive, Hendersonville, NC
Open Friday and Saturday 9 am – 6 pm, Sunday 10 am – 6 pm, Monday -Thursday 9 am – 5:30 pm (Opens for the season on August 18, 2023)
🍎 Black Bear Snow Tubing
373 Kerr Road, Hendersonville, NC
Only open Saturday and Sundays 10 am – 7 pm starting September 2, 2023. This would be an awesome stop with the family but be forewarned, you may not want to leave because you can go snow tubing without snow during the summer and fall plus satiate your apple cider donut desires.
🍎 Coston Farm & Apple House
3748 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Open Monday – Saturday 8:30 am – 5:30 pm (The farms opens for the 2023 season on August 18, 2023)
🍎 Justus Orchard
187 Garren Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Open Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 am – 6 pm starting August 11, 2023.
🍎 Grandad’s Apples
2951 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Open daily 8 am – 6 pm (Bakery closes at 5 pm) starting August 11, 2023.
🍎 Mountain Fresh Orchard
2887 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Open daily 8 am – 6 pm; apple season starts August 23, 2023.
🍎 Jeter Mountain Farm
1126 Jeter Mountain Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Open Saturdays and Sundays through the end of October 10 am – 5 pm; Open Thursdays & Fridays from September 1 – end of October from 10 am – 3 pm.
Extra Stops
These two orchards offer amazing apple cider donuts but sadly, are too far away to be included in our donut tour. If you happen to be out in their direction, our readers recommend you stop and eat their apple cider donuts for the sheer joy and love of them. They are marked in purple on the map.
Windy Hill Orchard & Cidery
1860 Black Hwy, York, SC
Open Thursday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm starting August 17, 2023
Barber Orchards Fruitstands Inc. [2023 hours not confirmed]
2855 Old Balsam Rd, Waynesville, NC
Open daily 9 am – 6 pm
Which place has your favorite apple cider donut?
What would you rate the different donuts and why? 🙂
We love Sky Top, and their donuts really are to die for, HOWEVER, and this is a BIG however, their large picnic area is infested with yellow jackets. Last year we sat at a picnic table with my 95 year old mother in law, trying to have coffee and donuts, and were overrun by aggressive hordes of yellow jackets.
We were there 8/5 & didn’t have any issues with any bugs…& my children leave no area unvisited. That said bees, wasps, bugs in general are a part of outdoor spaces
Didn’t see any last weekend when I was there enjoying the picnic area. 🙂
We visited Sky Top Friday (8/5) to enjoy their perfectly stimulating orchard. We visit every year & love everything they offer! Of course we savored the donuts & apple slushees before playing & exploring. It couldn’t be more perfect
09/09/2023 Sat 12-5 did Donut Trail . Drove past Grandad’s & Mtn Fresh & Justus. Holt was CLSD? 2 Adults Handicap& no kids. Favorite Apple Cider donut was Skytop! Hot, Fresh, crispy edges & light Cigna sugar.Sky Top NOT easy parking to walk, but 360 Views on a Mtn spectacular. Favorite Family spot was Black Bear- where else can you TUBE in 87 deg weather? ! Black Bear also had radio controlled area that was unique & kids playground was ok, porch overlooking tubing .Favorite all around was JETER MTN EVERYTHING , from huge indoor kids play area, to enclosed… Read more »
Thank you for your awesome review!