Ricker Hill Orchards

Apple trees in a line in an orchard. — Name: Ricker Hill Orchards
Location: 11 Ricker Hill Road, Turner, ME 04282
Hours: 9:00a.m.-6:00p.m. daily, March-December
Activities: Apple picking, pumpkin patch, cider tasting, cider donuts, bakery, corn maze.
Dog-friendly: Yes, on-leash

Ricker Hill is a family-owned apple orchard that offers family-friendly seasonal activities and plenty of delicious local Maine products. Bring your loved ones and spend your morning, afternoon, or a whole day making unforgettable memories!

Founded in 1803, Ricker Hill was predominately focused on growing apples and now has over 400 acres of apple orchards that span 7 towns and 3 counties in Maine. In the 90s, they added cranberries to their portfolio and then in early 2000s, they opened their farm stand and began offering you-pick apples to the public. Over the years, they’ve began growing pumpkins, blueberries, and grapes. Their operating hours are 9:00a.m.-6:00p.m. daily, March through December.

Ricker Hill is well-known for their yummy hard apple cider. They offer many seasonal varieties, including: Cranberry, Apple Pie, Pumpkin, Maple, Blueberry, etc,. Although I enjoy all of their flavors, their original cider, Mainiac Mac, will forever be my favorite. It’s delicious and well-filtered, which means it’s light and dangerously drinkable. Most of their ciders are sold in cans, except for a few specialties that can be taken home using a growler. During the warmer months, Ricker Hill offers outdoor cider tasting at their original tasting room and their Vista of Maine location in Greene that overlooks Sabattus Lake and the Western Maine mountains.

Pumpkins sitting in a crate and on the ground around the crate.

In the Fall, Ricker Hill becomes a hot spot for Fall festivities, offering food trucks, a petting zoo, inflatable slides, a corn maze, and more! They also have a cute little pumpkin patch in the middle of the apple orchard. The orchard is home to over 10 varieties of you-pick apples, including: McIntosh, Cortland, Ginger Gold, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Empire, Gala, etc,. Most varieties last from early September to late October. You can pick the apples yourself or grab a bag at their farm stand. The farm stand has a bakery (that serves delicious warm cider donuts), seasonal desserts, maple syrup products, seasonal produce, toys, drinks, and so much more!

Close up photo of a flight of hard ciders from the tasting room.

Although the summers are a bit quieter, there are still things to do! Grab some treats from the farm stand, gather some friends for a cider tasting, or play a round of disc golf. If you haven’t already, you need to experience their tasting room at the Vista of Maine for one of their sunset sips! You get to enjoy ciders and tasty snacks while basking in scenic lake and mountain views! Whatever you choose to do, you can’t go wrong!

Happy exploring, friends!