Lawrence Farms Orchards

Lawrence Farms Orchards sprawls across more than 150 acres in Newburgh, with picking fields laid out on a hillside that opens to real views of the surrounding countryside as you work through the rows. The calendar runs through the whole growing season: strawberries and peas in June, cherries and peaches through midsummer, then apples, grapes, pears, corn, and tomatoes from September into October. Call ahead if you're chasing a specific fruit; frost and rain shift the schedule from year to year.

Admission is tiered: $7 per person Monday through Thursday, $10 Friday through Sunday and holidays, with kids under 2 free, making it worth timing a visit for a weekday if you're able to go. Fruit itself is priced separately, by the pound at checkout. You'll get a wristband at the gate and a farm-provided container for picking; personal bags and backpacks aren't allowed in the picking fields, so leave them in the car.

Gates open at 9am daily, with last entry at 4pm and the farm closing at 5. Past the fields there's a farm stand with homemade pies, cider donuts, cider slushies, ice cream, and grilled corn, plus a petting zoo with goats and horses and a playground with swings and slides for kids who've had enough of picking. Weekends during apple season (September through October) and strawberry season (May through June) draw the biggest crowds, so a weekday morning is the move if you want room to breathe.