Your Guide to Pet-Friendly Apple Orchards and Corn Mazes in New England

Calling all pet lovers! Are you looking to share your favorite fall traditions with your furry pal?

It isn't always easy to find New England Farms that are pet-friendly in their orchards and mazes so New England Fall Events has done the work to create a guide for the farms where your dog will be welcomed.

A few things to know—most orchards and corn mazes are not able to accommodate dogs so you should start with the assumption that most will not (which is why our pet-friendly guide will be precious to you!).

Dogs are welcome in the orchard at Drew Farm, Westford, MA

Some places are dedicated to the dogs...well, at least one is. If you can, swing through Vermont this Columbus Day weekend for the annual special Fall Dog Party at Dog Mountain in October you and your pup will be treated to a truly one-of-a-kind place.

There are a variety of reasons why a farm may not allow dogs. Most farmers and farm staff are pet lovers themselves but certain towns may actually have laws prohibiting dogs on an orchard and this can vary from town to town. Don't hold it against the farm--many are required to comply.

Some pick-your-own orchards may have permitted this in the past but sadly the privilege was abused by a few, er, bad apples.   As orchards are frequented by hundreds of families in any given fall weekend, some farms opt out of being dog-friendly in case young children are fearful, even of your friendly Fifi.

As pet-friendly orchards and mazes are VERY rare, if you do plan to bring your furry friend along with you, please exercise great consideration, awareness, and etiquette so that these handful of orchards will be able to continue their open door policy towards dogs. 

Pet Friendly Orchard Etiquette

• Leashed - Your dog must be on leash at all times. As tempting as it is to allow your dog some freedom in the orchard, this is a non-negotiable point for every orchard we spoke to.

• Behavior – All farms were quick to mention that dogs must be well-behaved around adults, other dogs, and especially children.

• Vaccinated – Your dog must be fully vaccinated.

• Clean up – The fastest way to ruin this oh-so-delicate pet-friendly arrangement is not cleaning up after your dog after he does his business. Don’t even think about it. If someone sees dog poop they will surely complain and you will earn the fury of your fellow dog-owners for putting the open-pet policy in jeopardy with your irresponsible care--yikes! Be prepared and bring what you need to clean up after your dog.

• Be respectful or you will be asked to leave – All farms were very clear that there are times where a dog may be asked to leave (perhaps just to the car if the weather is cool enough). They are dog lovers too but they also have the responsibility to make sure the orchard is safe and comfortable for everyone. Please cooperate and do your part to be a mindful dog owner so that farms can continue to offer this option.

The following farms were personally verified as being pet-friendly at the time of publishing. Some are always pet friendly; others have designated days only. Please note the difference and don’t be afraid to call ahead if you’re unsure.

Pet-Friendly New Hampshire

DeMeritt Hill Farm          
66 Lee Rd.  Lee NH
(Click for farm info)

Pet-Friendly Massachusetts

Clearview Farm
4 Kendall Hill Rd. Sterling, MA
(Click for farm info)

Drew Farm                        
31 Tadmuck Rd. Westford MA  
(Click for farm info)

Fairmount Fruit Farm    

887 Lincoln St. Franklin MA      
(Click for farm info)

Long Hill Orchard           
520 Main St./Rte 113 West Newbury MA
(Click for farm info)  

Nashoba Valley Winery & Orchard 
100 Wattaquadoc Hill Rd. Bolton MA
(Click for farm info)
Your leashed pooch can even chill on the porch while you are inside enjoying a glass of wine!

Monthly Twilight Hikes at Sholan Farms
1125 Pleasant St. Leominster, MA
(Click for Twilight Hike info)
Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome to tag along on these monthly Friday night hikes.

Pet-Friendly Rhode Island

Escobar Farm and Corn Maze
255 Middle Rd. Portsmouth RI
(Click for farm info)

Pet-Friendly Connecticut

Treat Farm                    
361 Old Tavern Rd. Orange, CT
(Click for farm info)

Pet-Friendly Vermont

Percy Farm Corn Maze  
Route 108 Stowe VT                         
(Click for maze info)

Mad Tom Orchard
2615 Mad Tom Rd.
East Dorset, VT
(Click for farm info)

Offering Designated Pet-Friendly Corn Maze Events

Marini Farm Corn Maze 
259 Linebrook Rd. Ipswich MA      
Hosts a pet-friendly corn maze weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Sept 10th and 11th, 2016.
(Click for event info)

Pirates, Dragons, Rubber Ducks, Pups, BBQ, Apple Pie, and Seafood: Top New England Fall Events for Sept 3-9, 2014

This is it--the moment you've been waiting for: Fall has arrived in New England!

Okay, please don't get technical on us. We know that Sept 22nd is the official day but we can all agree that once Labor Day is in the proverbial books, we all have turned the corner on summer. 

Before we know it, the leaves will start to turn--some already are--and all of New England's glory will be on full display.

Here are New England Fall Events' Top Ten Reasons to Be Happy Summer is Over in New England. And if we missed your favorite reason, go ahead and tell us your additions in the comments section!

Lost in the Wizard of Oz maze in RI.

Over the long weekend, the weather could not have been more perfect for some classic fall activities—and that’s exactly how New England Fall Events spent the time. 


We followed the yellow brick road through Escobar Farm’s charming Wizard of Oz-themed corn maze in Portsmouth, RI. 

Read about our adventure getting lost in Oz and discover what you can expect at Escobar's terrific outdoor activity here. As always, we list our family tips if your little ones are in tow.

DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, NH

We road-tripped up to Lee, NH for a visit to DeMeritt Hill Farm where we were treated to a breathtakingly scenic hayride, carrot cake, the creamiest of chocolate confections, and picked the tastiest Zestar! apples that you ever did bite into. Take a moment to read why early-season apple picking at DeMeritt is a peaceful, crowd-free affair worth your time and attention. Dog lovers will be happy that you can bring along your furry friend!

While we're talking carrot cake, we love this New England twist on a classic carrot cake using our beloved New England resource--maple syrup!

New England Fall Events' Top Recommendations for this Weekend's Fall Fun

Hayrides are just one of many fun
fall activities at Verrill Farm Day

Fall activities and events are really kicking into high gear this weekend with many distinctive events competing for our attention. 

We’ll always list our top event picks below but we also encourage you to visit your state’s Fall and Activities guide or Food and Harvest Festival Guide for many more wonderful, worthwhile events and food festivals.

Here are our recommended activities for September 3-9th:

Eastport Pirate Festival - FREE
Eastport, ME   Click for event details.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 5^th-7^th, 2014

Rhode Island Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival - FREE
Pawtucket, RI
Saturday, Sept 6^th, 2014 Click for event details.

Farm Day, BBQ, and Apple Pie Contest at Verrill Farm- FREE
Concord, MA
Saturday, Sept 6^th, 2014 Click for event details.

Read why New England Fall Events calls Verrill Farm Day a perfect fall family event.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival

Hampton, NH    Click for event details.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Sept 5th-7th, 2014

Brass City Brew Fest

Waterbury, CT   Click for event details.

Saturday, Sept. 6th, 2014

River Ruckus and Rubber Duck Regatta - FREE
Haverhill, MA   Click for event details.
Saturday, Sept 6^th, 2014 

Norwalk Oyster Festival

Norwalk, CT   Click forevent details.

Saturday, Sept 6^th, 2014

Harvest Festival Weekend at Pietree Orchard - FREE

Sweden, ME   Click for event details.

Saturday and Sunday, September 6th and 7th, 2014

Galilee Seafood Festival - FREE

Narragansett, RI   Click for event details.

Saturday and Sunday, September 6th and 7th, 2014

Pet Rock Festival- Pet-lover's pick of the weekend!
Sturbridge, MA   Click for event details.
Sunday, Sept. 7^th, 2014

Vermont State Fair
Rutland, VT   Click for event details.

Now through Sunday, Sept. 7^th, 2014

Apple Festival, 5K Trail Run, and Kids Fun Run at Scott's Yankee Farmer

East Lyme, CT   Click for event details.Sunday, Sept.7^th, 2014

Full Moon Hike at Niquette Bay State Park VT
Colchester, VT  Click for event details.
Monday, Sept 8th, 2014

Itching for a road trip? Circle these wonderful events coming up later this month:

Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival
Provincetown, MA  Click for festival details.
Thursday-Sunday, Sept 25-28th, 2014
New England is fortunate to host an annual festival as special and acclaimed as this one! 
We know that a trip to beloved and charming P-Town can take a little extra planning so here's your official heads up to buy your festival pass and line up your housing if you plan to stay the weekend. New England Fall Events will be there at the festival this season and we hope you will join us! If you do, seek us out and say hello!

Wild Mushroom Festival
Mystic, CT  Click for event details
Sunday, 28th, 2014

If you fancy yourself a mushroom lover, you will not want to miss this insanely delicious and educational fungi festival.
Read about this festival in our piece "Fit for Foodies - Wild Mushroom Festival" where you can learn about what to expect, see photos, and find out our festival-goer and family tips for getting the most out of your trip. 

New England Fall Events picked many
Zestar! apples in NH last weekend

Heading out apple picking this weekend? New England Fall Events has done all the research for and compiled guide, features, maps, and contact info for your local or vacation-area New England PYO apple orchards. Here are your quick links to the apple picking guides:

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

For the more visually-driven folks, New England Fall Events allows you to scroll and spot farm locations on the interactive state maps too. Orchard and fall attraction maps for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Remember, always call ahead before heading out to PYO as some farms will adjust their hours for weather or they close to allow more time for fruit to ripen.

Early Fall Apple Picking at NH's Stunning DeMeritt Hill Farm

A stunning early fall day at
DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, NH

On Saturday, New England Fall Events took a delightful trip up to Lee, New Hampshire to visit DeMeritt Hill Farm. We were in the area getting a sneak peak of Haunted Overload for our sister site Halloween New England (the haunted trail is located in the woods at DeMeritt Hill Farm) so it was super easy to squeeze in some apple picking fun!

We’d been to DeMeritt Hill Farm before but never had the pleasure of apple picking until now. As it is early in the apple picking season, this trip was a peaceful, crowd-free affair.  The parking is free and easy to access near the entrance and the farm store is just a few steps away. We pre-paid for an apple picking bag at the store and headed outside to climb up onto the hayride wagon.  On this day, farm manager Mike Lynch was at the helm to drive us up to the orchard.

Free hayrides to the orchard

As eager as we were to begin picking fruit, we admit we never wanted the hayride to end. DeMeritt Hill Farm’s expansive New Hampshire property is about as scenic as it can get. We bumped along past rows of mid- and late-season apple trees still ripening.

The incredible New England weather delivered a stunner of a day complete with a blue sky and puffy clouds to complement the lovingly tended green orchard so nicely.  We took picture after picture of the gentle rolling hills as we rode past barns and an equestrian area.
On this holiday weekend, there was nowhere we’d rather be.

Clusters of early-fall Zestar! apples

At the farthest end of the field was the early-season apple orchard. This weekend Ginger Gold and Zestar! varieties were the ones ripe for picking. The rows of the orchard were all very clearly marked the tree branches were bowing with fat, ruby clusters of apples. To be perfectly frank, the apples were so abundant that we could have filled our bag in two minutes flat but, never one to rush a beloved fall activity like apple picking, we prolonged the experience to savor the day.

We thought we had the orchard to ourselves but we overheard a couple few rows over who had their dog in tow. DeMeritt Hill Farm is one of just a handful of dog-friendly New England orchards. As always, dogs are strictly required to be leashed at all times but it is a nice perk for those of us with furry friends.

We didn’t wait long for the hayride to swing through to return us to the farm stand.  On this trip we came kid-free but families with little ones will have plenty of extra farm fun to round out their time at DeMeritt Hill Farm.

In addition to the free hayride, the farm has small petting zoo where kids can feed the chickens and goats, a kids’ play area, room to roam, a pumpkin patch (in season), and mini pony rides for a small fee. There are wooded nature trails on the edge of the property as well which we’ll make a point to do when we return to this farm (trail maps available).

We have yet to meet a person who can leave an orchard store empty-handed and New England Fall Events is no exception.  We stocked up on apple cider, a stunning bouquet of flowers, a slice of fresh-baked carrot cake, and a handful of chocolate treats. Diana Russell, the friendly manager of the farm store, is also the owner of Creative Confections. An accomplished chocolatier, Diana sells a dazzling selection of her rich, creamy chocolaty treats right there in the store (don’t even think of leaving without the peanut butter cups). There are also fruit pies (whole and by-the-slice), cider donuts, farm-grown vegetables, pre-picked apples, local jams, drinks, and even pre-made sandwiches for a quick picnic.

DeMeritt Hill Farm is open from 10:00am-6:00pm seven days a week during the season (they opened Aug 23rd) where you can enjoy apple picking and the treats at the farm stand.
The extra activities for kids such as the mini pony rides available on the weekends only.

DeMeritt Hill Farm has a number of wonderful farm events coming up in September and October. We know that a trip to this southern New Hampshire farm will be well worth your time.



Family Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, September 12th and 13th, 2015 Click for details.

Harvest Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, 2015 Click for details

Halloween Storybook Hayrides  
Saturday and Sunday, October 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th, 2015 Click for details

Family Tips for Visiting DeMeritt Hill Farm

We love this cheeky sign posted
right outside the farm stand.

• The Zestar apples were ridiculously delicious so if you love a tasty, sweet, juicy apple and you want to beat the crowds, kick start your apple picking season in early-September.
• With a quaint petting zoo for feeding the animals, a play area, and mini-pony-rides, there are some nice extras for rounding out your trip.
• The nature trail heads are located close to the parking lot and farm stand which makes it easy to grab the stroller or your ErgoBaby after you've finished apple picking. We love these great tips for going on a hike with your little one.
• DeMeritt Hill Farm accepts plastic with a $10 minimum.
• The simple pre-made sandwiches and other treats make it easy for an impromptu picnic.
• The farm was easy to find on Lee Rd. (thank you, Waze!). The farm entrance is well-marked and so is the orchard--the rows clearly marked the different apple varieties.