Popular NJ Fall Destination Closing After Years of Apple Picking Fun

Apple picking season is one of those yearly traditions that feels like the perfect kickoff to fall. You grab a basket, wander through rows of trees heavy with fruit, and try to resist the urge to take a bite before you even make it back to the car.

For families, it’s often a full day outing with hayrides, sunflower fields, and maybe a few apple cider donuts before heading home. It’s one of those simple fall joys that brings people back year after year.

But for one longtime New Jersey family farm, this season will be bittersweet.

READ MORE: Beloved NJ Flower Farm Closing After 43 Years

The end of a fall favorite

The owner of one of Jersey's most beloved farms recently announced that this will be the final apple-picking season on the property. After decades of welcoming families, hosting birthday photos, and watching kids climb onto hay wagons, he says it’s time to retire. He admitted that farming has always been the most rewarding part of his career, reminding him of growing up on his own family’s land.

Unfortunately, not everything about running a farm these days is fun. The owner mentioned years of back-and-forth with the local health department over regulations, expansions, and food operations. Red tape in New Jersey? That can't be.

What visitors can expect this season

While the farm’s wine garden, playground, and indoor market won’t open this year, the heart of the experience is still alive. Guests can look forward to wandering the orchards for fresh apples, riding the barrel train, and snapping those classic sunflower photos. However, this is the last season to pick fruit right off the tree.

Hill Creek Farms in Gloucester County's Mullica Hill will be closing at the end of this season.

A big thank you to Hill Creek Farm's founder and owner, Fred Sorbello. After many years of providing joy to many young and old, it's time to relax and enjoy the fruits (pun intended) of his labor.

It's not all sad news, though. Sorbello says there's a very good chance that new owners and operators of the farm will keep apple picking alive in years to come.