Sky Top Orchard

1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC 28731, USA

Address:	1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC 28731, USA
Phone:	+1 828-692-7930
Site:	skytoporchard.com
Rating:	4.4

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

annamarie gatto

We came on the first day of "Honey Crisp" picking and boy were we disappointed! With all of the rules they have-6 people per bushel pick your own, no sampling in the orchard, pay first then pick etc-we expected a lot more from this place. They say that they have a no taste in the orchard policy to keep the orchards cleaner and to discourage yellow jackets. The orchard paths were a mess and this was the very first pick day of the season! So we paid $23 to pick. We followed the rules for no sampling. Big mistake. These so-called "Honeycrisp" apples do not taste a thing like the variety is supposed to taste. They are extremely bland and not sweet at all. They should have a nice balance of sweet with a bit of tartness. Nothing. So Im guessing that this is the reason why they want you to pay first before trying any apples, since if we tried them first, we would have left. The apples were poor quality and picked through and again, this was day one of picking. We didnt care for the staff, either. Some of the guys working in the kitchen were giving my daughter and I looks that made me uncomfortable. The gentleman at the pick your own counter looked like we were asking for a limb when we asked for a second bag for our apples. The playground looks ok but when you get closer there are rusty chairs in one of the houses, large gaps in the bridge between the pumpkin and apple houses that a small leg could fall through and other places of disrepair that a toddler or small child could get hurt on so we did not let our little one play much. We should have just traveled a few extra miles to Henderson to Stepp Orchard for apple picking and Grandads for the best apple doughnuts where we go every fall. We decided on Skytop because of the good reviews and Honey Crisp apple availability but I would save yourself the trouble and go to Stepp where the folks are really friendly and the apples are really incredible. Im only giving one star because leaving no stars is not an option.

A Private User

Do not follow these directions to get to the orchard! They will take you the wrong direction on Pinnacle Mountain road which will turn into a dirt road with rocks, ditches, etc. and will not take you to the orchard. The directions on the Sky Top website are very easy to follow, very accurate, and very different from these directions. When trying to get to the orchard, we were behind two other vehicles (not in our group) that were following these same directions; we ended up having to ask for directions and ended uphaving to take 276 all the way back to 25 (basically making a circle from where we began). The orchard itself is wonderful! If you go later in the season you might have to climb trees to get to the apples, but we found that to be a large part of the fun. The apple cider slushies and tart apples with warm caramel were a delicous way to end the day. Friends of mine went on the hayride around the orchard and also enjoyed the goats. Excellent fun for the whole family!(There even is some playground equipment for kids too if climbing in the trees isnt their thing.) The previous review is accurate about pricing. They only take cash or check. From our experience, filling a small basket level fit perfectly into a peck bag. Having it much more than level would definitely cause some issues with fitting into one bag. I highly recommend the orchard experience, but please dont follow the google directions. If you do, turn RIGHT not left onto Pinnacle Mountain road unless youre just looking for some off-roading fun and not getting to the orchard.

I went to sky top orchard yesterday (Sept 7, 2015) since they were open for the weekend. This trip was fun with a very bitter end.After we picked our apples we went to the store and bought apple pie/dough nuts/cider/grapes and apples (about 55$ worth) of stuff. There were a couple of apples (3 or 4) that were bad and I had only noticed them right before checkout. I refused to buy those where the owner came running and shouting. He was extremely rude, loud and used offensive language. He asked us to leave the orchard." You jerks! Take your family out and never come back to my orchard" he shouted at my husband.I was shocked to see grownup act so unprofessionally. I have a nine year old and a fifteen year old (very well behaved kids). Didnt want to create a scene in front of my kids as didnt want them to leave with a bad lesson for life.I will suggest that if you love your family then please do not go to this orchard ever. There are many other good orchards to pick from.Obviously we are not going back to this ever orchard again. Wish I had a option of giving negative rating. They do not deserve even one star.

Number Number

Views are great at the top of Sky Top as it is situated on top of a large hill some 3000 feet up in the clouds. Lots of apples here, with rows and rows of trees. One could easily burn a few hundred calories walking around this huge orchard. It is often still warm in September so dress light, bring water, sunscreen and bug repellent. Early-Mid October does brings more comfortable temperatures(60s - 70s), but it still can feel pretty warm. Bring cash, last I knew they did not take plastic. The blue porta potties are not fun and I bet many people find hidden places in the orchard instead. Modern restroom facilities are in need here and Im sure it wouldnt break the bank for Sky Top to invest in some nice modern restrooms with running water. Know how much a bag/basket of apples costs as it is very easy to pick more than anticipated. Have fun and watch your kids in the bamboo forest because it is too easy for them to trip and fall on bamboo stalks.

Daniel Christian

I wont go back again. My wife and i just got back from our traditional yearly visit. Found they have changed so they are now charging by the pound as opposed to the bag. We grabbed our traditional basket and the kid working their told us that filling it would be about 20 lbs and they were charging. 20/lb. Well i had 20 dollars and they only take cash so we filled our basket only to find that we had 24 dollars worth of apples. We too our bag back to the table to unload about 5 apples. The manager came up to us and asked if we needed another bag i declined my wife politely explaining we didnt have any more cash. He said that they require we keep what we pick and pointed out where an atm was. I just about threw the basket on the floor and walked out. There are other orchards in the area that might be more thankful for my business even if its only 20.00

Beta user

$9 Per Peck, $15 per half bushel, as of Oct 2011. If YOU PICK be prepared to do a LOT of walking, if unaccompanied to lots of terrain walking and IF you want a variety of apples. EASY to get to. Be SURE to connect your GPS device to your computer and get the FREE map updates that are available through the GPS devices software. I had ZERO problems getting to the Orchard ahead of a group using the Physical address in my TomTom AND my HTC android cell phone, and shared this information with the owners wife. If you have a GPS device its a nice curvy scenic drive going on out Pinnacle Rd to Mt.Olivet Church Rd.(Co. Rd.1115) to Piney Ridge Mtn Rd to Hwy 225 (Old Hwy 25) and stay on Old 25 through Tuxedo and merge back onto Hwy 25 and back to I-26.