Apple Valley Orchard

Our take

The short version

Apple Valley Orchard is one of the more thoroughly documented stops in this file. Its own website posts an explicit 2026 season window — August 15 through November 15 — along with four named apple varieties, a working cider mill, and posted hours. That level of specificity is relatively rare in this file, which makes Apple Valley an easier orchard to actually plan a visit around than most of its neighbors.

A three-month season, confirmed

The dates, “Aug 15th-Nov 15th 2026,” come straight from the orchard’s own site as an explicit current-year statement — not a general seasonal phrase left to interpretation. A three-month window is also notably long compared to some of the narrower, single-variety seasons described elsewhere in this file (Shaw Orchards in Maryland, for instance, describes a Gala-only window lasting through roughly Labor Day). That length suggests Apple Valley either grows a broad enough spread of varieties to keep picking going for months, or supplements early and late varieties to stretch the visitor season.

Four varieties spanning the calendar

Honeycrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold, and McIntosh are the four named varieties in the record. Ginger Gold is a genuinely early-season apple, often ready in late summer, while Gala, McIntosh, and Honeycrisp are more mid-season, typically peaking through September and into October. That spread lines up reasonably well with the long August-to-November window — early visitors might catch Ginger Gold, while later-season trips would find the mid-season varieties in better supply.

A real cider mill, not just donuts

Unlike several entries in this file where cider donuts are confirmed but a cider mill isn’t, Apple Valley Orchard has both confirmed: a working cider mill and cider donuts, plus a cider tasting activity listed alongside hayrides and a wagon tour. That combination suggests a fuller agritourism experience beyond just walking the rows.

Two locations, two different products

One specific, useful detail from the research notes: second-grade, or “#2,” apples — cheaper fruit meant for cooking or canning rather than eating fresh — are sold only at the seasonal orchard address, the one used in this record. Apple Valley also operates a separate year-round retail store at 5008 Waterlevel Hwy, elsewhere in Cleveland, which the record notes is a distinct location from the seasonal orchard. If you’re specifically hunting for budget-friendly canning apples, make sure you’re headed to the seasonal orchard location and not the year-round store.

From two backyard trees to 15,000+

The orchard’s own marketing, per the research notes, describes its growth from two backyard apple trees into an operation now totaling more than 15,000 trees. That’s a striking growth story, even without independent verification of the exact tree count — it at least signals an orchard that presents itself as having scaled significantly over time.

What’s missing, and why it matters

Despite the strong dates and variety confirmation, the record doesn’t include per-pound or per-bag pricing — the site simply doesn’t post it, according to the research notes. So while you can plan the timing of your visit with real confidence here, you’ll still want a call to (423) 472-3044 to nail down what a bag of Honeycrisp or a basket of #2 cooking apples will actually cost.

Getting there

Apple Valley Orchard’s seasonal location is at 351 Weese Road SE in Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee, in southeast Tennessee. Note the separate year-round store address, 5008 Waterlevel Hwy, is not the same location.

Bottom line

Apple Valley Orchard offers one of the clearest, most confidently dated pictures in this entire file — a real August 15-November 15, 2026 season, four named varieties, and a working cider mill. Call ahead only to confirm pricing, and make sure you’re headed to the seasonal orchard address rather than the year-round store if you want the full picking experience.