A theme-park-style fall destination near the Chicago metro, with a costumed character show and full restaurant setting it apart from simpler farm-stand orchards — though variety availability and pricing weren't posted on the pages checked.
County Line Orchard is located at 200 S County Line Rd in Hobart, Lake County — one of the closer u-pick options to the Chicago metro area from the Indiana side. The Big Barn is open 8am-6pm daily, with attractions running 9am-5pm. Phone is 219-947-4477. The orchard’s own site, read September 2, 2026, confirmed an active 2026 season with the direct statement “Now Open for the 2026 Season!” — solid evidence the farm is operating, even without a specific start/end date attached to that confirmation.
Three u-pick varieties were listed at the time of the read: Gala, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh. The fuller record also names Zestar, Somerset, Sweet Mia, and Ginger Gold among six pre-picked bag varieties, suggesting a wider selection is available pre-picked than what’s currently open for u-pick.
What distinguishes County Line most clearly from other orchards in this research batch is how far it leans into a built-out, attraction-style fall experience. The record specifically calls out a costumed dinosaur character show, a full-service restaurant, and named food vendor stands — a combination that reads closer to a family entertainment destination than a simple farm-market setup. Compare this to smaller operations elsewhere in this list that offer little beyond a bag of apples and maybe a hayride: County Line is clearly built for a longer, more programmed visit.
That’s neither a strength nor a weakness on its own — it depends what you’re looking for. If a costumed character show and a sit-down restaurant sound appealing, this is one of the more developed options in the state. If you want a quiet afternoon among the trees, the record’s description suggests County Line may be busier and more commercially polished than that.
Being described as one of the closer u-pick options to the Chicago metro from the Indiana side is a genuinely useful geographic note — it suggests County Line likely draws visitors from both Indiana and the Illinois side of the border, which could mean heavier weekend traffic than orchards serving a more local, single-state audience. The record doesn’t state actual crowd numbers, so this is an inference from the location rather than a confirmed fact.
Pricing wasn’t found on the pages of the site checked, and while three u-pick varieties are confirmed as available at the time of the read, there’s no fuller ripening calendar showing when each variety comes into and out of season. Confirm both directly before planning a trip, especially if cost or a specific apple type matters to your visit.
County Line Orchard offers one of the more built-out, attraction-style fall experiences in this research batch — a costumed character show, food vendors, and a full restaurant alongside three confirmed u-pick varieties (Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh) and a confirmed active 2026 season. What it doesn’t offer in this record is pricing or a full seasonal variety calendar, so call ahead if either detail matters before you make the trip.
The orchard's own site confirmed as 'Now Open for the 2026 Season!' as of September 2, 2026, but gave no specific numeric u-pick start/end date on the pages checked.
Being one of the closer u-pick options to the Chicago metro from the Indiana side likely means heavier regional draw, though the record doesn't state actual crowd levels.
you want a quiet, low-key picking experience — the character shows, restaurant, and named food stands point to a busier, more attraction-driven visit.
Yes — the site stated 'Now Open for the 2026 Season!' as of the September 2, 2026 read.
Three u-pick varieties were listed at the time of the read: Gala, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh. Six additional varieties (Zestar, Somerset, Sweet Mia, Ginger Gold, plus the three above) appear in the fuller record, some likely available as pre-picked bags.
The Big Barn is open 8am-6pm daily; attractions run 9am-5pm.
Not confirmed. Pricing wasn't shown on the pages of the orchard's site checked for this research.
A costumed dinosaur character show, food vendors, and a full-service restaurant — more built-out programming than most orchards in this research batch.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. In past seasons it has run: Daily. Check with the orchard before driving out.
Pricing was not published when we last checked.
Yes — it's a pick-your-own orchard, with pre-picked apples at the farm stand too.
Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Zestar, Somerset, Sweet Mia, Ginger Gold — note that what's actually ready to pick changes week to week through the season.
200 S County Line Rd, Hobart, IN 46342, in Lake County. It is one of 4 orchards we track in Northwest Indiana.
We track 4 orchards in Northwest Indiana, 4 of which let you pick your own apples. The orchard has not published a starting price, so it cannot be compared on cost — call before you budget.
One caveat worth repeating: this orchard had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 3 of the 4 orchards we track in Northwest Indiana had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the orchard confirms it.
There are 2 other orchards we track in Lake County. All Northwest Indiana orchards →
countylineorchard.com
Checked September 2026.