BLAC List: Best Cider Mills in Southeast Michigan

The temperature is dropping, but it has its tasty benefits! Break into the fall season with freshly pressed apple cider, savory doughnuts, hayrides, corn mazes and other outdoor fall fun at these 17 cider mills in southeast Michigan.

Cider Mills in Wayne County

Obstbaum Orchard

• Address: 9252 Curie Road, Northville
• Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays starting Oct. 20.
• Phone: 734-560-2840

As 40-year-old apple orchard and cider mill with award-winning fruit wines, Obstbaum Orchard is fun for all ages. Come on the weekends for hayrides, apple picking, fresh doughnuts and hard cider.

Parmenter's Northville Cider Mill

• Address: 714 Baseline Road, Northville Phone: 248-349-3181
• Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Aug. 31-Nov. 24

Since 1873, Parmenter's has offered the best in fall fare, including pies, pumpkin butter, cider, roasted almonds and much more. For kids, there's a Train Play Escape and Monster Truck area, so come on down!

Plymouth Orchards

• Address: 10685 Warren Road, Plymouth
• Hours: mill: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, September-early November; secondary market (10260 W. Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth): 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, September-day before Thanksgiving
• Phone: 734-455-2290

Take a scenic wagon ride through the 30-acre farm, visit the petting zoo, pick your own pumpkins and enjoy some cider and cinnamon doughnuts at Plymouth Orchards.

Cider Mills in Macomb County

Blake Farms

• Address: 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada
• Hours: U-pick: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily, until Oct. 31; store: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily till Dec. 23; U-cut Christmas trees in December
• Phone: 586-784-5343

Blake is the ultimate harvest destination. You'll find an orchard, cider mill and Haunted Blake's in time for Halloween.

Hy's Cider Mill

• Address: 6350 37 Mile Road, Romeo
• Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 6-Nov. 2.
• Phone: 810-798-3611

Hy's is a family-owned cider mill with a special scenic view, which makes it a great place to spend the day picking apples and drinking cider.

Middleton Farms Cider Mill

• Address: 46462 Dequindre Road, Utica
• Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, September to mid-December
• Phone: 586-731-6699 (during season)

Middleton Farms Cider Mill is a family-owned spot with doughnuts made daily, old-fashioned pressed cider and a wide variety of gourds and pumpkins grown fresh for the season.

Miller's Big Red Greenhouses and Cider Mill

• Address: 4900 32 Mile Road, Washington Township
• Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, year-round
• Phone: 586-752-7888

Fall weekend fun for kids at Miller's Big Red Greenhouse and Cider Mill features a petting zoo, climb up Straw Mountain and challenging corn maze. Various U-pick seasons run June-October, and they've got an ice cream parlor and greenhouse, too. Tours available for 15-plus (perfect for parties).

Cider Mills in Oakland County 

Ashton Orchards Cider Mill

• Address: 3925 Seymour Lake Road, Ortonville
• Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday, through December (hours change in late October)
• Phone: 248-627-6671

With a pastoral orchard where kids enjoy a wooden playground and parents soak up the landscape, Ashton's biggest attraction is its produce: apples, peaches, plums and sweet corn, and of course, cider and doughnuts.

Diehl's Orchard and Cider Mill

• Address: 1479 Ranch Road, Holly
• Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, until Oct. 31
• Phone: 248-634-8981

Come for the cider and doughnuts at Diehl's Orchard and Cider Mill; stay for the corn maze, playground and hayrides.

Erwin Orchards, Inc.

• Address: 61475 Silver Lake Road, South Lyon
• Hours: 6 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, until Oct 31
• Phone: 248-437-0150

See the world from the POV of a bee in Mr. Bee's Big 3-D. Other activities include wagon rides, corn (or hay) maze, bounce houses, a "goat walk," Cameron the Caterpillar and haunted houses.

Franklin Cider Mill

• Address: 7450 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills
• Hours: 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, from Saturday before Labor Day till Sunday after Thanksgiving; also 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day
• Phone: 248-626-2968

Now in its 177th year, this local favorite is known for its non-pasteurized fresh cider and hot doughnuts. Stop and see the ducks by the river!

Long Family Orchard, Farm & Cider Mill

• Address: 1540 E. Commerce Road, Commerce Township
• Phone: 248-360-3774
• Hours: 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 12-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Grab your own apples and pumpkins, take a wagon ride through the corn maze and stop by their farmer's store, too at Long Family Orchard, Farm & Cider Mill in Commerce Township.

Rochester Cider Mill

• Address: 5125 N. Rochester Road, Rochester
• Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Sept. 1-late Dec.
• Phone: 248-651-4224

Climb the giant hay wall and venture through the corn maze at the Rochester Cider Mill. And don't you forget to check out the collection of antique farm equipment, outside and in, where you can guess what the old tools were used for by matching their number to a description.

Yates Cider Mill

• Address: 1990 E. Avon Road, Rochester Hills
• Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily in August, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Sept.-Oct.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday in Nov.
• Phone: 248-651-8300

Make sure to get a Pocket Pie – mini, hand-held pies available in flavors like apple, blueberry, raspberry and cherry at Yates Cider Mill or let your kids take a ride on a pony, visit the petting zoo and take a stroll down the river walk trails.

Cider Mills in Washtenaw County  

Dexter Cider Mill 

• Address: 3685 Central St., Dexter
• Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday beginning Sept. 2; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and Sunday in October Phone: 734-426-8531

Bring your kids to watch the antique mill turning out some of the best cider around at Dexter Cider Mill, with baked goodies on hand, too.

Alber Orchard and Cider Mill

• Address: 13011 Bethel Church Road, Manchester
• Hours: 12-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. -6 p.m. Sunday, closed Mondays.
• Phone: 734-428-9310

After doughnuts and cider, get lost in Alber Orchard and Cider Mill's seven-acre corn maze and visit its farm where they make an array of homemade goodies.

Wasem Fruit Farm

• Address: 6580 Judd Road, Milan
• Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday beginning the weekend after Labor Day until the end of October (call for details)
• Phone: 734-482-2342

While cider and doughnuts are lures, there are also cherries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries and peaches – plus famous jams and apple butters. Wasem holds tours for groups by appointment, too.