Stepp’s Orchard is a family-owned orchard in Hendersonville, NC. They have u-pick apples, lots of fun family activities on weekends, and pretty amazing cider and pumpkin donuts.
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is the very first u-pick apple orchard in Henderson County and has been in operation for more than 50 years. They know what they’re doing, and we had to go check it out for ourselves. Honestly, I went for the pumpkin donuts. I love apple cider donuts, but pumpkin? Yes, please!
One thing that stood out to me immediately was just how super nice and helpful everyone at the orchard was. They have u-pick apples, pre-picked apples, a big store that sells homemade soap, t-shirts, and honey, a bakery, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a jumping pillow, an apple cannon, and a wagon ride. Some of these activities are only available on weekends, which I’ll tell you about in this review.
Looking forward to picking a pumpkin at The Nix Pumpkin Patch in Hendersonville, NC? This u-pick pumpkin patch allows you to cut the pumpkin right off the vine. We visited The Nix Pumpkin Patch and had so much fun searching for the perfect pumpkin, visiting their market, drinking apple cider, and making a lot of memories!
The Pumpkin Patch is open from September 7th, 2024 until late November.
The Nix Pumpkin Patch is a family-owned and operated pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Situated amongst a plethora of orchards and farms, you’ll find one of the only u-pick patches in the Hendersonville area. There is just something about cutting your pumpkin right off that vine that makes it so much better!
Planning a trip for apple picking at Jeter Mountain Farm? This gorgeous farm hosts weddings, has seasonal u-pick flowers, fruits, and more plus an enormous indoor play area.
The views from the parking lot of Jeter Mountain Farm are sweeping shots of the nearby mountains, open space, and a beautiful building that seems to fit right into the landscape with its earthy hues of brown and green. The farm is a welcoming spot for families that has nearly two dozen varieties of apples, cider, live music, a wagon ride, and lots of other activities to enjoy.
About Jeter Mountain
Jeter Mountain Farms has an upscale, but welcoming, vibe from the signage to the tap bar. Every employee we met was super nice, kind, and helpful. And it’s beautiful. The first time I was there, I didn’t take a wagon ride so I didn’t see the whole farm and appreciate the beauty. This time I did (I’ll tell you more about the wagon ride shortly).
Jeter Mountain is a family-owned farm and is unique in several aspects. In addition to u-pick apples, guests can pick their own sunflowers, zinnias, elderberries, raspberries, peaches, blueberries, and grapes. They have added to the farm in the past couple of years including a massive market, indoor play area, and coffee shop. This place reminded me of Sierra Nevada Brewery and the Biltmore. In other words, it is gorgeous, the most beautiful orchard I’ve ever been to. They offer u-pick but also have a stunning wedding venue.
Scenes from Jeter Mountain Farm
We had a great day at Jeter Mountain Farm. Check out scenes from our day in the video below.
Cider Donuts, Coffee & Hard Cider Flights
Inside their Cider Barn is a hard cider tap room where adults can enjoy several different varieties of the fall beverage. Jeter Mountain offers pints of cider and flights of four flavors. Prices change yearly and are posted inside the barn.
In addition to the five flavors of Jeter Mountain Hard Cider that most are familiar with (Original, Pink Lady, Granny, Blackberry, and Grape), the orchard is also featuring a rotating seasonal small-batch cider.
They also offer cider slushies outside the taproom and cold apple cider in the market barn.
The market has handmade pottery, local apple butter and honey, baking mixes, canned sparkling cider, and t-shirts. I got a half gallon of the cold apple cider and the cashier was very kind and offered me plastic glasses so we could drink it then, which I was thought was quite classy since I was planning to just chug it because I wanted to drink it immediately.
There is a courtyard that is central to the Cider Barn, Market, coffee shop, and cider donut counter. It’s covered and there are picnic benches and live music. The donuts are amazing by the way – perfectly crisp on the outside and oh-so-soft on the inside. I could have eaten a half dozen by myself.
If you’re hungry, you can get a 20-hour smoked pulled pork sandwich at 1813 Smokehouse, which has a brand new location at the orchard as of 2024 with picnic tables and a covered area to wait in line for ordering. They also have two homemade BBQ sauces plus a traditional BBQ menu.
Then there are the bathrooms. These bathrooms are nicer than my house! They are spacious, have gorgeous flower wallpaper and benches. They are located on a hill overlooking the cider barn and courtyard and are huge and beautiful. Usually you don’t notice bathrooms, right? Impossible not to notice them here.
2025 Additions: Amish-Built Barn, Bakery, and Creamery
New in 2025 is a gorgeous Amish-constructed barn with almost 100 rocking chairs overlooking the orchard, covered areas with seating, a delicious creamery, and a large bakery where you can watch the donuts being made. Yum.
Jeter Mountain ice cream
Small batch ice cream is made right there using ingredients from the orchard itself. We tried all four flavors in late August – peach, cookies & cream, chocolate, and vanilla bean – and the peach was my personal favorite but all were delicious. They also offer homemade floats if you want to go the old school route.
In the bakery, there are glass windows so you can see the cider donuts being made, which only made me want them more. They are so, so good – crispy and flavorful on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. I’d eat a half dozen by myself if I didn’t have any self-control.
This is a must-visit when you spend a day at the orchard.
Tractor Ride & U-Pick Flowers and Fruit
Jeter Mountain claims they are the largest apple orchard in Western North Carolina. While we didn’t fact-check that claim, it seems accurate since there are 6,000 apple trees at the farm, which makes for an expansive orchard.
Some of the seasonal berries like the blueberries and blackberries, are within walking distance to the cider barn and are sold by pint or pound. You can pick your own apples or fill smaller bags right at the barn of different varieties of apples. The orchard grows 25 varieties and you can see what’s available here.
Since the farm is more than 400 acres and has so many apple trees, you have to take a wagon ride to get to the apple orchard itself and other areas to pick sunflowers and berries. You can only u-pick from the orchard once you’ve paid for your basket/bag. You pay for this at the new Apple Depot near the bathrooms and then you and your family jump on the wagon.
Once you are helped into the wagon by the very kind staff, you’ll be taken on a beautiful ride through the orchard with various stops at the areas you want to pick. So when we went, guests were able to peaches and zinnias and sunflowers so we stopped first at the flower field and then were dropped off at the peach orchard. We were given instructions on picking peaches and then got to it.
Once we filled our basket, we just waited for the wagon to come back and pick us up. The wagons were running maybe five minutes apart so you won’t be waiting for too long.
This was my first time taking the wagon ride and it was fantastic because I got to see the sweeping views of the orchard and the new plantings of apple trees.. The orchard is perfectly manicured and mowed, with trees all spaced the same distance. It’s very organized, which is kind of an odd way to describe an orchard but that’s how it looks. The wagon was super clean and covered so if you’re allergic to hay, no worries since it’s not in the wagon.
Kids Play Area & Field Trips
The 6,000-square-foot covered play area is perfect for kids. There is a hay mountain, slides, and plenty of things to tire out kids before heading home. The play area is huge. What’re 6,000 square feet, right? Big, like really big. And here’s the best part: it’s entirely covered so kids can play – for free – rain or shine. And there’s a high-top bar with stools that extends the entire length and overlooks the play area so parents can chill out and watch their kids.
There’s a little house with a chalkboard inside. There are tractor tire trampolines, an enormous haystack with a tunnel underneath, a John Deere-inspired climbing structure with a slide, and my favorite – a basketball hoop play area where you can shoot hoops with your kids. Or by yourself, no judgement.
The play area is right next to the coffee shop and market so you can get coffee and watch your kids play until you decide to pick apples or peaches or whatever it is you want to pick. Or you can do that first, get apple cider donuts, and then let the kids burn off energy before the ride home. I’d honestly say this play area is worth the visit to Jeter Mountain Farm alone.
U-Pick Pricing {2025}
U-pick peaches include a wagon ride for up to four people and a basket you can keep. A peck of peaches and apples are $32. They have pre-picked fruit available in the market. Your u-pick includes a wagon ride for up to four people.
For blueberries, u-pick are $10/quart and do not include a wagon ride because you can walk to them from the main barn and parking area.
U-pick flowers are $20/cup and allow up to four people to ride a wagon through the orchard and include a reusable Jeter Mountain Farm cup. You can pick as many flowers as you can fit in your cup.
Additional pickers or just to take a wagon ride is $4/per person.
Tips on Visiting
With lots of space to roam and play, the farm has certainly made it an appealing day trip for families. They also offer field trips every Thursday and Friday from 10 am – 2 pm from in September and October. Field trips fill up usually in March so plan ahead.
Additionally, the farm has a pumpkin patch that opens in the early fall.
One thing to note is that pets are not allowed at the U-pick orchards, inside the market, inside the taproom, coffee shop, and wagons. They also do not allow strollers or wagons in the orchards or on the wagon ride. You can park them before you get on the wagon and go to the orchard. They also request that you do not bring your own picking containers.
Jeter Mountain plans to be open through October. Check their website for updated details and hours.
Are you thinking about snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing in Hendersonville, NC? Western North Carolina has great snow tubing and Black Bear Snow Tubing is a stellar option for families! They have a huge mountain to get your winter in high gear with a fun snow tubing trip for the whole family! We took a trip up to try out that snow-tubing mountain and it was so much fun! Now we have all the details to share so you can plan your trip!
Media tickets were provided for this review and the opinions are solely those of the author.
While there aren’t any places to snow tube in the Upstate, SC, there are definitely options nearby and one of them is Black Bear Snow Tubing in nearby Hendersonville, NC, just over an hour from Greenville, SC. The snow tubing family-owned operation has been in business for over eight years and they really have a good thing going there, which I’m going to tell you all about in this story.
Black Bear Snow Tubing opens on December 21, 2024 for their 2024-25 season. This is a great way to support local Western NC businesses still struggling after Hurricane Helene.
Scenes From the Slope
Take a sneak peek at this video at Black Bear Snow Tubing.
Snow Tubing at Black Bear
The slope at Black Bear Snow Tubing is 600 feet long with an 80-foot drop and it’s pretty fast. They make their own snow (unless they get a big snowstorm, which doesn’t happen too often) and the hill is well-maintained by their attentive staff.
How it works is that when you get to Black Bear, you go to a little shed to watch a short safety video, where you learn how to get out of your tube on the run and not to start snowball fights, sign a waiver, and head inside the cozy lodge to pay. Then you get your tubes and head to the hill.
They have a pulley system to get you to the top of the hill, which works by slipping the handle of your tube on a cable that takes you, while sitting inside your tube, right up the hill to the top. Once at the top, you’ll wait for a few minutes before being situated into your group by the staff and then sliding down the hill.
Black Bear Snow Tubing Pulley System
Why Black Bear is Different
I’ve snow tubed at many places in our area and I think Black Bear Snow Tubing is pretty fantastic. Here’s why:
You can (and should) make a reservation ahead of time, which is crucial for us in Greenville who need to travel out of state to go snow tubing. It’s quite a bummer to get to our snow tubing place and either find out that they are sold out or having to wait hours for an open slot.
The staff is attentive and efficient. They were always around watching the hill to make sure things were running smoothly and safely. When there was a slight backup at the top of the hill, they figured out how to manage to get us all down the hill and back up to keep snow tubing without interruption.
The lodge is super cozy and warm and has reasonable concessions. I got a $2 hot chocolate and it was amazing. Plus, they have food, including apple cider donuts, that is affordable and you can get warm by the wood-burning stove inside or watch on the deck if you don’t want to go tubing.
The setup takes into account smaller kids. There is playground next to the place where you wait in line to go up the hill so smaller kids can get out their energy and there is a big fire pit also near the waiting area where you can warm up.
If you forgot a hat or gloves, they have them for sale inside the lodge. I feel like us parents can relate when our kid gets out of the car to go snow tubing and forgot his or her winter hat.
The check-in is fast. This is important because you want to get on the hill and start having fun as soon as possible!
Black Bear has excellent communication. They post daily on their Facebook page about current snow conditions, which is super helpful when you’re unsure about the weather.
The snow is real. They don’t have any synthetic chemicals in the snow – it’s the real deal.
My kids, ages 11 and 8, and I had such a blast snow tubing at Black Bear Snow Tubing. We went down the hill about 10 times (maybe more, I lost count honestly) and had so much fun together. I really love places where adults can carelessly be kids again. My kids are already asking to go back. The hill was super fast and seeing my kids faces light up with joy was special. I love those moments.
Tips on How to Enjoy Snow Tubing at Black Bear
Winter being winter, it’s usually cold when you go snow tubing. I’ve found that bringing hand and foot warmers is a really good trick to keeping everyone warm and comfortable. You can get them at Wal-Mart, Amazon, or most drug stores and they stay warm for hours.
It’s also really important to make a reservation when you know you want to go snow tubing. This is especially true during school breaks and holidays. Snow tubing is an awesome family activity on a day off but a lot of people also have the same thought. Don’t forget to make a reservation.
You don’t need to wear snow bibs or snow pants. I had on fleece leggings, hiking boots, and a couple layers of tops with a heavy coat (it was really cold when we went!) and I was fine. I saw people wearing all kinds of clothes that worked for them like pants, leggings, jeans, and sweatpants. The snow wasn’t wet at all when we went but if you go on a warmer day, you may want to bring a change of pants in case they get wet.
There are port-a-potties outside the lodge to use and no bathrooms indoors.
Double-check Black Bear’s Facebook page before heading out. Snow tubing is very dependent on weather, which changes often in the mountains. They will post current conditions and if they are open or closed most days.
Ticket Prices and Policies at Black Bear Snow Tubing
Tickets are $30/hour or $40/two hours for snow tubing. Kids must be 4 years old in order to go snow tubing. You can either sign a waiver when you get to Black Bear Snow Tubing or print one out online ahead of time. Either is fine.
While Black Bear Snow Tubing does take walk-ups, it is much better to make a reservation ahead of time instead of getting there and finding out they are full. Online reservations are fantastic for this very reason so definitely make use of them.
And be sure to check Black Bear Snow Tubing’s Facebook page before heading out to double check they are open and running. Winter tubing runs mid-December through February usually depending on the weather, of course.
And if you want to tube during other times of the year, you totally can! They have warm-weather tubing in the fall.
Did you know you can “snow” tube in the fall at Black Bear Snow Tubing? You can! No snow is required thanks to Black Bear’s super-fast tubing mat, the only one like it in the United States! We got to visit Black Bear and try this “snow” tubing and let us tell you, fall snow tubing is where it’s at. Move over pumpkins, there’s a new fall favorite in town. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit to Black Bear Snow Tubing this fall.
Thanks to Black Bear Snow Tubing for providing tickets so we could bring this review to our readers.
Due to damage from Hurricane Helene there will be no fall snow tubing at Black Bear in 2024.
How can you snow tube without snow?
The special green and white mat in use at Black Bear comes all the way from Germany. Purchased for use at Black Bear because this mat outperforms all its competitors when it comes to speed. In the winter the mat is covered in snow, but in the fall, you can tube right on the mat.
This means even in warm winters with little snow, tubing is still an option for family fun. So, what we have learned is, snow is not required for super speedy “snow” tubing runs.
Fall is awesome at Black Bear Snow Tubing
No crowds, fewer lines, fun music, and a pretty view of changing leaves across the valley make fall an awesome time to visit Black Bear Snow Tubing. You’ll get more rides down the hill in your tubing time than in the winter. It’s not cold. It’s not wet.
You can even get yourself some apple cider donuts, coffee, or cocoa and enjoy them on the covered rocking chair back porch, overlooking the tubing hill. We tried it and we are convinced, fall is perfect for snow tubing!
Tickets for Black Bear Snow Tubing
Purchase Black Bear tickets for one hour or two hours of tubing online. Walk-ups are also available in the less busy fall season.
Summer tubing, without snow, runs weekends through October 29th, 2023.
Winter tubing, with snow, runs weekends beginning mid-December. (If the weather is too warm for snow, tubing will still be open using the mat.)
Visiting Black Bear
First off, we love nearby Hendersonville, NC, and the drive up from downtown to Black Bear Tubing through the changing leaves was gorgeous. When you arrive at Black Bear, just follow the signs to park and then head towards the fun!
Visit the video shed first where you’ll watch a very short safety video. It’s just a couple of minutes long and it plays on a loop. While you’re there, sign the waiver for yourself and the kids.
Bring your waiver across to the lodge where you’ll pay, get your stickers, and also where you can purchase treats and beverages like apple cider donuts, coffee drinks, cocoa, and more.
When you’re ready to tube, you’ll head down the stairs, grab your tube and jump in the line for the tube tugging line that will bring you to the top of Black Bear’s 600-foot-long tubing run. Staff will hook you onto the line.
At the top, you’ll be unhooked from the line and then walk your tube to the run. Staff will help you get your tube into position and push you off down the 80ft vertical drop.
Up to 4 people can go down the run at a time, and you can hang onto other tubes if you want to all go together. Want extra fun? Just ask the staff at the top to spin you going down.
Once you’re at the bottom, pull your tube back over to the tube tugging line and you’ll be off on another run before you know it.
Clean portapotties are available beside the video shed, as well as an outdoor handwashing station.
Who can tube at Black Bear?
First, kids under 4, and under 35 lbs, cannot be on the slope. They can use the slope-side playground for some fun while bigger kids tube.
Second, kids ages 4 to 6 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Third, there is a maximum weight of 300 lbs.
My kids, ages 11 and 14, had a blast. Initially, my 14-year-old was a little not sure he wanted to come, thinking it was not going to be very exciting and that he was too old for such things. He was so glad he came. And, in fact, we saw lots of adults taking runs down the slope, too. I had planned to go down once or twice, just to be thorough in my review, and ended up going down a lot more because it was really fun!
It’s one of those life things that are just plain fun for anyone. Escape from whatever is bugging you to the fresh air and whip down that hill on a tube. Laugh with the kids. Enjoy them, even as teens and preteens, asking you to go down the run with them. There are not enough moments like that in the world, if you ask me.
Our Review
We really loved the family atmosphere at Black Bear. They do not allow alcohol or any open profanity. All the staff were super friendly and helpful. When I wasn’t tubing myself, I could clearly see where my kids were at all times from the covered porch. It was really brilliantly arranged for a couple of hours of low-stress family fun.
Tubing on the mat was really fun. No heavy coats, no wet gloves. It was all the fun of snow tubing without the cold, with the added benefit of short lines and no crowds. We had a great time and think you’ll enjoy it, too!
Plan Your Trip to Black Bear Tubing
1-hour tickets are $30 each, and 2-hour tickets are $40 each. (2023 prices)
Open until October 29th for summer tubing, and then opening mid-December for winter snow tubing.
Saturday: Open at 10 am, last ticket is for 7 pm. Sunday: Open at 12 pm, last ticket is for 5 pm.
