Pleasant Valley Orchard

I’ve been to the Pleasant Valley Orchard several times over the years. It’s a nice addition to an autumn afternoon hiking through Interstate Park up the road in Taylor’s Falls. PVO has all the things you would find enjoyable about an apple orchard: pick-​your-​own apples, hay rides, a small barn with some farm animals, a barn with pies, jams and knick-​knacks for sale. It’s all nice and fun, but lacks some of the features of some of the other orchards in the extended Metro area.
This isn’t necessarily a failing, as it can be annoying to deal with the crowds of hundreds of people at the orchards in White Bear Lake and Stillwater, but those places also have bigger barns with amenities like bathrooms and running water. You’ll pay more for the privilege of visiting those orchards and they have a more theme-​park feel to them. PVO really feels like a farm. It’s not the worst thing in the world to have to clean your apple-​juice-​covered hands by wiping them on dewy grass and then on your jeans, but if you want to wash your messy toddler up before she eats, you’re stuck with any water or hand sanitizer you brought with you (unless you’re ok using the strongly perfumed stuff available from the portable toilets).
That said, the prices for apples are quite low and the quality of the apples is excellent. It doesn’t hurt that apples had a spectacular year: I’ve never seen such enormous HoneyCrisp apples, nor ones so large and picture-​perfect.
The hay ride is nice and takes you to the fields where the pick-​your-​own pumpkins lie in wait for Halloween. It was a bit early to be picking up a pumpkin, so we did not partake in that opportunity, but the ride was exactly what you’d expect. It costs $ 3 per person and takes about 20 minutes.
There’s a little barn with a few animals in one corner. It feels like sort of an after-​thought, with only a tiny area where you can peek in and see a few goats, rabbits and chickens. My daughter liked the chance to see some bunnies, but don’t try to fit more than 3 adults in at the same time, as you risk getting close to the goats (signs posted warn you that they may bite!)
One thing that the kids really loved was a sandbox filled with dent corn. It’s a simple feature, but they just loved «swimming,» jumping, and playing with the kernels, which offered a significantly different experience than a sandbox. One thing to note, however, is that the corn gets everywhere, and i mean EVERYWHERE. Be sure to check your child’s clothes, shoes and diapers (if applicable), as you will find significant amounts in all of these places. If you’re a germophobe… well, see my above comment about lack of restrooms (besides, what do you expect when you’re on a farm?)
In all PVO is a lovely place with nice people and great apples. That’s all you need.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I should be good for a month or so considering the pile of Zestars we consumed.
Pleasant Valley Orchard is a cute little family run orchard a few miles NE of Forest Lake.
They have a nice blend of apples, as well as the requisite gift shop with cutesy items. Later in the fall, they have hayrides and such but we went on Labor Day Weekend. If you are looking for an orchard «off the beaten path» give this one a try.
The little one loved the «corn box». A sandbox filled with corn. She had a blast.
When we got home, I learned how to make apple pie. Will wonders never cease?

Pleasant Valley Orchards, a family owned farm, is a short drive off of Highway 8, before Taylor’s Falls. In the early part of summer, pick up some sensational fresh strawberries, or go out and pick your own! In the late summer, these gorgeous orchards are thick with over a dozen varieties of apples to choose from. Starting as early as August, bite into a zesty Zestar apple. Or take along some luscious apple pastries. This is one of my favorite places to visit and enjoy that slice of heaven. There are tables and a small petting zoo to relax before you venture off to other sites. Don’t forget to pick up a bag for your trip home! This is a wonderful family business with high quality fruit! I cannot recommend them enough!

Going to the apple orchard in the fall is a Midwest tradition. Pleasant Valley is a small, quiet orchard about an hour out of the Cities.
We usually stop here in the fall when we’re on our way out to my dad’s cabin in Hayward. It’s a nice break for the kids and not too far off the main highway.
You can go out to the trees to pick your own, or grab a bag in their little general store. They have samples in the store so you know which apple variety you would like out of the varieties that are available for picking at the time. Unfortunately, because of the growing seasons of each, you can usually only pick-​your-​own with a few of the types while you’re there, but they offer more in the store.
They also have pumpkins, a small barn with chickens and goats, and hay rides for $ 2 a person. During strawberry season (mid-​June to mid-​July), you can go pick your own strawberries in their strawberry fields.
Given the popularity of apple orchards this time of year, the popular local orchards have caught on and now either don’t let you in to their trees to pick your own, or charge you an admission fee just to get in. I can understand why given that I’ve seen more than one person take a bite of one apple and chuck it. Or eat three apples before coming out of the trees. That probably gets expensive when EVERYONE does it. But really, I’ve never seen an orchard run OUT of apples.
Being that they’re out of the Cities a ways, Pleasant Valley still offers the feel of the apple orchards when we were younger. Where you can wander the trees, pick ONE apple to munch one while you’re filling your bag. It’s an experience I’m happy to give my kids outside of the crowded orchards closer to the Cities.