Eastmont Orchards

Eastmont Orchards At A Glance...

• More than 20 apple varieties and about 15 kinds of peaches, from July peaches to late-season Arkansas Black and Stayman Winesap apples.
• A family orchard for more than a century; apples from these parts once went by barge from Red Bank down the Navesink River to New York City.
• A corn maze on fall weekends, new for 2026.
• No admission fee: you pay only for what you pick, by the pound.
• Todays Sunrise: ,   Sunset:  
• New Jersey Shore Region Monmouth County

• Amenities:

  • Restrooms/Bathrooms
  • Parking Lot(s)

  Farming:

  • Apple Picking
  • Corn Maze
  • Farm Stand
  • Hay Rides
  • Pick Your Own
  • Pumpkin Picking

  Rules/Regulations:

  • Dogs Not Permitted

Contact / Location

A Brief History

The first apple trees went in here in 1911, planted by Fred Lerch with advice from John Barclay, the great-grandfather of today's owner. Lerch had little farming experience and the orchard struggled. In the early 1920s Charles Applegate, whose daughter Ruth had married John Barclay's son Carroll, bought the farm, and it has stayed in the family ever since. It was once known as Delicious Orchards.

Back then, apples from this area were sold locally or loaded onto barges at Red Bank and shipped down the Navesink River to New York City. As transportation improved, the fruit went directly to supermarkets or out through the ports of New York and Philadelphia. Today the orchard sells everything retail, straight to the people who pick it, under owner David Barclay.

Tips and Tricks

Call 732-542-5404 or check the farm's Facebook page just before you leave, since hours change with the weather and the crop. If rain is forecast and you are coming from a distance, pick another day.

Bring your own empty reusable bags (free bags are handed out while they last) and do not overfill them, since a heavy bag can split and bruise the fruit at the bottom. Wear comfortable shoes, old boots on wet days, and pack bug spray and sunscreen. Picnics are not allowed at the orchard, but Dorbrook Recreation Area, just around the corner on Route 537, has picnic facilities.

Admission & Guidelines

There is no general entrance fee. You pay by the pound for everything you pick, except sunflowers, honey, jam and straw bales, and you pay for everything your group picks, so keep an eye on how full the bags get. Prices change from year to year and sometimes mid-season, so they are not posted online; the farm's phone message carries current prices. There are no senior discounts. You can sample the fruit as you pick.

Farm rules: shoes and shirts are required, no pets (service dogs are welcome), no picnics, no backpacks or large bags in the orchard, no throwing produce, no climbing trees, wagons or machinery, pick only where indicated, and drive 10 mph or less. Water and snacks for small children are fine. Drones and professional photo shoots are not allowed, and the orchard does not host weddings or private events.

Hours / Season of Operation

Pick your own usually runs from about mid-July, when the first peaches ripen, through the end of October. Standard hours are 9 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Picking ends at closing time, so arrive at least 30 minutes before.

For 2026 the fall season runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 18 through October 25, plus Columbus Day, weather permitting: Fridays 9 AM to 4:30 PM, weekends 9 AM to 5:30 PM. The weekend hayride runs from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Hours depend on the weather and the crop, and the farm may close in heavy rain, so call 732-542-5404 just before you leave; the phone message is updated every day in season.

Parking

Parking is on grassy fields beside the orchard, and how far you walk depends on the crowd. On weekdays you usually park along a rope fence in an open field; on weekends parking attendants direct you. There is no designated accessible parking, but tell an employee when you pull in and they will try to park you closer to the entrance. On weekdays the staff try to offer rides into the orchard for people who need them, though that cannot be promised on weekends.

Directions

The entrance is on Route 537 by the flagpole, about a mile east of Route 34. From the south, take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 98, follow Route 34 north, and turn right onto Route 537 east; the entrance is on the left about a mile along. From the north, take Parkway Exit 109, turn right onto Newman Springs Road, left onto Phalanx Road, then left onto Laird Road to its end, and turn right onto Route 537; the entrance is your first right.