FunKidsActivities
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC

Hidden Acres Orchards LLC

16802 N Applewood Ln, Mead, WA 99021, USA

Overview

Category:Petting Zoos
Location:Spokane, WA

Expert Summary

Detailed Insights

Hidden Acres Orchards offers a unique blend of authentic farm experiences, including seasonal fruit (apples, cherries, pumpkins) and cider picking, hands-on cider making, and a small animal petting farm with direct animal interaction. Beyond day visits, it uniquely functions as a Hipcamp site, allowing families to camp directly within the orchard, enjoy significant privacy, stargazing, and wildlife sightings (deer), making it more than just a day trip destination. The kind and accommodating family/staff contribute significantly to a welcoming, 'friend's farm' atmosphere.

Key Highlights

  • Seasonal fruit picking: cherries, apples, and pumpkins.
  • Hands-on activity: Make your own apple cider (explicitly mentioned as 'amazing experience').
  • Small animal petting farm featuring goats, baby ducks, chickens, roosters, and pigs.
  • Tractor rides offered.
  • Unique Hipcamp/camping option with flexible setup (park and set up wherever) and privacy.
  • Opportunity for stargazing and wildlife spotting (deer) when camping.
  • Friendly, kind, and helpful staff/owners (Nick specifically mentioned).
  • Gift shop with baked goods (berry pie, other baked goods) and 'cool stuff'.
  • Dedicated 'fun area for the kids'.

Standout Features

  • Interactive 'make your own apple cider' experience.
  • Direct interaction with a variety of farm animals.
  • Unique camping experience via Hipcamp, offering privacy and flexible setup.
  • Beautiful orchards for scenic views and seasonal picking.
  • Very kind and accommodating family/staff.
  • Ample and convenient parking for day visitors and campers.
  • Gift shop selling fresh baked goods (e.g., berry pie).
  • Tractor rides for added family fun.

Perfect For

Toddlers & Preschoolers (2-5 years): Excellent for the small animal petting farm, feeding animals, tractor rides, and the dedicated 'fun area for the kids'.
School-aged Children (6-12 years): Engaged by fruit picking (apples, cherries, pumpkins), hands-on cider making, and the adventure of farm camping.
Teens & Families: The unique camping experience with stargazing, privacy, and active farm involvement (picking, cider making) offers great family bonding and a break from typical entertainment.

Ideal For

Families seeking hands-on, interactive farm experiences.
Families with young children who enjoy animals, tractor rides, and outdoor play.
Camping families looking for a private, unique farm stay with nature encounters.
Day trips focused on seasonal fruit or pumpkin picking.
Families desiring a friendly, welcoming, and less commercialized farm atmosphere.

💡Pro Tips from Reviews

  • Visit during specific seasons (cherry, apple, or pumpkin) to enjoy the full picking experience.
  • Consider booking an overnight stay through Hipcamp for a unique, private farm camping experience with stargazing.
  • Don't miss the gift shop for fresh baked goods and unique souvenirs.
  • If camping, be aware that some unique tent spots (e.g., nestled in trees) might be better suited for smaller tents.
  • Plan for a day trip or an extended stay, as there are activities for both.

Things to Consider

  • Campers with very large tents might find certain desired spots (e.g., 'inside a row of trees') less accommodating.

Price & Value

Reviews consistently rate the experience as wonderful and great, implying good value for the range of activities offered (fruit picking, cider making, animal feeding, tractor rides, camping). Specific purchases mentioned include 'berry pie' and 'baked goods' from the gift shop. No explicit entry fees or costs are detailed, but the overall sentiment suggests the experiences are worth the cost.

Accessibility & Special Needs

  • No specific accommodations for special needs are mentioned. Given it's an orchard and farm, terrain may be uneven and natural.

🍎Food & Drink Policy

  • Baked goods, such as berry pies, are available for purchase on-site in the gift shop.
  • No explicit policy on bringing outside food is mentioned, but campers would likely bring their own provisions.

🚗Parking Info

  • Day visitors: 'Plenty of parking' is available.
  • Campers: Extremely flexible; 'park and set up wherever you feel like it around the orchard' allows for parking directly at the campsite.

👥Crowd Levels

  • For campers, there's 'quite a bit of privacy', indicating a low crowd density.
  • The overall atmosphere described as 'like we were at a friend's farm' suggests a pleasant, uncrowded experience for day visitors as well.

🛡️Safety Features

  • No specific safety features are detailed in the reviews. Standard farm safety precautions would be expected in an agricultural environment.

When to Avoid

  • If you strictly prefer highly structured, amusement-park-like entertainment (this is a more rustic, authentic farm setting).
  • If you require highly specialized amenities or constant staff supervision, as it offers a more independent, 'friend's farm' feel.

Pricing/Package/Events

Pricing & Packages

Educational Spring Planting Tours

Students: $20.00, Adults: $10.00

Duration: 3 hours (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM)

Children of all ages participate in farm work, learning about planting and pollination as the farm awakens in spring.

Includes:
  • Tractor Taxi Around the Farm
  • Bee Talk (students learn how bees pollinate in the apple orchard)
  • Real Farm Work (tasks like weeding garlic, seeding fields, harvesting rhubarb)
  • Snack (doughnuts and fresh pressed apple cider)
  • Seed germination demonstration, planting seeds and seed packets for take-home
  • Hand tool demonstration with opportunities to use them
  • Frontier Village (grain silo, playground, and petting zoo with chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, pigs, peafowl, and rabbits)
Ages: Geared for 10-14 year olds, Children younger than 12 months are free, Every child (including siblings) must purchase a ticket

Educational Fall Harvest Tours

Students: $10.00, Adults: $10.00

Duration: 1.5 hours

Groups explore the farm during harvest season, learning about the land and participating in fall activities.

Includes:
  • Narrated Hayride Around the Farm
  • Bee Talk (students learn how bees pollinate and get to pick an apple)
  • Tire Maze (including photo ops and straw bale mountain)
  • U-pick Pumpkin Patch (small sugar pie pumpkin, 2-5 lbs, that students can carry)
  • Snack (mini pumpkin doughnuts and fresh pressed apple cider)
  • Penelope the Giant Talking Pumpkin (51st year in 2025)
  • Frontier Village (grain silo, playground, and petting zoo with chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, pigs, peafowl, and rabbits)
Ages: Open to young ones, their families, and their class, Children younger than 12 months are free, Every child (including siblings) must purchase a ticket

Events & Schedule

Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)

Educational Spring Planting Tours

May 4th - June 12th

Students: $20.00, Adults: $10.00 (Children younger than 12 months are free, one teacher and one aid free per classroom)

Hands-on farm education including tractor rides, bee talk, real farm work, snack, seed planting, tool demonstration, and Frontier Village visit.

Educational Fall Harvest Tours

September 22nd - October 31st (Weekdays, every half hour from 9:15 AM - 2:15 PM)

Students: $10.00, Adults: $10.00 (Children younger than 12 months are free, one teacher and one aid free per classroom)

Educational tours with hayrides, bee talk, apple picking, tire maze, u-pick pumpkin patch, mini pumpkin doughnuts, and Penelope the Giant Talking Pumpkin.

Fall Festival Activities

During the Fall Festival (implied, likely Sept-Oct)

Not specified, activities include hayrides

Hayrides around the orchard are available.

Caramel Apples

Weekends in October

Not specified

Fresh picked Spartan apples dipped in a warm caramel sauce.

Mini Pumpkin Donuts

Every day in October

Not specified

Freshly made taste of the season.

🍎Food Policy

  • Outside sack lunches permitted for tours, but trash must be hauled back (Pack it in, Pack it out!).
  • Covered picnic area is 300 ft (100 yards) from Jam Shop; carts available to haul lunches.
  • Doughnut ingredients (served with tours): Hidden Acres Fresh Pressed Apple Cider, Pumpkin, Enriched Wheat Flour, Cane Sugar, Soybean Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda and Sodium), Egg Yoke Solids, Soy Flour, Non-fat Dry Milk, Dextrose, Salt, Sweet Cream Buttermilk, Soy Lecithin, Cinnamon, Ginger. Contains: Egg, Milk, and Soy ingredients. No substitutes/alternatives for doughnuts.

🛡️Safety Policy

  • Dog friendly: Dogs must be leashed at all times, and owners must clean up after them.
  • Free roaming farm dog named Bella is friendly with people and other dogs.

📅Booking Policy

  • Spring Tour group minimum: 20 people, maximum: 100 people.
  • Fall Tour group minimum: 30 people, maximum: 150 people.
  • To schedule tours or reserve space rental, call 509-238-2830 or visit the 'Contact Us' page.
  • Teacher/group representative must collect all money from parents and students prior to tour for quicker check-in.
  • Groups must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled tour start time for bus unloading and organizing.
  • Homeschool groups must designate a leader before arriving.
  • Camping sites must be booked through Hipcamp or Airbnb; payment not accepted at location.

🚗Parking Information

  • Free parking available.
Information extracted from official website • Last updated: Oct 15, 2025

Photos

Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 1
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 2
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 3
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 4
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 5
Hidden Acres Orchards LLC photo 6

What People Say

What's Great

  • Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
  • Spacious play areas (mentioned in 2 reviews)

Areas for Improvement

  • Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 3 reviews)

Recent Reviews

S JOHNSON

S JOHNSON

a month ago

We stayed here through Hipcamp, picked cherries and bought a berry pie and it was all wonderful. The family is very kind and accommodating and their fruit is so fresh.

Jonathan Bauer

Jonathan Bauer

7 months ago

Such a great time with the family. Picking apples, making cider, and feeding the animals. Nick was great help and just felt like we were at a friend's farm. Gift shop had so much cool stuff and smelled great with baked goods.

Trevor King

Trevor King

6 months ago

Such a lovely place, beautifully orchards, tractor ride, small animal petting farm. Plenty of parking, Even had a fly by from the AFB helo. Great day trip to pick some apples and pumpkins.

PeggySue Melnyk

PeggySue Melnyk

a year ago

We showed up late for our arrival being that we came from the west side and left after 5pm. Even with late arrival we were able to set up in the dark and awake to a beautiful orchard with goats, baby ducks, chickens, rooster, pigs and quite a bit of privacy. It’s literally park and set up wherever you feel like it around the orchard. We saw a few tents inside a row of trees and thought that pretty cool but our tent is too big. Open sky for stargazing and deer walking through at night. Such a great unique experience.

Erika Cook

Erika Cook

a year ago

Amazing experience making our own apple cider! Very helpful staff and fun area for the kids. I'll definitely go back next year!

Contact Information

16802 N Applewood Ln, Mead, WA 99021, USA

View on Google Maps

Opening Hours

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Quick Stats

Overall Rating
4.7
Total Reviews331
Recent Reviews5