Surprise, September is here and the local apple trees are heavy with fruit – different varieties at slightly different times. Making my way through all the dog-friendly apple-picking farms in Ontario, Canada takes a few weeks, or years. My third year taking the dog apple picking takes me to Luna Farms in Stoney Creek near Hamilton.

Is Luna Farms Dog-friendly?

Yes, definitely, yes Luna Farms is dog-friendly – especially considering the farm is named after the family dog, Luna. Pup Luna is even on the logo.

Unfortunately, my crazy little spaniel didn’t get to meet Luna the Friday we headed to the farm – However, Honey Crisp apples were ripe for the picking, and I wasn’t going to miss them this year. (I did last year).

You can bring your dog to Luna Farms, but on a leash only. Considering there weren’t many people there the Friday afternoon we checked it out, using a long leash wasn’t an issue. It was actually easier walking her around because Luna Farms is a farm, an orchard – no games, hayrides, or mazes.

Luna Farms is about the apples – part of the larger farm is open for people to come and pick a variety of apples, and even some plums. Throw in a pumpkin for good measure.

Admission at the wooden pavilion at the door is a minimum $15 purchase per adult and a minimum $7.50 for kids between the ages of 4 to 7. Kids under 3 years old – and dogs – are free. Luna Farms is about the fruit.

Prices for apples are the following:

• $15 for 5 lb bag
• $30 for a 10 lb bag
• $60 for a half bushel (25 lbs)
• $90 for a full bushel ($50 lbs)

Note that the special Honey Crisps apple variety was an extra $5 to $10. I opted to fill a 10 lb bag of Honey Crisps for $40, and I took home a lot of apples. Apparently, they keep up to one month in cold storage.

Dog-friendly Luna Farms is about the apples

Despite this farm not being the ‘agri-tourism’ type of fun zone many others are becoming (check out The Apple Orchard here), my dog had a good 45-minute-long adventure. She was excited to be among the smells of the farm, watching birds with intensity, and for some reason jumping into the trees … maybe she thought the apples were balls hovering above her head. And in my dog’s world, round things are the best things.

Where else in Southern Ontario can you go apple picking with your dog?

Whether you want to take your dog to participate in some urban fun while picking apples and getting instagramable photos or you simply want to take your dog apple picking, check out this list of dog-friendly apple orchards in Southern Ontario. The list was compiled last year but updated in 2023.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research.