About Ochre Hill Farms
Ochre Hill Farms is a family-run farm on Skyland Drive between Waynesville and Sylva, close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The family has farmed in Western North Carolina for generations, and the place is first a lavender and blueberry farm, with hundreds of each, plus seven blueberry varieties, mountain-grown elderberries, a patch of cut flowers and a spring market garden of tomatoes, squash, peppers and cucumbers.
Lavender is the summer draw. In 2026, u-pick opened June 13, the fields peaked around July 4, and the last picking day was July 11. If you would rather not cut your own, a we-pick option has staff harvest for you. Fresh bundles of 100-plus stems sell out during the bloom, and dried bundles ($15 in 2026) come in early August. Blueberry u-pick is offered as well.
The farm store opens April through January, Thursday to Saturday from 10 to 5, with longer hours at peak season. Along with lavender soaps, sprays and oil, it serves espresso and lattes and sells baked goods, eggs, cut flowers and seasonal produce. The farm donates produce to local nonprofits and puts part of its sales toward that work.
To stay over, the Farm Cottage sleeps six in two bedrooms with a full kitchen, two and a half baths and outdoor seating with views across the farm; the farm suggests booking mid-June to early July for lavender season.
Lavender here
- When it blooms
- late June to early July (peak around July 4 in 2026)
- Visiting
- Lavender u-pick and we-pick mid-June to mid-July (June 13-July 11, 2026); blueberry u-pick; farm store Thu-Sat April-January; Farm Cottage stays.
From the farm shop
- Fresh and dried lavender bundles
- Lavender soaps, sprays and oil
- Espresso drinks and baked goods
- Eggs
- Cut flowers
- Seasonal produce
What to do
- Cut your own lavender from mid-June to mid-July (June 13-July 11 in 2026)
- Have staff pick lavender for you with the we-pick option
- Pick blueberries in summer
- Get an espresso or latte and a baked good at the farm store
- Buy dried lavender bundles from early August
- Stay in the Farm Cottage, which sleeps six
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Farm store open April through January; lavender u-pick mid-June to mid-July (June 13-July 11, 2026); dried bundles from early August
- Hours
- Farm store April-January, Thursday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, with extended days at peak season; closed Sundays except photo bookings (2026)
Good to know
- Reservations
- Walk-in during store hours; contact the farm for other times
Tips for your visit
- Lavender peaked around the Fourth of July in 2026; come early in the season for the most stems.
- Fresh bundles sell out in season, so contact the farm ahead for larger orders (bulk means 100 or more bundles).
- Hours change with the weather, so check the farm's social pages before a long drive.
Pair it with a nearby stop
Cabbage Rose · about 25 minutes away
Maggie Valley is about 25 minutes east, past Waynesville, for a shopping stop on the way to or from the farm.
Getting there
Questions
When is lavender u-pick at Ochre Hill Farms?
Mid-June to mid-July. In 2026 it ran June 13 to July 11, with peak bloom around July 4.
Can I stay at the farm?
Yes. The Farm Cottage sleeps six and is booked year-round.
Is the farm store open in winter?
It is open April through January, Thursday to Saturday 10-5; it is closed February and March.
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
