Celebrating Hope and Resilience: The Story Behind Our 2025 Corn Maze
At Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard, every fall season tells a story, and this year’s 5-acre corn maze is one of hope, resilience, and community. For 2025, we wanted our maze to represent something deeper than a typical fun new design, as this year’s maze serves as a tribute to the farmers of Western North Carolina—the hardworking men and women who keep our region’s agricultural roots alive and thriving. As a fourth-generation family farm, we know firsthand the challenges and triumphs that come with farm life. This maze is our way of celebrating the strength and unity that define our local farming community in WNC.
Rooted in Resilience
Western North Carolina has long been home to family farms that shape our culture, sustain our economy, and preserve the rural beauty we all love. The 2025 corn maze design symbolizes that deep connection to the land and the perseverance of those who continue to farm, even when times get tough.
To turn this vision into reality, we partnered with Precision Mazes, who brought the design to life with their expert craftsmanship and creativity. Together, we’ve created a maze that’s not only fun to explore, but meaningful to experience.
Supporting Local Farms Through ASAP
This year, we’re taking that message of support one step further. A portion of proceeds from the maze is going to the Appalachian Grown Farmer Resiliency Fund, managed by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP).
This fund helps strengthen the local food system through recovery and resiliency programs such as Appalachian Farms Feeding Families, emergency grants, and initiatives that connect farms with schools, markets, and families in need. It’s our way of giving back to the network of farmers who make our region so special.
A Season Full of Fun (and Meaning!)
The corn maze is open daily throughout the fall season! This time of year, we invite you to wander through the maze, pick apples right from the tree, and find the perfect pumpkin in our patch—plus savor sweet treats like our apple cider donuts and slushies from the Apple House. On weekends, enjoy family favorites like the apple cannon, wagon rides, and jump pad!
Whether you come for the adventure, a cozy treat, or simply to take in the mountain views, we hope you’ll put your navigational skills to the test in our corn maze and join us this season in celebrating Western North Carolina’s farms—past, present, and future.