8 Pennsylvania Farm Stays Where You Can Soak Up Country Living
For when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Enjoy life on the farm at these eight Pennsylvania farm stays. / Photograph by AnneMarie Hamant, courtesy of Verdant View Farm.
In a densely populated city like Philadelphia, it’s easy to forget that the countryside actually exists. But rural living isn’t as far away as you might think. Even though farm and ranch families account for less than two percent of the U.S. population, 87 percent of agricultural products sold nationwide come from family-operated farms. That means the beef, corn, and soybean you’re eating likely came from someone’s family farm, maybe even one close to Philly.
What better way to say thanks to our local farmers than by participating in agritourism? Designed to both increase revenue for farmers and provide education to the general public, this increasingly popular practice allows visitors to learn firsthand from farmers and oftentimes stay overnight at the farmstead. Here are eight farm stays in Pennsylvania where you can enjoy all the rural pleasantries (especially the amazing country breakfasts!). Bonus: They’re all under a four-hour drive from Philadelphia.
Beacon Hollow Farm
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 10 minutes (130 Centerville Road, Gordonville)
Open year-round, this bed and breakfast is situated on an active Amish dairy farm, so you can watch as the family completes daily chores. The guest cottage, which has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a full bath, and electricity, can comfortably sleep six. Plus, you’ll be served breakfast every day except Sunday. A two-night stay for two people costs $105, with a $10 surcharge for every additional guest over age 12.
Eby Farm Bed and Breakfast
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 10 minutes (345 Belmont Road, Gordonville; 459 Queen Road, Gordonville)
Eby Farm has been in the family for seven generations, giving it a truly close-knit feel. (They even sing a song after every breakfast together!) Here, you have two accommodation options: an old brick farmhouse and a modern Cape Cod. Whichever you choose, you’ll have the opportunity to feed the calves, goats, and chickens by hand across the 81 acres. Room rates range from $89 to $150 per night, and groups are welcome year round.
Flint Hill Farm
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 15 minutes (1922 Flint Hill Road, Coopersburg)
Flint Hill Farm is more than just a farm stay — it’s a full educational experience. Guests can choose to sleep in one of three bedrooms in the renovated 1850s farmhouse. During your stay, you’ll have opportunities to learn how to make your own cheese and bread, spin wool, and channel your inner blacksmith.
At Flint Hill Farm in Coopersburg, you can learn to make your own cheese. / Photograph courtesy of Flint Hill Farm
Landis Farm Guest House
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 40 minutes (2048 Gochlan Road, Manheim)
The 1760s-era guest house at Landis Farm is a quiet retreat for solo travelers, couples, and families alike. Able to sleep up to six people, the colonial-style guest house offers two bedrooms, a full bath, a spacious living room with pull-out couch, and an eat-in kitchen. While there, revel in country living by picnicking, grooming horses, swinging on the tire swing, and — best of all — taking a barrel train ride.
Mountain Dale Farm
Drive from Philadelphia: 3 hours and 10 minutes (330 Hassinger Way, McClure)
If you’re looking to really immerse yourself in rural living, drive about three hours west of Philly toward Central PA. There, you’ll find Mountain Dale Farm, which offers a relaxing change of pace with the pleasure of having no set schedule. Enjoy bird watching, hiking, tending to the farm animals, fishing, and paddle boating on the farm’s 175 acres. Year-round cottage accommodations include six efficiencies, two dorms, and one deluxe, plus four rooms in the Farm House.
Olde Stone Guesthouse
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 10 minutes (1599 Swan Road, Atglen)
Olde Stone Guesthouse is a bed-and-breakfast situated on a secluded 18th-century farm, which was originally used as part of the Underground Railroad. Located right near the intersection of Chester County and Lancaster County, this bed and breakfast features four bedrooms, a Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast, and a horse pasture. During your visit, make sure to take a stroll through the historic flower garden for beautiful seasonal blooms.
Like the town in which it presides, Verdant View Farm is a picturesque, rural paradise. / Photograph by AnneMarie Hamant, courtesy of Verdant View Farm.
Rocky Acre Farm Bed and Breakfast
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 50 minutes (1020 Pinkerton Road, Mount Joy)
A fruit orchard turned dairy farm, the Rocky Acre Farm is best suited for families with children. It’s got hayrides, kid-friendly goat and calf feedings, egg gatherings in the hen house, and a colorfully painted playhouse. Plus, you’ve got nine rooms to choose from, including a two-bedroom apartment and an entire private guest house. Take a piece of your stay with you by trying your hand at some of the family’s homemade dishes.
Verdant View Farm
Drive from Philadelphia: 1 hour and 20 minutes (429 Strasburg Road, Paradise)
Operated by fourth-generation farmers, Verdant View Farm focuses on cows and their calves, helping newborns learn to drink from their mothers. During your visit at the farm’s bed and breakfast, sleep peacefully in one of the seven available rooms and then put on your boots first thing in the morning for a hands-on farm experience. After, you’ll be treated to a deluxe farm-to-table breakfast with homegrown meat, locally sourced milk and yogurt, fresh eggs, and homemade baked goods. Whether or not you’re staying overnight, you can always sign up for the Farmer’s Apprentice Tour (you’ll want to add on the ice cream tasting) or a walk through their sunflower fields.
