Yates Cider Mill

This is a wonderful trip for the whole family. Whenever my grandchildren visit from Chicago, we plan to take in the experience. The cider is fantastic, the donuts good, hot and greasy, perfect Cider Mill fare! The «kids,» of all ages, enjoy the press, the river, the ponies (maybe only on weekends?) and the petting zoo. It’s also a great place to pick up a caramel apple or an apple pie. During the «season» the lines can be lengthy, the traffic gets snarled and parking takes awhile, but it’s worth the effort. Enjoy!

Stopped here on accident on our way to port Huron. Soo glad we did! I always love cider mill donuts and then I realized they have donut Sundaes! The donuts were hot and fresh and super soft and fluffy! The donut Sunday is pure heaven! I highly recommend this place! Half dozen donuts and donut Sunday all for $ 9!!!

Always has been my favorite cider mill. Great cider and lots of good memories from childhood!

Best cider and donuts anywhere. Anywhere! Store-​bought cider just doesn’t cut it after Yates’. I yearn for these donuts when they’re closed. Favorite donut anywhere, hands down. I don’t really know what else goes on at the Cider Mill… I realize they have beautiful nature trails, goats to feed, etc… but I’m always instantly back in the car, safe from the greedy bees, happily inhaling my just-​bought donuts.

Brought by a Michigan native, Yate’s Cider Mill was a wonderful chilly December treat. I had the hot apple cider and the plain and cinnamon donuts — how are these donuts just 60 cents a pop??? They’re light, not too sweet, and go with the cider so perfectly. I personally found the cider a bit sweet for me, but those not-​so-​sweet donuts really helped out. No lines for us, but I was told that there’s usually quite the wait in the warmer days.
We took our snacks and drinks with us on a light walk/​hike along the stream in back.

Was way better about 5 years ago. It’s so crowded and expensive! They don’t make there cider. It’s the same stuff you get in a store.

Loved this place! The apple cider was incredibly delicious. It was really cool to be able to watch it being pressed and made. The woman behind the counter was very happy to provide a thorough explanation of the cider process and it was fascinating. I loved how excited she was to chat about it, which made me excited to taste it. And it did not disappoint! I’m not sure why other reviewers are so harsh about the cider. It’s super yummy and not at all like apple juice. The homemade donuts melt in your mouth. I made the mistake of only ordering one. Next time I’ll get a bag full! They are light and fluffy and incredibly fresh. The property is scenic and beautiful and a great place to hike with a hot cider. We took my favorite 3 year old and she loved the pony rides ($ 5) and the «petting zoo» area ($ 1 for animal feed in a sugar cone). Get there early as the line gets quite long, but definitely worth the visit!

My husband and I love going to Yates at least once a year! The donuts and cider are phenomenal and the trail is an amazing walk. We’ve brought groups of friends here to join us and it’s been a blast!
The lines are long, but worth the wait! Buy extra donuts because you’ll be wanting more!

Best of the best. Always have an awesome time coming here. Hiked the trail for the first time in my most recent visit and thought that was really cool. And of course they have some tasty ass cider. That’s what it’s all about after all. I’d suggest to pop around the back for some turtle fudge and to be sure to feed a goat on your way out. :)

Time to update this review!
I went to Yates again this past Thursday with a Meetup group and was glad to have the excuse to go, as I had been craving its cinnamon donuts. Donuts are still 60c each, I got a half dozen for $ 3.50 as well as a hot apple cider and a pint to go.
I had just visited Franklin a few weeks earlier, and I hate to say it, but its cider is better. I think Yates does pasteurize its cider so maybe that has something to do with it; not sure, although Yates’ cider is tasty also, just not as sweet. Other than that, though, Yates has it all over Franklin — NO bees, the best donuts (you have to get the cinnamon ones!), and a line that moves fairly quickly, as well as ample amounts of parking. Thursday it was pretty nice out so I thought I might have to park at the park across the street, but I was able to find parking in the Yates lot.
Its hot apple cider was delicious, by the way, although it’s VERY hot — make sure you let it cool down for a few minutes before you drink it. I’ve also heard that Yates is open until early December this year, which I believe is a little later than some of the other mills.
Hoping to come back to Yates sometime soon!

You think I would learn my lesson after my visit to last years Franklin Cider Mill? But I didn’t! I’m definitely sure now that I am NOT a fan of cider mills because of the amount of the TRAFFIC it attracts. The plain donut is heavenly, and the apple cider tastes like apple juice (which I actually like cause I hate cider)… but that’s the only good thing about it!
I wish there was a limit to how many people could be there at a time, because it seems like it gets shoulder to shoulder bad, and I’m a pretty claustrophobic person, so it makes me feel super uncomfortable. It was so bad that I couldn’t continue walking on the little trail they have. I couldn’t enjoy the view because people were everywhere, which made it weird for me to take any pictures! Either I must learn to be comfortable around a huge group of people, or I must never go to a cider mill again. I’m going to go with the second option, lesson finally learned!
To those who do don’t feel awkward being around a large mass of peeps, then by all means have a great time and enjoy, I’m not knocking you, but cider mills just don’t float my boat is what I’m saying.

Awesome, sugary delicious donuts, top-​notch cider, and HUGE cheap honeycrisp apples that are so amazing it will ruin all other apple suppliers for you (so purchase here at your own risk). It was crowded, but the line moved quickly. My friend’s two little boys loved the statue man playing the guitar as well as feeding the goats. There is a nice little river with walking trails to get away from the crowds with a hot cuppa cider. Only complaint — we ordered an apple crisp and it was cold. I’m not sure if you need to specifically ask for it to be heated up? The donuts were hot, though, and did not last long.

This cider mill is great! Probably the best one in Michigan to get delicious donuts and/​or cider. Not only do they have a reputation for the best fall treats, they also have a small pin of goats that you can feed (goat treats are sold in a tent next to the mill for .25 cents), a long nature walk that includes trees and a small stream, as well as $ 5 pony rides! The only downfall of this place is that it’s kinda small and doesn’t include apple/​pumpkin picking, but it’s still loads of fun! Make sure to check it out ~

Yates is probably the most popular cider mill I’ve been to this autumn (I’ve been to three because I really like cider and donuts and I’m too lazy to have hobbies that involve exercise). The cider is indeed top-​notch — fresh and tasty. It’s expensive (it’s a cider mill after all), but you will not taste any regret in this sweet brew.
Lines are long and there are many noisy children, but whatever, people reproduce and that’s cool.
Unfortunately (though this may be a plus for some people) the donuts have a cakey texture, they’re unlike the Rochester Cider Mill and Franklin Cider Mill variety. They’re not dense, and when warm, they sort of fell apart in my hand. I consider myself a donut aficionado (this is an actual lie) and these are just not great cider mill donuts.

We had a girls weekend in Michigan and my girlfriend said we had to try the donuts at Yates Cider Mill. My girlfriend was right!!! The donuts were a light, fluffy donut that I wanted to keep eating. There are only 3 flavors plain, cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar. There were also these other tasty treats with blueberry and apple filling. I tried the donuts and the blueberry treat (can’t remember the name) and I would chose the donuts anyway. They were smaller and so light and ADDICTING! I am not an apple cider girl but I tried my girlfriends apple cider slushy which was tasty but a bit strong for me but that is only because I’m not from anywhere, where you can purchase apple cider.
After we stuffed our faces with deliciousness we went on a short hike, I’m not even sure I can call it a hike more like a walk and at the end of the path there was another way you could turn that took us to the back of the cider mill. It was a relaxing walk but my girlfriend who had the leftover donuts in her purse got stung by a bee.
Once we got back to the cider mill she asked a couple employees if they had anything for bee stings and they said no but an older gentleman who worked at the ice cream shop gave her a small bottle that took away the sting.
This is something they should know since the bees were everywhere.
I also purchased an old school looking yates cider mill mug that I cannot wait to use once it gets colder down here in the south. I’ll think of the yummy donuts when I drink my coffee.
I would go back here the next time I visit!!!

When in Michigan… drink cider til you drop. Unfortunately, this was just regular cider and not hard cider. Being tourists, I still enjoyed the change in scenery and the crisp water from the stream. I thought it was neat how the cider mill was operated by energy from the running water.
Apple cider was refreshing, but I felt it was too sweet for my liking. The donuts looked good, but I didn’t get to try them because I was too full from lunch. Next time!
Overall, a unique place to check out if you’re in the area.

I frequent the place because it’s close, but it is heavily overrated.
The traffic near that location is unbelievable, bad idea if you have road rage. On topic: parking they provide is small, rocky and just bad. There’s a lot across the street but its for another attraction thus usually full as well.
Mill itself is attractive, with many additional activities (as shown on photos). I love that there’s a long walking path across the forest. I just cannot stand that someone put a set of portable toilets near all the points of interest, seriously, its smell radius kills the mood, the end of the lot would be more suitable.
There’s no bees that I encountered, those are wasps and hornets! God of your choice forbid you put your drink or food down for a second, they will claim it. It’s not something the mill can do much about but somehow it isn’t that big of an issue in other locations.
The lines for edible goods are atrocious, there’s tons of unattended children and ever pooping dogs (although pets don’t bother me personally).
All that inconvenience while their merchandise isn’t that good. I suspect it’s child-​oriented because doughnuts are crazy sweet and cider is one step from the packaged apple juice (it’s spiced, sweetened and quite filtered). I wasn’t a huge fan.
Prices are high: $ 5 for a small sundae, $ 3.50 for a quart of cider, $ 3 for a tiny cider slushie.
Overall it’s ok, I leave it to your judgment. Some things are unacceptable to one but pleasant to another.

I’ve been here twice now, and I really feel badly for only giving them 3 stars. Sadly, I just can’t go higher then that, for a few reasons. Don’t get me wrong, this place isn’t bad, it’s just not awesome. Here’s why:
For starters here, parking is okay. This place gets seriously busy when open for business, and there’s a limited amount of parking spaces available in the main lot. They have a few secondary lots, but I’ve seen those overflow as well. being that this place is seasonal, I don’t expect a huge parking lot, but it can get quite congested at times. I’ve seen people park on the street, and walking down the road to get in here.
The first time I came here, I didn’t have the best experience. I didn’t want to review it because I wanted to give them a fair shot. I now know what to expect when coming here, which I didn’t know before. For starters, the lines here are extremely long and painful. They barely move, and the lobby area is tiny. I’ve been to a few cider mills in my day, and I can’t think of a good enough reason why a line would be so painfully long for donuts and cider. Franklin cider mill seems to turn people out 10 times quicker, so I don’t know why these people can’t as well.
Secondly, they have a terrible problem with bee’s here. So bad that I wonder why they don’t take care of the problem. Bee’s are no joke, and after seeing the lines, it makes me think twice about coming here. They usually hover around the table area, limiting the places you can sit and eat your food at.
Also, bathrooms are port a potties here, so be prepared. I hate port a potties, but sometimes, you must use them like I did today.
Also, I wasn’t impressed with their donuts. Not the worst, but not the best either. Cider was really good and I loved that, plus they have a fudge shop here, off to the side which was pretty cool.
They do have some really cool other stuff here, like goats you can feed. They will sell you food to feed the goats for a dollar, which is awesome. They also have a cool river to stand and watch if your into that stuff.
Overall not a half bad place, just not my favorite. can get very busy at times, so make sure to come early! Prices are reasonable and fair as well.

My all time favorite cider mill. Best cider and will always be my comparison when sampling others.
You know those jam commercials where they say «with a name like Smuckers, it has to be good»? Well, that is how I think of the name Yates. It’s a timeless place with a taste you cannot deny. I love this cider mill. It’s been around since 1876 and that is something to be proud of. A place like this doesn’t just stay open because it’s old. It says open because of the rich tradition. The quality of the cider is what does it. It just has a crisp, fresh flavor that I have tried to find elsewhere but cannot. There is just something about it that hooks you.
I have been coming to this mill since I was little, and will continue to come here and adore it forever. Every sip of cider transports me to the first time I remember having it. The smell of a fall day, the sounds of people enjoying themselves with friends and family. It’s just delicious. The donuts are my favorite as well. They are small and that is what is perfect to me. The plain donuts are my favorite, bu the cinnamon sugar are also delicious. Just try to not eat 3, or 4 or.
Yates doesn’t have a bunch of gimmicks, it just has fresh, delicious tasting products. I appreciate the quality and that is why nothing will ever compare. Take a nature walk with your cider and appreciate the day. It’s gotta be good.

This place is worth the wait. Best fresh donuts I think I have ever had, EVER. Cinnamon sugar and plain are the only options, but that is fine with me. They also have fresh cider and other yummies.
We brought the dogs to walk them on the trail past the cider mill, and it is so fun to go out there, enjoy the weather and socialize with all the other people who brought their dogs.
They also have a petting zoo, and other fun activities for kids. I also picked up pumpkins for carving at the place across the street.
Prices are reasonable, bring cash.

Yates is the second cider mill I have visited and the one I have frequented the most. We’ve gone several times in the span of three weeks just recently. Some noteworthy things: traffic, parking, crowds, bees.
The streets surrounding the cider mill get understandably backed up during peak times (typically weekends). If you’re unfamiliar with the area like I was, the streets surrounding Yates are single lanes. Traffic moves slowly but it does move!
Parking can also get ugly during peak hours. Note that Yates’ parking lot is not paved, with any gravel all but gone. We’ve gone on a day where it rained 24 hours prior and the parking lot was still considerably muddy. Not an issue for us personally but may be to someone else.
There’s also a small, paved lot across the street that’s actually for the park located there; however, it’s overrun with cider mill patrons when it gets busy. People will even park on the grass by the paved lot or even alongside Dequindre.
After you’ve finally staked your claim on some real estate for your car, you’ll then be possibly greeted by a ridiculously long line that feeds into the main entrance. We’ve seen it snake all the way past the goat corral, into the parking lot.
If the main entrance line is leviathan, check the second entrance line (s)!! Sometimes there’s only one second entrance line. When the crowds get really ugly, there tends to be two. All lines will get you access to the same exact menu with the same exact food!
There’s nothing special about the main entrance line unless you really have your heart set on watching a machine press apple mush into cider. I frankly have more pressing priorities like seeing how many doughnuts I can scarf down before the guilt catches up with me. All entrances accept card, no minimum.
As for the cider, it’s a touch more sugary than I’d like it to be. It also tastes as if there are spices added as opposed to other cider mills that have a clean, clear apple flavor. The doughnuts are good but I haven’t managed to get them super fresh yet. They’re more flavorful than those at other cider mills. They also offer gluten-​free doughnuts (cinnamon only) for ~$ 2.50 for 2. These come frozen so they have to be microwaved.
And yes, there are bees. Even on cold, crisp days. I’m not particular squeamish or flighty at the sight of a bee, but I’d rather they not swarm my toddler or attempt to do backstrokes in my cider. I nearly took a sip of my cider before realizing that there was a bee perched right where my lips were about to touch the lid of my drink. That would’ve been unpleasant.
They also sell fudge (it’s always neat to watch it being made), hotdogs, and pumpkins. There’s also a goat and sheep corral/​petting zoo of sorts as well as a pony ride area. Lastly there’s an unpaved trail right beside the creek that apparently leads to a dead end. Restrooms are portapotties.

I visited Yates for the first time recently and was amazed at how busy this place was. We waited in line for over a half hour for cider and donuts. Luckily, there was lots of people– and dog-​watching.
Their cider? Decent. Too clear, too much like apple juice. Their donuts? KAJDKFAJF OMG best cider mill donuts I’ve ever had. Served fresh and warm, just the way God intended.
The mill has plenty of seating and grassy areas throughout for those who want to hang out. The grounds are beautiful. I really enjoyed my visit. Although I’m not one for crowds, I’ll probably keep Yates in my cider mill rotation because those donuts were to die for.

Please pay careful attention to the 1 – 2 star reviews here!
First, let’s all thank the overly insecure dog owners for turning this into a dog park. Because that’s exactly what it has become. A place to take your dog, and get cider. Congratulations for ruining it for those of us that understand the place for a dog is at home.
Second, the cider is really watered down, heavily filtered to the point it is apple juice. It’s no longer real cider so don’t bother. Go to a real orchard instead. Sure the donuts are decent, but really aren’t they decent everywhere? Michigan cider is darker, thicker, rich, and wholesome. This place sells grocery store fake cider.
Bring a bee suit because you’ll need it here!
Overall why bother with this place when there are tons of real orchards another 10 – 20 minutes north?

Nothing says fall weather quite like jeans, hoodies and Yates Cider and Donuts.
My boyfriend and I stopped here today for a quick fix. Plenty of parking and lots of people for a rainy day.
Everyone was very helpful and friendly. Prices are easy to read. Donuts are always made fresh since it’s hard to even keep them on the shelves. While waiting in line you can read up on Yates history, 151 years of Yates.
Best Cider and donuts in town.
Lots of bees, as always but less likely to find them closer to the river. My boyfriend and I enjoy walking down the trails and relaxing by the river.
Pony rides for kids Saturday and Sunday (maximum weight 80lbs)
Feed the goats for $.25. Goat chow located in the apple tent. Snack and Sundae stands open on Saturday and Sunday. Fudge and Apple Stand open throughout the season.
Perfect family place! I’ll definitely be back multiple times this year.