When daylight hours shorten and stores stock Halloween decor, autumn is in full swing. That’s also when California’s orchards overflow with apples, including famous varieties like Gala and Granny Smith and lesser-known heirlooms like Golden Russet and Glen Seedling.
This fall, savor the sweater-weather season at the state’s u-pick farms, where you can wander the orchards, pick perfectly ripe apples, and sample the very best apple cider donuts.
When Is Apple Picking Season in California?
Whether you’re craving tart Granny Smiths or sweet Fujis, you’ll find most California apples ripen in September and October—and that’s when farms open their gates for u-pick harvesting.
Some apple farms are open daily during harvest season, but many have specific dates and times for public picking. Some require advance reservations. Check u-pick schedules and reservation requirements on each orchard’s website before traveling.
Apple Picking Tips
Picking apples is a “country” experience, so leave your flip-flops at home. Close-toed sneakers or shoes are best for trekking around the farm.
Because autumn days in California are typically sunny, don’t forget a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Pack along a full water bottle, too.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Apple Picking in Oak Glen, San Bernardino County
Just 80 miles east of Los Angeles, you’ll find an apple-picking haven in Oak Glen. The Inland Empire village sits 1 mile high in the San Bernardino Mountain foothills, where a four-season climate brings autumn colors and winter snow.
Start your visit at Los Rios Rancho, which has been operating since 1906 and is one of Oak Glen’s oldest and largest orchards. Head to the white tent to grab a picking bag and pole, then start harvesting fruit from one of the 8,000-plus apple trees. When your bag is full, heft it to the register and pay by the pound.
There’s much more to do on the 300-acre ranch: Try your hand at cider pressing, shop for gifts at Wilshire’s Apple Shed, or walk along 5 miles of nature trails. Kids can enjoy a hangout session with the barnyard animals—goats, sheep, llamas, miniature horses, and more—or go for a horse-drawn wagon ride.
Only a mile away, Riley’s Farm is famous for its pie-laden bakery, dinner theater, and living history events, but many people come just to pick apples (Saturdays are u-pick days). The farm grows 30-plus heirloom varieties including Braeburn, Senshu, and Gala.
For a more intimate apple-picking experience, head to the smaller Stone Pantry Orchard, where the branches are heavy with Gravensteins and Glen Seedlings, a variety that grows only in Oak Glen. You can also press your own cider or pick Bartlett pears and blackberries.
No matter where you pick apples, don’t leave Oak Glen without popping in to Snow-Line Orchard for mini apple cider donuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Apple Picking in Julian, San Diego County
The time between mid-September and late October is prime time to pick apples, sip steaming cups of cider, and spoon up warm apple pie. in Julian, in the eastern section of San Diego County. The mountain village has an authentic Old West twang—its wooden sidewalks edging Victorian buildings, old-timey bakeries, and cider shops, and 1870s gold mining relics. At every eatery in town, apple pie headlines the menu.
Julian celebrates the harvest for a solid three months, but the u-pick season typically only lasts mid-September to late October.
Make a reservation at Julian Farm & Orchard and take a 30-minute orchard tour with an apple-savvy guide before picking some of the farm’s 15 varieties of apples. Or stop by 3803 Wynola Road (also known as Old Peacefield Orchard), which hosts u-pick weekends in September and October. The orchard bears Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Jonathan, Jonagold, and Granny Smith apples.
Four miles from downtown Julian, Volcan Valley Apple Farm boasts 8,000 trellis-grown apple trees that produce crowd-pleasing Fujis and six other varieties (check social media for u-pick dates). The farm store also sells beautiful handcrafted soaps. Nearby, Crosscut Farm and Orchard hosts u-pick sessions for Golden Delicious, Jonathan, and Liberty apples (reservations required).
Both farms are near the Volcan Mountain Trailhead, where you can hike the Five Oaks Trail to see black oaks do their autumn color-changing trick.
CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST
Apple Picking in Santa Cruz County
Fifteen miles north of Santa Cruz, the Swanton Pacific Ranch is operated by agriculture students and faculty from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. On only two acres of orchards, the coastal ranch yields five tons of organic apples annually. Sixteen varieties ripen throughout the season, starting with Lodi, Gravenstein, and Gingergold in late August, and extending to Granny Smith, Yellow Pippin, and Golden Russet apples in October. Visitors can pick apples any time the ranch is open; no reservations are needed.
Heading inland from the ocean to Watsonville, you’ll find u-pick orchards overflowing with Gala and Fuji apples. Gizdich Ranch is a popular stop for weekend apple-picking. Even when u-pick is not offered, its pie shop and deli sells apple pies, apple dumplings, apple slushies, and more.
Seven miles west, Clearview Orchards is a family-owned, certified organic farm with dwarf-sized apple trees, making picking easy even for young kids (reservations are required). Don’t leave the farm without biting into an apple turnover from Clearview’s Apple Barn.
Apple Picking in San Luis Obispo County
Just about anything grows in San Luis Obispo’s rich soil, but the micro-climate in the See Canyon and Avila Valley region is ideal for apples. At Avila Valley Barn, stroll along a dirt road to the orchards, then take your pick from a half-dozen varieties, including Gala, Jonalicious, and Fuji. After your harvest, head to the farm stand for caramel apples, apple pie, or apple strudel ice cream.
Five minutes’ drive north in San Luis Obispo, you can fill your basket with Braeburns, September Wonders, Jonalicious, and Sundancers at the 14-acre SLO Creek Farms. The family-owned farm also has u-pick flowers and pumpkins, plus locally made apple brandy.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Apple Picking in Apple Hill, El Dorado County
Apple Hill is not a census-designated place but rather a rural collective of apple orchards, farms, bakeries, and wineries in the foothill towns of Placerville, Camino, and Pollock Pines—midway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.
Autumn is Apple Hill’s grandstand season, when apple growers flaunt their crops. Download the Apple Hill app to locate u-pick orchards including O’Halloran’s Apple Trail Ranch, Apple Ridge Farms, and Pine-O-Mine Ranch. The harvest starts in late August with Jonathan, Gravenstein, and Gala apples and extends into late October, when Fuji, Pink Lady, and Arkansas Blacks ripen.
Like many other apple-centric destinations, Apple Hill serves its own version of much-loved apple cider donuts. Expect a long line at the bakeshop at Rainbow Orchards, but it’s worth waiting for these piping-hot treats. You can pick up whole pies and jugs of apple cider, too.
Apple Picking in Sonoma County
Apples may seem like the classic autumn fruit, but Gravenstein apples ripen in the heat of summer. The red-marbled fruit are Sebastopol’s signature crop and the star of the town’s annual Gravenstein Apple Fair.
Harvest your own sweet-tart Gravensteins with a u-pick reservation at Earthseed Farm, a solar-powered, organic permaculture farm that embraces Afro-Indigenous farming practices. When the Gravensteins are gone, Earthseed’s other varieties are just getting ripe. Throughout fall you can pick Gala, Braeburn, Fuji, and Rome apples and shop the farm store for apple-pear juice, handmade herbal products, and beautiful African baskets.
Sebastopol’s Apple-a-Day at Ratzlaff Ranch hosts u-pick sessions for Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, and Rome apples. Kids will enjoy picking from the ranch’s dwarf-sized trees and sipping fresh, chilled apple juice.
A few miles west in Petaluma, Chileno Valley Ranch hosts u-pick days every Sunday during harvest season (reservations required). Apple varieties include Orin, Pinova, Candy Crisp, and Jonagold—all great choices for baking and eating.
GREAT CALIFORNIA APPLE FESTIVALS
Another great way to celebrate California’s apple harvest is to attend one of the state’s apple festivals. These annual events bring together farmers, artisan food producers, craftspeople, and apple lovers. Plan to arrive with an empty stomach so you can taste apple sauce, apple fritters, apple juice, apple cider, apple pie, and apple butter at these events:
Gravenstein Apple Fair, Sebastopol – August
Fortuna Apple Harvest Festival, Fortuna – October
Johnny Appleseed Days, Paradise – October
Springville Apple and Arts Festival, Springville – October
Manton Apple Festival, Manton – October
Apple Butter Festival, Oak Glen – November
For more harvest season fun, check out various events around California in September, October, and November. While you’re at it, explore these spots that display plenty of fall color, and explore more u-pick farms around California that offer hands-on produce during other seasons.