Where to Go Apple Picking Near Los Angeles
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Mine and Nickās 3rd wedding anniversary is today, October 28th! See pictures from our wedding here. We celebrated it last weekend in Carmel, but also this past weekend by apple picking! We tried to go earlier this month and werenāt able to due to fires, so Iām super glad we were able to go! It is a little touch of fall and a fun little getaway from LA for the day. All of the apple orchards are in Oak Glen, which is about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, no traffic. I researched quite a bit before going and was still kind of surprised by our visit, so I thought Iād share that knowledge with you, so your trip can be better! I wasnāt bad by any means, I just know some things to do differently now. We will for sure be back though. I love supporting local businesses and picking my own produce.
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WHEN TO GO
Apple picking season is usually around September and October, sometimes going into November if there is fruit still on the trees. Most of the farms sell other produce though, so there are lots of times throughout the year. I would look at their website and facebook pages for updates on picking season. They do things like pumpkins, strawberries, pears, raspberries, blueberries, and even some flowers, in addition to apples!
WHAT TO WEAR
It is cold in the morning and warms up during the day. I would for sure wear pants and closed toed shoes, plus dress in layers so you arenāt sweating. Sunscreen and hats help too.
WHAT TO BRING
Most of the places take card, but we brought cash too. You donāt need to bring apple picking supplies, as they provide them and often wonāt allow you to bring your own.
WHERE TO GO
There are several options, but these were my favorite when I researched. Like I mentioned, they are close to each other, so you can easily visit several!
Rileyās Farm - This is where we went! Is is one of the big names and is beautiful. They have a bakery, a store, and do living history. They let us try the apples before picking, which was great. Our favorite was the Golden Delicious, so we tried to pick those where we could. The trees were noted with different colored ribbons, to show what kind of apple it was. We picked Golden Delicious and Pink Lady apples for $3.50 per pound. We purchased fresh cider, apple butter and raw honey as well.
Los Rios Rancho - We didnāt go here, but it was one of my top picks. It is also owned by Rileyās and is only a little further up the road. They had different kinds of apple to pick in comparison to Rileyās Farm, ie at Rileyās you could buy Arkansas Black, but couldnāt pick them. You can pick them at Los Rios. Fun Fact: The Arkansas Black was Walt Disneyās favorite apple and was what Snow Whiteās apple was modeled after. They also have U-press cider here! The apples are $3-$5 per pound depending on the variety. They have more āexoticā apple varieties in comparison to Rileyās farm, so the pricing doesnāt surprise me.
Willowbrook Apple Farm - Another place we didnāt go, but it appeared to be awesome. Something that makes them different is their caramel apple station. Other Rileyās has animals on their farm, but they have some fun ones like a mini-donkey, a mini-horse, and a piglet! Every Saturday and Sunday during October they have wine and sāmores from 4:00 - 5:30 pm. I would have loved to stay for that!! They also a press your own cider station too. Iām not sure of their pricing.
Snowline Orchard - Okay so not a u-pick, but I had to share it because we loved it. Why? APPLE CIDER DONUTS. I was so surprised that more places didnāt have donutsā¦ They sell mini donuts and are wonderful. You can of course buy apple, cider, and all the goods here. There are some picnic tables too, so feel free to bring a lunch!
TIPS
Go early. Most apple places open around 9 am. The earlier you get there the, the better Iād say. It will be cooler, less crowded. ALSO, try going when the season starts. You arenāt guaranteed fruit, so if it is a must for you, make it a priority. Again, check their websites and Facebook pages for updates before going.
Screenshot directions. Chances are that your phone will drop out of service range, so screenshot directions, so you can make sure you know where to go, if you are directionally challenged like me.
Go further up. So this is my biggest tip. Rileyās was great, but it is such a big name, a lot of people go there. I think we would have had a better picking time this late in the season. Rileyās was pretty bare and as we drove up to Snowline, was saw that Los Rios Ranchos still had a lot of fruit. That being said, Willowbrook is already closed for the season, sooo yeah. Next time, I will for sure being going further up the road for more fruit and less people.
Photos. They allow photos, so bring cameras if you want. They encourage things like Christmas pictures and such!
Dogs. Dogs are allowed too! I thought they werenāt, so we didnāt bring Dino. Iām not sure if every place allows dogs, but Rileyās Farm for sure does!
Have you been apple picking in LA? Have a favorite spot?! Do share so I can go next season! In Dallas we got to go to Henrietta Creek Apple Orchard but were only able to once, because the harsh winters kept causing rot. We did make it a yearly tradition to pick blueberries at Blase Farm though! Iām excited to be able to visit u-pick farms more often now that we are in Los Angeles though!!
P.S. My favorite recipes using apples so far are:
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