Apple Hill Trail
Eight u-pick orchards along 12 miles of Apple Hill Drive in the Sierra Nevada foothills — California's most concentrated apple trail, 40 miles east of Sacramento.
What's ripe, month by month
- June — Reservation-only blueberry season at Rainbow Orchards — one of the few times the trail opens before fall. Book early; dates fill within days of release.
- July – August — Blackberries and raspberries at Patrick's Berry Farm, and early apple varieties begin in late August. A quieter window before the fall rush.
- September — Apple season proper begins — Galas, Fujis, Jonagolds, and dozens of heirloom varieties. Weekends get busy; go early or midweek.
- October — Peak season: full apple selection at every orchard, pumpkin patches open, and the mountain air turns crisp. The busiest and most festive month on the trail.
- November — Late keepers and cider apples linger into early November. Crowds drop sharply after Halloween — a quieter way to experience the trail.
The stops, in drive order
A suggested order — every stop is minutes from the next, so reshuffle freely around what's ripe and what's open the day you go.
- 1Season: Aug–Dec
The trail's largest anchor farm — u-pick apples across many varieties, a pumpkin patch, a from-scratch bakery, and enough family attractions to spend a half-day here alone.
ApplesPumpkins - 2Season: Aug–Dec
A family-run ranch since 1968 offering u-pick across 16 apple varieties, pears, and pumpkins. One of the most consistent stops on the trail for both early and late apple varieties.
ApplesPearsPumpkins - 3Season: Sep–Oct
Pick apples and Concord grapes from trees over 80 years old — the oldest working orchard on the trail and the place to come if heirloom variety depth matters.
ApplesGrapes - 4Season: Aug–Dec
Named for Placerville's Gold Rush past, this orchard adds chestnuts and persimmons to the usual apple and pear mix — good for a late-fall stop when other farms wind down.
ApplesPearsPersimmonsNuts - 5Season: Aug–Nov
A classic Apple Hill family orchard where hand-picking crisp fall apples is the whole point — no frills, good fruit, and reliably open through the season.
Apples - 6Season: Sep–Oct
Apples and pumpkins in a canyon setting on the quieter north end of the trail — a lower-key stop that pairs well with a morning at High Hill Ranch.
ApplesPumpkins - 7Patrick's Berry Farm & GardenPickable nowSeason: Jun–Sep
A third-generation farm that brings summer berries to an apple-dominated trail — pick blackberries and raspberries mid-summer, well before the fall crowds arrive.
Mixed BerriesBlackberriesRaspberries - 8Rainbow Orchards (Rainbow Camino Ridge)Pickable nowSeason: JunReservation required
A third-generation farm offering reservation-only blueberry u-pick on select June weekends — the trail's earliest season stop and one of the few off-peak reasons to visit before September.
BlueberriesMixed Berries
Mixed Berries
Blackberries
Raspberries
BlueberriesA suggested day
- 9:00 AMStart at High Hill Ranch at opening — the trail's biggest farm is best before the weekend crowds build. Pick apples, grab something from the bakery, and get your bearings.
- 10:30 AMWork south to O'Halloran's Apple Trail Ranch and Argyres Orchard. Argyres has the trail's oldest trees — 80-plus-year-old apple and Concord grape rows.
- 12:30 PMLunch in Placerville, 10 minutes downhill from the trail — the Gold Rush-era downtown has several good spots for a mid-day break.
- 2:00 PMReturn for the north end: Hangtown Kid for chestnuts and persimmons, then Goyette's North Canyon Ranch for pumpkins in a quieter canyon setting.
- 4:00 PMEnd with Apple Ridge Farms or Patrick's Berry Farm — pick a final bag of apples or summer berries and load the cooler for the drive back to Sacramento.
Before you go
- ✓The trail is at 2,000–3,500 feet elevation — bring a layer even in September, and check for early-season snow above 3,000 feet in November.
- ✓October weekends are extremely busy. Arrive before 10 AM or go on a Tuesday or Wednesday — parking and picking are dramatically more relaxed midweek.
- ✓Most farms charge by the pound or by the bag. Cash moves faster at popular stops like High Hill Ranch where lines form at the register.
- ✓Rainbow Orchards blueberry u-pick is reservation-only in June and sells out fast. Sign up for their email list at the orchard or through the Apple Hill Growers website.
- ✓A printed Apple Hill Growers map (free at most farms) shows which farms are open on a given day — not every farm is open every day, especially early and late season.
Frequently asked
- When is Apple Hill apple season?
- Apple season runs roughly mid-August through early November, with peak variety and crowds in September and October. Blueberries open in June, and blackberries and raspberries run July through August.
- How far is Apple Hill from Sacramento?
- About 40 miles east via Highway 50 — roughly 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. From the Bay Area it's about two hours.
- How many farms can I visit in a day?
- Three to four comfortably. The farms are clustered within 12 miles, so driving time is minimal — your limit is picking time and how many apples you can carry.
- Do Apple Hill farms require reservations?
- Most don't — walk-in u-pick is the norm. Rainbow Orchards blueberry season is the main exception and requires reservations. Check individual farm pages for current policies.
- Is Apple Hill good for kids?
- Yes — several farms have added family attractions specifically for fall visitors. High Hill Ranch has the most, with a pumpkin patch and bakery alongside the orchard.