Kick off your autumn with a fun, seasonal family ritual: apple picking! Get the kids together and spend a day in an idyllic farm setting, filling up bushels with fresh, crisp apples straight off the tree. Picnic on the grounds, pick up a pumpkin for future Halloween fun, and stock up on enough apples to fill lunch-boxes and pies for weeks.
Shorter days and crisper weather means it’s officially apple pie, apple cobbler, and apple crumble season. Celebrate this sweet time of year by packing up the car and doing a mini road trip to one of the top five Bay Area apple picking spots. Parents, babysitters, and nannies alike can entertain kids for an entire day at any of these great places.
Chileno Valley Ranch
Address: 5105 Chileno Valley Road, Petaluma, CA 94952
Hours: Pick-your-own apples every Sunday in September (and October, depending on crops) from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Call ahead for availability.)
Phone: 707-765-6664
Fees: Discounted family price with reservation, $6 | Day-of family price, $10 | Pick-your-own apples, $2 per pound
Plan your perfect September or October Sunday at Chileno Valley Ranch with their 20 varieties of apples. Meet the resident sheep and cows on a farm tour, where you can snack on fallen apples as you frolic with cute barnyard animals. You’ll want to pack a few things for your apple picking day: hand sanitizer for the bathroom, bags for your apples, and a blanket for your picnic. Buy local honey, cheese, olive oil, and cups of apple juice at the farm. Save puppy playtime for when you head home to bake pies because dogs are not allowed at the ranch. Parking is available, and volunteers will guide you from the lot to the ranch.
Next stop? Make a reservation to transform your apple bushels into fresh apple juice at the nearby Slow Food Russian River apple press.
Ratzlaff Ranch
Address: 13128 Occidental Road, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 707-823-0538
Fees: Pick-your-own apples, $1.50 per pound
Choose from among four classic apples: Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, Roman Beauty, and Granny Smith. Pick-your-own apples are available in September and October at this sprawling, breathtaking orchard. Call ahead to make sure the season is in full swing and to find a good day to pick apples. Fresh Apple-A-Day juice and cider are always available. The vibe is laid back, the apples are incredible, and the juice earns non-stop rave reviews. What more could you want for a dreamy autumn day of family fun?
Swanton Pacific Ranch
Address: 480 Swanton Road, Davenport, CA 95017
Hours: Pick-your-own apples, Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m – 4 p.m.
Phone: 831-458-5410
Fees: Pick-your-own apples, $2.50 per pound
The season at Swanton Pacific Ranch runs from August through October, and there are 16 gorgeous varieties to choose from, including Fuji, Golden Russet, and Suntan. The website lays out info on each variety and includes tasting notes and pairing ideas, so you know exactly what to do with what you pick. The 2-acre orchard is certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers, and the varieties cycle throughout the season.
Gabriel Farm
Address: 3175 Sullivan Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472
Hours: Open Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Phone: 707-829-0617
Fees: $39 membership/ $2.50 per pound U-Pick
What says Northern California fall like a sun-dappled picnic under a persimmon tree? At Gabriel Farm, you can stock up on McIntosh, Gravenstein, Gala, Braeburn, Gilbert Golden Delicious, Fuji and Rome apples. Availability shifts throughout the season, so call ahead if you’re in the mood to pick a specific kind of apple. Gabriel Farm’s U-Pick program requires a one time membership fee, which entitles you to unlimited fruit picking and a case of apple and asian pear juice. Enjoy a full season of fruit picking and use your membership to pick everything from raspberries to pineapple guavas. Word to the wise: Except for service-animals, dogs are not allowed on the grounds.
Clearview Organic Orchards
Address: 646 Trabing Road, Watsonville, CA 95076
Hours: Pick-your-own apples Sept. 16 – Oct. 29, Saturdays & Sundays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Phone: 408-472-1958
Fees: $2.00 per pound
Clearview Organic Orchards’ Pick-your-own apple season starts Sept. 16 and continues through Oct. 29, when you can pick Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Mutsu apples. Then, purchase some local honey and dried lavender grown on the property or some homemade apple turnovers and Fuji apple butter. Get the family together, make some gorgeous memories, and enjoy fun, edible souvenirs that will keep the fall spirit alive at home.
