2024 San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

San Luis Obispo County

• Avila Valley Barn - Apples, nectarines, olallieberries, peaches, pumpkins, Other fruit or veg, Precut Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths and boughs, Mistletoe, Christmas decorations, trees tied, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, straw or hay bale maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
  560 Avila Valley Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93402. Phone: 805-595-2810. Email: customer_support@avilavalleybarn.com. Open: seasonally from May through December, 9 am to 6 pm, Call to Confirm the schedules since due to drought, Olallieberry and Peach u-pick schedule is sporatic; Please call ahead to see if we will have them available. Directions: Coming north or south on Hwy 101 take the Avila Valley Drive exit and go west. Avila Valley Barn is located just past Ontario Rd on the right side. Parking available on property. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Fax:click here for picking updates Our farm tractors will bring you to our berry patches and fruit orchards. We also grow and sell the following fruit: olallieberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, white peaches, nectarines, white nectarines, apriums, pluots, pears, gravenstein apples, gala apples, golden delicious apples, mutsu apples, jonagold apples, braeburn apples, fuji apples, empire apples, granny smith apples, laura red apples. We also grow and sell the following vegetables: tomatoes, sweet onions, summer squash, green beans, and winter squash. Anything we don't grow on our farms, we get from neighboring farms including broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, potatoes, peppers, garlic, green onions, eggplant, green and red cabbages, carrots, leeks, brussel sprouts, fresh herbs, cilantro, parsley, and basil. There is nothing more pleasurable than picking plump, juicy, sweet berries right from the vines or plucking that perfect apple or peach straight from the tree in the warmth of summer. In the fall, you can discover your own ideal pumpkin nestled away in one of our many pumpkin patches. Our farm tractors will bring you to our berry patches and fruit orchards. Call to Confirm the schedules:. (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on July 02, 2016: Apple picking starts in September and pumpkins in October. The farm also offers a market, hay-bale maze, hot roasted corn harvested from its fields, and fresh-baked pies, including olallieberry and pumpkin pie. You can feed the goats, pigs, cow, ponies, ostrich, peacocks, turtle, etc.. Hayrides for fruit picking and pumpkins too. A haybale maze for the little ones and one for the adults. Christmas trees already cut for sale. Nice clean restroomsThey sell BBQ'd corn, fresh apple cider and great coffee.
  Comments from a visitor on March 07, 2009: "While we haven't been recently, it's a real gem of the Central Coast. The staff is so friendly and helpful. The produce is wonderful! "
• BeeWench Farm - Registered naturally grown, apples, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, horseradish, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, Turkeys, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals, school tours, group reservations
  198 San Juan Rd, Shandon, CA 93461. Phone: 805-423-7187. Email: info@beewenchfarm.com. Open: Thursday and Friday 9am to 1pm By appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  BeeWench Farm Facebook page. We are registered naturally grown for all cropsis located on 10 beautiful acres in Shandon where we raise pastured chicken, pastured pork, dairy goats and hens for eggs. We sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets, on the farm and via the Community Supported Agriculture model. Our pastured chicken is also featured on the menu at local restaurants specializing in fresh, organically grown food. (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS) ((ADDED: February 18, 2015)
• Cal Poly Fruit and Crops - apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, citrus, olallieberries, pears, peaches, pumpkins, raspberries
  California Polytechnic State University Use the Highland Drive entrance off of Hwy 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. Phone: 805-756-2224. Email: orchardmanager@calpolyfruitandcrops.com. Directions: From Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, Take Highway 1 north toward Morro Bay, Right on Highland Drive, Follow the signs to the designated U-Pick area, Enter campus at Santa Rosa and Highland Road \(u-pick sign posted\). Take Highland Road straight until you come to the first road on your left - Mount Bishop \(u-pick sign posted\) - take a left. Make another immediate left on the driveway located next to the . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, credit cards. . Better call before you go; their website disappeared over the winter, so I put a link to the department's website; Saturdays 10am to 1pm Occasionally Wednesdays 3pm to 5pm Picking is available when the crops are readyFrom Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, Take Highway 1 north toward Morro Bay, Right on Highland Drive, Follow the signs to the designated U-Pick area, Enter campus at Santa Rosa and Highland Road (u-pick sign posted). Take Highland Road straight until you come to the first road on your left - Mount Bishop (u-pick sign posted) - take a left. Make another immediate left on the driveway located next to the Crops Unit (u-pick sign posted). Follow the driveway down until it becomes a dirt parking lot (u-pick sign posted). You will keep driving straight through this parking lot (running parallel with Highland Road) until you see the entrance to the Bramson Trail (u-pick signs posted on the right-hand side). Follow the path to the entrance to the first field on your right (orange cones at the entrance to the field). Enter the field and stay on the gravel road. You will dead end at the u-pick orchard. Take a left and park at the far end of the field. Parking is free on weekendsCrops are usually available all yearWe have Satsuma Tangerines in the Winter months and Various Navel Oranges, blood oranges and other citrus for most of the year. We also have many varieties of prepicked avocados that change throughout the year.April: at Cal Poly Orchards - Citrus Field - Moro Blood Oranges, Tarocco Blood Oranges, Daisy Mandarins, Pixie Mandarins & Gold Nugget Mandarins in 2023 are $2.50/pound . Blueberries are open in April, price in 2023 is $7/pound Feel free to bring your own clippers and a bag to pick into! please leave your pets at home (UPDATED: April 27, 2023, JBS)
• McCall Farm B&B - apples, avocados, peppers, plums, tomatoes, pumpkins
  6250 Santa Rosa Creek Road, Cambria, CA . Phone: 805-927-3140. Email: mccallfarm@earthlink.net. Click here for a map and directions. . Apples: mid August through October, Avocados: Year round, Peppers: mid August through October, Plums: July, Tomatoes: mid August through October, Oranges: Year round, Pumpkins: October. The farm's largest crop is the avocado trees that cover the upper hillside.
• SLO Creek Farms - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, apples, crabapples, beans, beets, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, flowers, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, porta-potties are available, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  6455 Monte Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Phone: (702)245-3135. Email: slocreekfarms@live.com. Open: everyday, from 11 am to 5 pm, Mid August through Mid December. Directions: On the East side of highway 101 and San Luis Bay Drive. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  SLO Creek Farms Facebook page. Fax: (702)261-0060 Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesWe do not use pesticides on the crops U-Pick Organic Apples. Start a family tradition by visiting in beautiful San Luis Obispo, CA. We invite you and your family to come wander our orchard as you search for the best apples. Grab one of our apple baskets to fill with the apples you choose straight from the tree. Make sure you taste the apples and eat as many as you can along the way. It's free to pick, just purchase the apples you take home with you. With 40 acres of organic apple trees, there are plenty to go around. Go ahead and bring your friends and family and make picking apples a fun family event. We have the following apples: Jonalicious, Empire, Early Fuji, Gala, September Wonders, Sundancers, Granny Smith, and Braeburn. More details about each variety are listed on the apple schedule page. All Ages Welcome! (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on September 22, 2011: "This is a beautiful place to bring your friends and family.They also have pick your own crab apples (aka, crabapples)"

Santa Barbara County

• Ballard Apple Farm and Seein' Spots Miniature Donkeys - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, restrooms, picnic area, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, school tours
  2599 Baseline Avenue, Solvang, CA 93463. Phone: 805-688-2275. Email: linda@seeinspotsfarm.com. Open: Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00 all year long. Directions: Located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley in beautiful Ballard. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. We are . From highway 154 take the Ballard turnoff and follow Baseline Avenue about three miles. From Solvang going toward Santa Ynez turn left on Rufugio Road and left again on Baseline Avenue and we are about a half mile down on the right. You will see a red sign with donkeys out front. Drive up to the barn and park. Apricots: July Apples: September through December Eggs: All year long Our Miniature Donkey Petting Zoo and Kiddie Rides are available all year and we always have babies to play with!. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicWe are a family run miniature farm and we love to share our animals. We have Kiddie Rides for small children on our miniature donkeys and donkey hugs are always available to everyone!. We are a small family farm located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley about 30 miles north of Santa Barbara. Our donkey farm was originally The Ballard Apple farm with over 800 apple trees. We now have 80 trees with 12 different varieties, some of them antique varieties from Europe. Families have been coming to our farm to pick apples for many years. Our picking season usually runs from late August to November. Most of the land is now being used for our precious Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys.
• Summerset Farm - Certified Organic, apples, blackberries, raspberries (Autumn, red), strawberries, pumpkins for sale in the shop or farmstand, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, Bounce house, porta-potties, Inflatables/bounce house, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  3450 Baseline Ave, Santa Ynez, CA 93460. Phone: (805) 245-0989. Email: summersetfarmsyv@gmail.com. Open: Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 am to 4:30 pm. Directions: Hwy 154 At Baseline & Edison. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Summerset Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 805-895-7902We are certified organic for all crops! Come pick your own from our bumper crop! We have the traditional orange pumpkins, as well as others in greens, pinks, and blues in our farm market or you can find your perfect pick at the Summerset Farm Pumpkin Patch! There are also u-pick apples and berries. We also have a large selection of local items, such as honey, eggs, jams, and pickles. (UPDATED: October 21, 2022) A visitor writes on October 25, 2009: "I have been there a few times. It has an open barn feeling. Friendly, busy place for fresh produce all year. Fun place for kids and to take photos. "
  Comments from a visitor on June 30, 2010: "Went in June so we picked berries. They'd just finished their artichoke season and they have other crops and a pumpkin patch in the fall.,The farm is small but friendly and very convenient just off the main road and easy to pick fruit and vegetables in a contained area with a variety of easily-accessible produce. Also, right in the middle of Santa Ynez wine country so just adds to the experience of the region!"

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

• Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
• Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
• For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
• Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
  Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
• Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

• Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
• Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
• Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
• Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
• Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

• How to make applesauce
• How to make apple butter 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• Home canned apple juice

New!As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

• Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple cobbler
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
• Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

• How to stop cut apples from browning
• Apple festivals - find one near you!
• Apple facts
• Apple seeds and cyanide

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers