Make your way to California’s five major apple-growing regions and experience the great health benefits of America's second-favorite fruit: apples. Create lasting memories with family and friends, stroll through acres of local apple orchards, support organic farming practices, and reduce your carbon footprint one apple at a time by going apple picking this season.
According to the California Foundation for Agriculture, eating a medium-sized apple covers 20 percent of your daily requirement for dietary fiber and 8 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin C. Apples also contain no fat, cholesterol, or sodium and are a healthy source of potassium—maybe an apple a day does keep the doctor away after all. With nearly 13,000 acres dedicated exclusively to apple production and 1.5 to 2.5 million boxes of apples produced each year in California, there’s no better place to test the theory.
This is the best time to go apple picking
Each one of the many apple varieties grown in California ripens at a different period. The apple harvest season begins in mid-July and continues throughout late summer and fall, so now’s your chance to pluck your own the fruit right off the tree—it doesn’t get fresher than that.
Whether your apples are destined to become a part of a tasty pie, served in a savory stuffing, or dried for your morning muesli, California’s A-list apple-picking orchards welcome you to experience a farmer’s life for a day.
Where to go Apple Picking in Southern California