2024 Southwest Colorado Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Southwest Colorado 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

Delta County

• Camelot Farms - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, cherries, herbs or spices, lavender, pears, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), tomatoes, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours
  15911 Black Bridge Road, Paonia, CO 81428. Phone: 970 527 3194. Email: toniharmony@yahoo.com. Open: UPDATE for 2021, Their website and Facebook pages are gone or outdated - I presume they have closed. Directions: If you are coming from Carbondale you well be taking a left off of Highway 133 onto Black Bridge Road Then your first Right on Black Bridge Road it\'s a long Driveway. If you are coming from Delta it will be a Right hand turn onto Black Bridge. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Alternate Phone: 970 309 3183Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me. Monday through Sunday 8 am to 8 pm July 1st Through November 7thIf you are coming from Carbondale you well be taking a left off of Highway 133 onto Black Bridge Road Then your first Right on Black Bridge Road it's a long Driveway. If you are coming from Delta it will be a Right hand turn onto Black Bridge We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. We have a country farm market with fruit, flowers, vegetables, jams, fruit butters, local jewelry, and much more.
• Delicious Orchards - Certified organic, U-pick organic fruit: cherries, apples, peaches, apricots, pears, nectarines, raspberries, grapes, winter squash, apple cider, hard cider
  39126 Hwy. 133, Hotchkiss, CO 81419. Phone: (970) 527-1110. Email: info@bigbs.com. Open: Daily, 8 am to 6 pm Also Wine tasting, local produce, cheese, gifts, deli, campground, picnics. Directions: Located in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, one mile west of Paonia on CO Hwy 133. Click here for a map and directions. . Varieties to pick include: Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonathan, Macintosh, Winter Squash, Peaches, Tomatoes, Basil, Pears, Raspberries, Grapes. Our high elevation, Rocky Mountain water, cold nights and warm days produce some of the finest fruits in the world! Big B's produces a full line of organic and local juices and ciders from Western Slope fruit at our manufacturing plant located in the town of Hotchkiss. We're happy to answer u-pick questions during the fruit growing season, get you registered for camping, or introduce you to our award winning hard ciders. You can enjoy a meal in the cafe and try out our famous tree swings in the courtyard (at your own risk, of course!) offers free live music regularly throughout the summer with outdoor BBQ's. (UPDATED: October 25, 2019, JBS)
• Full Spectrum Farms - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, cherries, corn (sweet), nectarines, peaches, plums, summer squash, Fresh eggs
  16877 Grange Road, Paonia, CO 81428. Phone: (720) 256-3364. Email: info@theyakboys.com. Open: Wednesday 7 am to 7 pm Sundays 2 pm to 7pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Cherries - Late June/Early July Most others August - October, Pears, Plums, Nectarines, Peaches, and many types of Apples, and they all vary; If you want something specific, we can help plan specific peak times;. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicSeveral cats roam the property, please no other pets. This farm has always used organic practices, since 1974 when it was formed, but we are working to get our organic certification over the next several weeks. (ADDED: June 03, 2019)
• McClure Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, U-Pick apples, pumpkins, corn maze
  4179 O Road, Paonia, CO 81428. Phone: 970-527-6241. Email: mccluresorchard@gmail.com. Open: Opportunities to pick your own apples are generally offered ONLY on Saturdays and Sundays during the fall months. Click here for a map and directions.
  McClure Orchards Facebook page. Eggs, goats, goat milk, lamb and alfalfa hay. Certified Organic. Facebook page. Apple picking season begins approximately mid-July and ends late October. We offer unique gifts for friends of all ages. Hard Cider & Wine Tastings available at the Cafe and Toll House during our hours of operation. They grow around seven thousand trees and approximately 150 varieties of apples. These numbers continue to increase as we plant new varieties and trees each spring. Once picked, our apples are sorted and stored in a large cooler until they are sold in our stores, squeezed into sweet cider or delivered to the kitchen for baking.The Pumpkin Patch is ONLY open on Saturdays & Sundays during the fall months.In 2020, they partnered with a local high school FFA member to offer their first Corn Maze. Presumably, they will do that again in 2021.
• Orchard Valley Farms and Black Ridge Winery - ORGANIC, raspberries, pumpkins, apples, pears, peaches, blackberries, cherries, grapes, farm raised Beef, Weddings, Farm Market, Wine Tasting Room
  15836 Black Bridge Road, Paonia, CO 81428. Phone: 970-527-6838. Email: kendal.butterfield@gmail.com. Open: 9 am to 6 pm, seven days a week, from Memorial Day to Halloween. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions.
  Orchard Valley Farms and Black Ridge Winery Facebook page. . We are open Map. We offer the finest organically grown apples, pears, peaches, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and vegetables in season. Pick your own produce, wander the gardens and orchard, visit our market and wine tasting room. Then picnic along the beautiful Gunnison River. We also have a tempting variety of gourmet products and gifts - vinegars, oils, salsas, jams and jellies, syrups, butters, mustards, chutneys, and honey. Orchard Valley Farms and Market and Black Bridge Winery Facebook page. U-Pick produce - from raspberries in June to pumpkins in October: We sell fresh from the fields in our market. Want even fresher? Pick your own produce. Our fruit orchards, berry patches, vegetable gardens and pumpkin patch give visitors a true farm experience. In season, check our Facebook page or get our e-news to see what's ready for picking. We furnish U-pickers with a wagon to fill with produce (or kids!) and a map of the farm. Their wedding venue gives you access to a riverfront wedding and vineyard reception, complete with views of the West Elk Mountains, luscious green grass, duck pond, bountiful fruit trees, rustic bridge, and lovely farm scenery. Our unique location is available for your dream rehearsal, ceremony, and reception! Here you have the freedom to make your dreams come true for your special day! Contact us for dates and prices: Kendal at 530-205-5409, or Jessi at 970-640-4346, jmheinritz@live.com. Black Bridge Beef - Alongside our orchard and winery, we raise beef. Our cattle are raised with the upmost care and consideration. Enjoy our home-grown, farm-raised beef. Beef is locally raised and sourced here in the North Fork Valley. Complete your dinner tonight with beef! Frozen ground beef, steaks and roasts available. Farm market with Fresh and sustainably grown fruit and produce, plus local to global artisan crafted foods and gifts are available in our Paonia, Colorado farm market and online store. Black Bridge wines are crafted from our West Elks estate grown vineyards or from full-flavored fruit from our orchards. Taste the magic in a glass and discover your favorite wines! Our wines are made in limited quantities and sell out, so we encourage you to stock up when you visit or join our Wine Club for deliveries to your door.
• Uncle Johnny's U-Pick Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, beans, beets, blackberries, cherries, cucumbers, currants (red and black), grapes, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), U-pick and already picked, picnic area, farm animals, weddings and wedding parties
  18561 Surface Creek Road, Cedaredge, CO 81413. Phone: . Email: 22arniebclarke@gmail.com. Open: UPDATE for 2021, The now former owner says they sold the farm, and he expects the new owners will continue it as a U-Pick. Directions: from the stoplight in Cedaredge @main street and highway 65 turn east, travel 1 mile on east main to the rodeo grounds, turn north on surface creek road, go about 1-34 miles to 18561 surface creek road on the left hand side. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Uncle Johnny's U-Pick Farm Email- 7 days a week 8 amto8 pm (by appointment) during harvest seasonfrom the stoplight in Cedaredge @main street and highway 65 turn east, travel 1 mile on east main to the rodeo grounds, turn north on surface creek road, go about 1-3/4 miles to 18561 surface creek road on the left hand sideWe use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationFree range pork is grown on a pre-paid reserved basis by 1/4-1/2 or whole pig. Custom Processing, using your cutting and packaging instructions is extra and will be scheduled when pigs are at their prime.

Fremont County

• Colon Orchards - apples, Fresh eggs, farm market, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), restrooms, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  3175 Grandview Avenue, Canon City, CO 81212. Phone: 719-275-6359. Email: brittalex@hotmail.com. Open: for apple picking daily from 9 am to 6 pm, September 15th to Hard Freeze; The farm stand is open DAILY from July 11th through December, 9 am to 6 pm. Directions: From Denver or Pueblo take Highway 50 South to Canon City. Take a left at first light which is Mackenzie Avenue. At first crossroad take a right on Grandview Avenue. We are about two county blocks down on right hand side. You cant miss us!. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Alternate Phone: 719-240-6359Fax: 719-275-6612grows heritage apples using Integrated Pest Management, as well as a large selection of pumpkins, cucumbers, summer & winter squash, tomatoes and much, much more. We sell locally grown fruits, vegetables, pasta, honey, jams and jellies that are featured from all over the state of Colorado. The corn maze is surely a treat and a different design each year. We always have a great stock of frozen chilis and carry many locals' favorite products such as Buzzy Bee Honey, Women's Bean Project mixes, Honeyville Products, local dry beans, popcorn, Annie B's caramels, Italian Pizzelle cookies and more. sells meat, too! We offer beef, pork and lamb, raised right and with no antibiotics or hormones added. Facebook page. A visitor writes on September 21, 2013: "Me and my family enjoyed the fun and friendly staff. We most liked the corn maze and the kids were better at going through it than me and my wife. We each got a pumpkin to take home and carve. We had been watching the pumpkins grow all summer and look forward to returning this October in 2013"
• Ferrara's Happy Apple Farm - 2024 assumed permanently closed, Apples, Pumpkins
  1190 1st Street, Penrose, CO . Phone: 719-372-6300. Email: atf@bresnan.net. Open: permanently closed. Directions: Located in Southern Colorado in the small town of Penrose. Click here for a map and directions. UPDATE for 2024, Their website and Facebook page are gone or years out of date, so I assume they have closed permanently. If you know anything for sure, please write me, their last reported hours were updfated in 2020 see their website for current hours. Southern Colorado's largest PYO! A family owned and run pick-your-own fruit farm . Please check our "Find Us" page for a map. Gooseberries ready early July. Main Season opens early August with blackberries, apples and pears. We will have Gooseberries ready in early July by appointment only. Our main season starts in August with the early apples like the Jonathan and Gala apples. Blackberries follow in mid August and than the sweeter apples like the Red and Golden Delicious in September. Raspberries and Pears should be ready by the end of August. Our final crop of pumpkins will start September 15th. They also have an annual Fall Festival one weekend in September. Pumpkin Patch Opens! Great food, B.B.Q., Turkey Legs, Hot Dog's, fresh pies and fresh pressed Apple Cider! Free hayrides to and from the pumpkin patch!...No admission!..Pet's Welcome! We offer free hayrides and there is no admission! On the weekends we serve our apple wood smoked brisket or pulled pork along with Turkey legs and hot dogs for the kids. We also serve Panini Sandwiches, Apple pie, Apple Cider Donuts and Blackberry cobbler along with other goodies in the Italian deli. In our Country Store we have a wonderful selection of Jams, Jellies, Marinades and great Apple Butter! We also roast Pueblo Chili's! Our fresh pressed Apple Cider should be ready by early September!! UPDATE for 2021: I don't see ANYTHING about them having Gooseberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Pears to pick, on their website. AS of 2021 it ONLY says "apples" and the photos show pumpkins, so I assume they have discontinued the others (why else wouldn't they even mention them, right? If you hear otherwise, let me know! ,
  Comments from a visitor on July 11, 2010: "Just visited to pick gooseberries today! Tony and Hope, the owners, are wonderful, kind people. Call ahead at least a week to give them time to get back to you. Gooseberry season is over early- to mid-July so pick early! We came from Denver and it's about 1 hour 45 minutes to their farm."
• Jenkin's Farms and Western Skies Winery - apples, plums, pumpkins, U-pick and already picked, snacks and refreshment stand, winery, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
  448 K St, Penrose, CO 81240. Phone: 719-372-6337. Email: applevalleyorchard@yahoo.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Jenkin's Farms and Western Skies Winery Facebook page. Picking updates: click here for picking updatesOpening date: late AugustFacebook pageSpecializing in Colorado apple wine.
• Third Street Apples - apples, pumpkins, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, farm market, restrooms, picnic area
  935 3rd Street, Penrose, CO 81240. Phone: 719-372-6283. Email: applelance@bresnan.net. Open: 9:30 to 5:00 Thursday - Monday Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Late August through Halloween. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, credit cards.
  Third Street Apples Facebook page. 28 miles south of Colorado Springs on Hwy. 115 to 3rd Street (watch for "Brush Hollow" sign), east on 3rd just past "I" Street. 25 miles west of Pueblo on Hwy 50 to "K" Street, north to 3rd, west 1 and 1/2 blocks on 3rdEarly apple varieties (McIntosh and Gala) starting Labor Day weekend, peak season for apples September 10 though mid October2012 prices: U-pick Apples any amount $1.39/lbPenrose Apple Day will be on Saturday, October 6, 2012. This is a parade (at 10:30 am) and all day street fair in "downtown" Penrose on Broadway, with food and other vendors, free apple pie at noon. This event dates to 1935 when folks in Penrose held a softball tournament and residents baked apple pie for all the participants. 2020 prices were U-pick Apples any amount $1.99/lb, Honey from our bees, jams, jellies, syrup, soap (made by our neighbor), and other items as marked. Facebook page

 

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