2024 Central Washington State Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Central Washington State 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

Benton County

• Ray French Orchard - apples, cherries, peaches, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked
  955 Harvest Lane Pr. Ne., Richland, WA 99352. Phone: 509-627-3673. Email: rfrenchorchard@live.com. Open: Starting in June, Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 6 pm; Closed Sundays. Directions: from Prosser, WA, Merge onto I-82 towards Richland, Take the Dallas Road exit \(104\), Turn left onto N. Dallas Rd., Turn Right onto Arena Rd., Turn Right onto Kennedy Rd., Turn Right onto N. Harvest lane . Payment: Cash, Check. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . from Prosser, WA, Merge onto I-82 towards Richland, Take the Dallas Road exit (104), Turn left onto N. Dallas Rd., Turn Right onto Arena Rd., Turn Right onto Kennedy Rd., Turn Right onto N. Harvest lane Please bring your own boxes

Yakima County

• Krueger Pepper Gardens - ORGANIC, apples, beans, cucumbers, eggplants, grapes, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area
  462 Knight Lane, Wapato, WA 98951. Phone: 509-877-3677. Email: kruegerpeppergardens@gmail.com. Open: August 1st to October 15 Or First Frost, usually 2nd weekend in October. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers. . Alternate Phone: 509-728-0372. August 1st to October 15 (Or First Frost, usually 2nd weekend in October). . Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesWe are certified organic for some cropsWe offer an incredible variety of certified organic fruits and vegetables including over 100 varieties of hot and sweet peppers (Ghost pepper and other specialty extra hots), 15+ varieties of tomatoes (including heirloom) , 10+ varieties of melons/watermelon, 10+ varieties of winter squash, eggplants, green beans, juice grapes (Concord and Early Campbell), onions, garlic (we will not have our own garlic for the 2017 season)and much more. We also provide conventional onions, apples, potatoes, pears, peaches and nectarines throughout the season (call for availability).So if you are looking for a great family outing, great produce and fresh air, head out to the farm where we work hard to meet all of your fresh produce needs.
  Comments from a visitor on May 09, 2011: "I went there for tomatoes for the first time last year. What a nice treat! The quality of their produce is excellent and they are such nice people! I bought peppers too and the owner spent some time helping me get the right peppers for me. I'm going again this year too."
• Thompson's Farm - apples, cherries, peaches, plums, pumpkins, gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  9535 Old Naches Highway, Naches, WA 98937. Phone: 509 949 2455. Email: tomfarm@wolfenet.com. Open: see our website for current information. Directions: Located on Highway 12 and is 12 miles west of Yakima, Washington. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. Naches is . To get to the farm while traveling west turn right onto Schafer street. This is between a fruitstand, not ours, and a chevron station. Drive about two blocks and you will be at the farm. We are located on the northeast corner of Naches. Thompsons farm market is on Highway 12. When you get to Naches travel past Schafer and we are located on the south side of the highway across from Slims Market. In early June we will have asparagus at the market from the lower Yakima valley and mid June will begin bing cherries from the lower Yakima Valley; We will have our own cherries including u pick starting with bings and then rainiers in late June; We bring produce up from the lower valley all season such as beans, corn and whatever is looking good that day; Apricots will begin around late June; We will also bring Walla Walla onions in during June; In July we will continue with apricots and cherries and will have some peaches from the lower Yakima valley; We have a very large farm garden and supply the market with ripe heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, and cucumbers; In August we will start to harvest peaches, we have delp hale in mid August then suncrest and white peaches; We will have some pears at the end of August; In early September we have elberta and then in mid September we have ohenry; Mid September also has gala apples followed by golden delicious, red delicious and a few variety apples that continue into October; In October we are harvesting pumpkins; You May check the website for updates during the summerCherry Harvest at the Family Farm Late June through mid July.Peach Harvest at the Family Farm Mid August through mid September. (large variety of peaches with wagon rides to the trees on the weekends).Pumpkin Patch at the Family Farm every weekend in October with famous pumpkin cannon, hayrides, farm animals, u-pick and u-select apples, cornstalks, squash and gourds(UPDATED: August 9, 2023, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on April 18, 2010: "The farm is fantastic, friendly people, easy to find the produce"
• West Valley U-Pick - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blueberries, pears, tomatoes, tomatillos, apricots, marionberriies, peaches, pluots, grapes, apricots and prepicked produce, restrooms
  11901 Zier Road, Yakima, WA 98908. Phone: 509-945-5406. Email: yakimaberries@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 7 pm, Saturday 8 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm. Directions: We are located in the beautiful West Valley area of Yakima, WA. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  West Valley U-Pick Facebook page. Blueberries and Raspberries July, August and the first two weeks of September Pears Bartlett and Anjou August through early September Apples Gala and Red and Golden Delicious September through October Pumpkins October Garden veggies all summer. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicWe have an area to park your motorhome and large field for camping, a hose for water, and a primitive bathroom, for those who would like to spend the night. Please call for availabilityCrops are usually available in July, August, September, October Cherries: Rainier, Bing, Skeena, and Sour Pie Cherries available for u-pick in early July. Pre-picked cherries are available early-mid July. Important note: all of their u-pick cherries are often all been picked on opening day. Apples: Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Blondee apples are available for u-pick mid-August to October. Note: You can press your own apple cider on their old-fashioned hand-cranked cider presses! The presses are free to use if you buy our apples. We have cider jugs to purchase, or you can bring your own jugs if you prefer.Blueberries - Duke and Chandler blueberries are available in mid-to-late July, Aurora blueberries are available late-July to September. The best picking times are mid-July and mid-August when the most berries are ripe . Peaches - Clingstone peach variety Early Elberta is available for u-pick in late July. Freestone peach varieties Golden Elberta and Red Haven peaches are available in late August. Peaches tend to go quickly,Pears - Bartlet and Danjou pears. Available for u-pick mid-August to mid-September.Pluots - Available for u-pick mid-August to mid-September. Grapes - Assorted varieties of table grapes are available for u-pick straight off the trellises in late August and early September. Guests are also welcome to pick grape leaves at no charge!Marionberries - They have a small number of marionberry bushes for u-pick available in mid-to-late August. Apricots - They have a few small apricot trees for u-pick available in early July. Supplies are very limited, please call ahead of time to inquire for availability.Tomatoes - more than 20 varieties of vine-ripe tomatoes including Roma, Beefsteak, Solar flare, Market, Maria, and other heirloom tomatoes. Available for u-pick mid-August to October.Eggplant - Italian and Asian Eggplant are available for u-pick from early August to late September.Peppers - Assorted varieties of sweet and hot peppers are available for u-pick from late July to late September. Varieties include Jalapeno, Poblano, Habanero, Shishito, Bell, and a few melt-your-face-hot Carolina ReapersTomatillos - available for u-pick late July to October. SWe use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicYou may e-mail us for my phone number, current crops, and picking times. We look forward to seeing you on our farm. We Have Raspberries, Blueberries, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Apricots, Plums, Pluots and . Formerly called All Natural U Pick and Scenic Acres Orchard (UPDATED: August 7, 2023, JBS)

 

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