Where to go apple picking near Los Angeles

Ripe apples are available for picking at Los Rios Rancho from late August through early November. There are 32 varieties available for U-pick and bulk purchase, including Macintosh, Gala and Spartan, and each one is ready for harvest at a different time—so check online to find out which types are ripe and ready to be picked.

When you’re not picking, meander past the petting zoo, grab coffee or stop in for some pastries or BBQ and settle in at a picnic table. Fresh pressed cider is available, too, and a necessary way to end your time spent in the orchard. Some offerings have been impacted following a fire on the property in late 2020, so for now picking hours are only on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm.

Do more than just pick your own apples at Willowbrook Apple Farm, where the fun continues beyond the field. After gathering your apple picking tools, peruse the bounty on the century-old Stayman Winesap apple trees and take home your favorites. Afterward, head to the press station to sip fresh-pressed cider, indulge in a tasty caramel apple, or say hi to some of the farms animals during a petting zoo meet and greet.

Berry season carries the summer, with apples ready depending on the start of the season (this year they’re predicting October). Willowbrook’s U-pick apples are typically available Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm through November, but keep your eye on updates regarding hours here.

The grounds of Stone Soup Farm & Heritage Orchard usually open up for apple picking in October: Their acres of heirloom Stayman Winesap trees ripen throughout the month and, during a good season, bear fruit into November. The apple orchard itself is 130 years young, but you’ll also find storied plots to pick your own pumpkins, herbs and flowers. Before filling up your bags up, you’ll most likely get a brief lesson from a farmhand on the history of the farm, how to properly pick the apples and helpful tips on tasting.

General admission costs $5 (but it’s free for children 4 and under), and you pay for what you pick by the pound. You can find their full rundown on apple picking info here. Also, just a heads up that the couple behind the neighboring Riley’s Apple Farm have now retired and instead direct visitors to Stone Soup.