10 Places to Go Apple Picking in Washington

Head to Eastern Washington if you want to turn apple-picking into a fall weekend getaway, or stay close to home and make it an apple-picking day trip.

• Find family-friendly spots. Many U-pick orchards are kid-friendly. Some keep small trees that offer low-hanging fruit so that kids can reach the apples without assistance, and others have small step ladders (make sure you help little ones up onto them and stay close by).
• Time it right. Apples are usually ready for picking from September through the end of October, with the peak picking time varying by location, but some farms start as early as August.
• Call or check online to make sure the orchard you want to visit has U-pick open that day (hours and days can change based on the availability of crops). Facebook pages often give more up-to-date information than websites.
• Bring along your own bags, baskets or boxes in case the farm has run out of them.
• Pack rubber boots because the orchards may be muddy, and consider bringing a wagon to tote kids.
• Think about how many pounds of apples you want to end up with before you start picking. You might want a few pounds for the kids’ lunch boxes, and several more for baking and preserving.
• Check on the pet policy before bringing your pooch. Many farms have a no-pet policy for the safety and comfort of farm animals.
• Are the apples organic? While few U-pick apple orchards in the region have gone through the process of having their orchards certified organic, many of them implement organic and natural growing practices in their orchards. If this is important to you, feel free to call ahead and ask about their practices.