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Apple U-Pick Orchards in Northwest 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 any state, nor even every 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.

Garfield County

  • Orchard Creek Ranch - No pesticides are used, apples, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, farm market, porta-potties, picnic area you may bring your own food
    0150 County Road 137 Mailing: 726 County Road 137, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. Phone: (970) 945-2224. Email: ocreekrmls@gmail.com. Open: Weekends beginning last weekend in September; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm; Open weekends through October or until apples are gone; Call for information and availability. Directions: Take Canyon Creek Exit #109 off I-70; West of Glenwood Springs and follow our signs! The orchard is at the corner of Canyon Creek Road; enter at green gate just up the road from the turn off. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Orchard Creek Ranch Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (970) 618-0290. . We do not use pesticides on the crops. We also sell fresh pressed apple cider, gourmet vinegar, bags of dried apple wood chips for BBQ's, Colorado Wildflower Honey infused with CBD rich hemp oil and lavender, dried cinnamon and plain apple chips, t-shirts, and reusable produce bags. Fun for all ages. Wear sturdy shoes for walking in the orchard. We provide long pole apple pickers. Apples are sold by the pound; there is no entrance fee. Facebook page (UPDATED: April 01, 2018)

Mesa County

  • Bolton's Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, peaches, peppers, winter squash, tomatoes, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, farm market, farm animals, school tours
    2257 L Road, Grand Junction, CO 81505. Phone: 970 216 6048. Email: fortbolton@gmail.com. Open: 3 pm to 7 pm daily or call to arrange other times; July 1 to November 14. Directions: The orchards are located north of the Grand Junction mall. Go north on 23 Road until it turns west and becomes L Road. Go to 2275 L Road. You will see the sign on the south side of the road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
    Bolton's Orchards Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 970 241 9398. . We use integrated pest management practices.
  • Fruit Basket Orchards - apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, flowers, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries (red), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, U-pick and already picked, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
    253 32-1/2 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81503. Phone: 970 434-5309. Email: fruitbasketgj@gmail.com. Open: Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm or during the week by appointment, June 15 to November 15. Directions: We are easy to find! Take 32 Road south from Clifton or north from Highway 50. At the stoplight for B-1/2 Road, head east and go 1/2 mile to 32-1/2 Road. Turn north and the store will be on your left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Fruit Basket Orchards Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 970 773-6088. . Sweet Cherries: mid-June Tart Cherries: early July Peaches: early July to early September Apricots: mid-July Flowers: July and August Raspberries: mid-July to frost Plums: late July and August Nectarines: late July and August Grapes: August Apples: late August through November. Fruit Basket Facebook page.

 

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:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)