Seasonal Apple Hill Guide

If you love farmer's markets, fresh produce, homemade jams, and tasty baked goods, bring your picnic basket and head to Apple Hill for summer fruit festivals! The summer harvest includes peaches, plums, pluots, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, nectarines, lavender, and flowers.

Boa Vista Orchards hosts strawberry, cherry, blueberry, and lavender-themed weekends that draw quite the crowd! Don't forget to wear sunscreen. You might be standing in line for a while to select your seasonal pastries or order a hard cider flight.

Several vineyards and breweries pepper the gorgeous mountains, so stop by one (or a few!) to purchase some beer and wine. Apple Hill is home to the gorgeous grounds of Boeger Winery, which offers cheese plates alongside wine tastings of their famous barberas, merlots, and chardonnays. Every Friday during summer months, they host outdoor concerts. Jack Russel Brewery offers a blueberry ale and several beer options that are sure to delight your tastebuds. And Lewis Grace offers one of the best views across their sprawling vineyards, perfect for outdoor patio tasting at sunset.

As its namesake may suggest, Apple Hill is most known for its apple harvest. Among the gorgeous foliage of fall, you'll find Gravenstein, Jonathon, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Paula Red, Red Delicious, Mutsu, Empire, Red Gold, Honey Crisp, Pippin, Winesap, Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Arkansas Black apple varieties available for picking or bagged for sale.

Smokey Ridge Ranch is a quaint stop on the hill, offering freshly-picked bouquets, delicious preserves, and prohibition-style unfiltered hard cider. You can also pick your own apples and chestnuts at this ranch.

High Hill Ranch is an autumn fan-favorite if you're looking to bring apples home for baking and are hunting for a specific type. They also host local arts and crafts vendors that you can browse as you make your way to their candy shop, bakery, and hot apple cider stand. Their farm shop also offers homemade jams, syrups, caramels, and so much more! This ranch opens to visitors every August.

Don't miss the famous apple cider sugared donuts from Rainbow Hill Orchards! It's always worth waiting in line to get these piping hot donuts that are made fresh to order. Pair your delectable treats with a jug of ice-cold pressed apple cider and you'll be in heaven. Rainbow Hill has a beautiful picnic area so you can enjoy your treats right away! The Rainbow Bake Shop opens Labor Day Weekend.

Living your own Hallmark movie adventure has never been easier. In the winter, travel to Apple Hill to have a Christmas picnic, purchase winter produce, sample delicious pastries, cut down a Christmas tree, and sip hot chocolate. You just might meet the lumberjack love of your life along the way!

Boa Vista Orchards has a year-round produce market and bakery. Rainbow Hill Orchards stays open for a while during the winter, so you can make one last hot donut stop before it closes up for the year. Downtown Placerville is also fun to explore. Stop at The Wine Smith for wine and craft beer.

But perhaps one of the best parts of celebrating Christmas season in Apple Hill is bringing home a fresh-cut Christmas tree! There are several Christmas tree farms in Apple Hill that will cut trees for you or allow you to cut down your own. If you'll be bringing home a tree, bring a quilt and some tie-downs to help strap it to your car on the ride home.

To non-locals, this can seem tricky. The Apple Hill Growers Map offers quite a trail! But it's actually very easy to get to the mountain itself, where you can then take your time winding your way around the curving road to stop at various farms.

From your Rancho Cordova hotel, take Highway 50-E and take exit 48, 49, or 54. Only these exits will be open in October.

Traffic may slow and parking may be a bit busy at some of the larger ranches and farms, but stay patient! You'll find a space. Many ranches have parking attendants, and each farm has a numbered apple-shaped entrance signs to help you find your way.

What about Covid-19?

Getting out in the fresh air is a great idea! Here are the key takeaways from the Covid-19 notice from Apple Hill Growers:

• Wear a mask.
• Social distancing is essential! Please stick with your household pod.
• Make reservations! Each farm operates differently and will have a different contact for their u-pick, tastings, and access reservations.
• Weekends in October are always busy at Apple Hill. Reservations, walk-ins, parking, and procedures may be different. Call ahead!

Our conclusion? Weekdays are best, but always call ahead and check the farm/wineries website for the latest guidelines.