SEATTLE — Harvest season is upon us, with all sorts of fresh produce for the picking, including Washington’s state fruit: apples.
Many Washingtonians embrace the new season enthusiastically. A u-pick spot like Snohomish’s Bailey Farm attracts plenty of city-dwellers for a fun apple-picking outing, farm co-manager Anne Bailey-Freeman said, as well as “die-hard canners” and people stocking up for winter. (This includes a few customers with whole refrigerators dedicated to freshly picked apples, Bailey-Freeman said.)
However deep your love of apples runs, autumn offers plenty of opportunities for tasty day trips. Here are several Western Washington apple orchards to visit, plus more seasonal adventures.
Remember: Farms and orchards run on nature’s timeline, so check websites or call ahead to confirm exactly what produce will be available. You might end up finding fresh vegetables or your perfect Halloween pumpkin.
- Apple u-pick central in Snohomish
On the western side of the Cascades, the go-to spot for apple picking is Snohomish, about an hour north of Seattle via Interstate 5. Several farms in the region let you pick apples and lots of other produce, depending on the season.
One of the closest u-pick orchards to the Emerald City is Bailey Farm, where you can meander through 2 acres of apple trees and pick your own potatoes, beets, zucchini, green beans, corn and more. The fifth-generation family farm has already opened one of its apple orchards, and the pumpkin patch and barn filled with fall displays also welcome guests.
Drive 10 to 15 minutes farther north to Swans Trail Farms for a full festival experience, plus u-pick apples and pumpkins. No admission is needed to enjoy the apple orchard, with more than 4,000 apple trees, or the 50-acre pumpkin patch; just pay for the produce you take home. Through Oct. 31, a ticket to the Harvest Festival ($7.95 to $21.95) will also get you access to a 12-acre corn maze that mimics Washington’s geography, wagon hayrides, an animal barn, zip lines and other family-friendly activities.
Two other nearby options have u-pick produce, too. Skipley Farm’s 7.5 acres of fruit include more than 2,000 apple trees; the farm also offers tours and horticulture classes. Raising Cane Ranch grows ready-to-eat u-pick apples and cider apples it uses in the drinks served at its Riverview Road Cidery.
While you’re in Snohomish, head to First Street in the city’s historic downtown. The strip along the Snohomish River is a paradise for vintage and antique lovers, with shops like the Antique Station, Wonderland Antiques and Once Upon a Time, plus several coffee shops, restaurants, dessert options and the incredibly cozy Uppercase Bookshop. To take in more fall foliage, walk or bike as far as you’d like along the Centennial Trail, a 30-mile paved trail stretching through Snohomish to Skagit County.
Bailey Farm: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily; 12968 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-568-8826, baileyveg.com
Swans Trail Farms: Hours vary for different activities, with many open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 7301 Rivershore Road, Snohomish; 425-330-3084, swanstrailfarms.com
Skipley Farm: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday; 7228 Skipley Road, Snohomish; 206-679-6576, skipleyfarm.com
Raising Cane Ranch: U-pick is currently open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends; check the ranch’s blog for updates; Riverview Road Cidery is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays, from noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; 5719 Riverview Road, Snohomish; 206-724-5303, raisingcaneranch.com
- Fresh cider, live entertainment on the Olympic Peninsula
In Chimacum on the Olympic Peninsula, you can stroll through the 6,000-tree orchard at Finnriver Farm & Cidery, admiring the heirloom and cider apples and nearby sunflowers and pumpkins.
You can’t pick or eat these apples, but you can drink them at the farm’s Chimacum Cider Garden, which has more than a dozen hard ciders on tap. Many use unique, local ingredients, like the Douglas fir tips used to make the Forest Ginger craft cider.
The inspiration behind some cider batches is “based on what fruit shows up and what the seasonal harvest looks like” in a given year, marketing director Laura Prendergast said.
To fully immerse yourself in the cidery experience, take a tasting tour ($20), offered on weekend afternoons. You’ll be guided on a quarter-mile loop through farm fields, the orchard and the cider barn to learn about cider-making and land stewardship, and taste several ciders and fruit wines made on site.
The farm’s events calendar is full of music and dance, from Irish jam sessions to dance parties with electronic tunes. Food, from wood-fired pizza and oyster vendors to a seasonal menu from Finnriver’s kitchen, is available Thursdays through Sundays.
If you plan your trip for Oct. 11-13, you can also catch the Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival in Port Townsend, to make your own apple tarts and cider cocktails, listen to live music and sample local menus.
Finnriver Farm & Cidery: noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays; 124 Center Road, Chimacum; 360-339-8478, finnriver.com
- A full, fall day at Bellewood Farms & Distillery
For one of the most classic apple-picking experiences around, take a trip up to Bellewood Farms & Distillery, just 10 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border.
The 31-acre orchard in Lynden includes more than 20 apple varieties, including its popular Honeycrisp apple. Views of Mount Baker looming in the distance, tractor rides and u-pick pumpkins in October are also part of the draw.
Besides picking fruit, there’s lots more to do during a day at Bellewood. Grab some of the gift shop’s beloved honey-roasted peanut butter to go with your freshly picked apples, or try other seasonal treats like apple butter and caramel dip. You can also browse goods by local makers, from Uncle Jesse’s Pottery to Woods Coffee.
For lunch, stop at the farm’s Ten Mile Cafe. At Bellewood’s “farm-to-glass” distillery, you can taste autumnal drinks like pumpkin spice liqueur, applewood-smoked bourbon and Honeycrisp vodka.
Bellewood Farms sits between two quaint places: Lynden and Bellingham. Lynden is known for its Dutch heritage, pieces of which you’ll likely notice as you explore. Bellingham offers plentiful outdoor beauty in and around the city.
Bellewood Farms & Distillery: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays; 6140 Highway 539, Unit 3, Lynden; 360-318-7720, bellewoodfarms.com
