Apple Hill Farms
East of Placerville, the rolling hills are sprinkled with farms and fruit orchards. The air is rich with smells of fresh baked apple pies, and turnovers, lemon bars, cider or doughnuts! In the fall, kids can sample the local apples or pick their own pumpkin for Halloween. Choose your Christmas tree at the tree farms in December. Summertime, there are berry picking patches, delicious blackberries and raspberries.
Abel's Apple Acres - On weekends, little ones will enjoy a pony ride, running through the hay bale maze, and everyone will like a taste of homemade fudge and caramel apples. Craft stalls, bar-b-que, and picnic tables.
El Dorado Orchards - A charming little train, the "Apple Ridge Express," goes around the "cider lakes." A short but sweet ride. Pony rides and pumpkin patch also.
Larson Apple Barn - Worth a stop to sample the marvelous apple turnovers. (Eat them hot, or bring them back to family members stuck at home doing their homework …) Stop into the Larsen Pioneer Museum and run around in the shade of the oldest apple tree in the county. Picnic tables and nice little creek.
Apple Ridge Farms - Lovely setting under the pine trees, at the bakery try apple dumplings, turnovers, doughnuts, strudel, apple and berry pies with ice cream. There's also a nature trail, feed the goats and sheep, hay maze, face painting, and pie shop.
Bolster's Hilltop Ranch - Bolster's has a wonderful rambling pumpkin patch where you can pick your own. Watch the cider press scrunching the apples into cider. Pick apples in fall, and blueberries in summer, June - August.
Denver Dan's Apple Patch - Pick your own apples (lots of different kinds), picnic area, bake shop.
Delfino Farms - Take a stroll down the nature trail, a shady walk through the forest along a stream.Corn maze (on weekends), check out baby doll sheep, rabbits and chickens. Pick your own pumpkins, apple bake shop, and apples.
Fudge Factory Farm - A must for chocolate lovers - 40 different kinds of homemade fudge, plus candy covered apples, pies, jam and jellies. Farm animals and kids play area.
Rainbow Orchards - Fresh apples and hot apple cider doughnuts. Pumpkin patch and bar-b-que weekends in October. Our vote for the most idyllic picnic setting under the apple trees.
Rainbow Camino Ridge - June to mid-July, come here for U-pick blueberries. Buckets (large and small are provided), easy to pick, plenty of blueberries low to the ground for little kids.
