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 donuts! 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.
Rainbow Orchards - Fresh apples and hot apple cider doughnuts. Pumpkin patch and barbeque weekends. Our vote for the most idyllic picnic setting under the apple trees.
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, gem mining, country store.
High Hill Ranch – Apple pies, fritters, donuts, apple cider caramel shakes, on-site restaurant and bakery, hayrides on weekends, pony rides, fishing pond, apple barn, pumpkin patch, picnic area.
Abel's Apple Acres - Caramel apples, apple slushies, pies galore, turnovers, gem mining, amazing maze, bakery, barbeque,picnic tables.
Delfino Farms - Take a stroll down the nature trail, a shady walk through the forest along a stream. Check out adorable babydoll sheep (eating apples) and chickens. Apple bake shop, and fresh apples to buy.
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 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.
Tip - Here's the map for Apple Hill farms.
