Follow us to the U-pick Oregon apple farms, orchards and pumpkin patches outside Portland. Fall in the countryside means leaf-peeping on a staycation or long weekend road trip. Enjoy hours’ worth of family-fun apple and pumpkin picking. Plus, save money on family food bills for weeks to come.
At most farms today, entertaining guests is part of the business. Expect to pick fruit, go on a hayride or other attraction, and return home with fresh baked pies and fruit filled goodies.
Pickers should remember that certain apple varieties are better suited for different purposes. For example, bakers and apple sauce makers should look for the juicier Golden Delicious, Cortland, Russet or Mutsu. The most popular apple varieties for eating include the Macintosh, Empire, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Idared. For pumpkins that are soft enough to carve but not so ripe they won’t last till Halloween, consult a farmer.
For a complete guide to apple picking orchards and farms across the country, visit the FTF Guide to Top U-Pick Farms in the US.
Apple-Picking in the Portland Metropolitan Area
Portland is a hotbed of fresh fruits, local produce and organic vegetables. Portlanders are all about healthy, farm-to-table cuisine. Many local families — known as locavores for consuming food from local farms — find picking their own fruit to be a necessity in the Fall.
Locals agree that among Oregon apple farms, the best picking area is Hood River County, home of the Fruit Loop. The picturesque, 35-mile-long Fruit Loop is a collection of pick-your-own fruit and vegetable orchards that together promote sustainable agricultural diversity. Fourteen are open and operating in fall 2023 and apple picking begins in August. The Fruit Loop is an hour away from Portland in the national scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge. While you are in the area, stop by one of the county’s alpaca farms so the kids can admire these fuzzy creatures.
The following farms are Hood River Valley fixtures, known for their delicious fruit.
Favorite Oregon Apple Farms on the Fruit Loop
Draper Girls Country Farm boasts over 30 apple varieties. Before you arrive, be sure to visit the website for opening hours and fruit storage and ladder safety tips (very important). While most of the fruit is grown on dwarf trees, cherries require a big stretch or ladder to reach. Do try their Draper Girls Cider, named for the founding farmer’s daughter and three granddaughters. In addition, they have their own farm-raised lamb, pork and beef for purchase. Look for the many farm animals to pet. Before you leave, ask about Draper’s famous cinnamon-sugar dried apples, a recipe from their grandparents.
We admire that Japanese immigrants founded the Kiyokawa Family Orchards and Fruit Stand in 1911 along the Fruit Loop circuit. Family-owned and operated, the farm survived its owners being sent to an internment camp during WWII. They’ve grown to participate in 15 farmers markets throughout the region. The Kiyokawa clan credit the area’s rich soil and glacier-fed water supply with enabling them to grow 150 distinct varieties of apples, pears and Asian pears. It’s still run traditionally so the kids will enjoy seeing the “old school” way of farming. Note that dogs on leash are only allowed in the u-pick areas because they might frighten the farm’s animals.
Mt. View Orchards is a 50-acre apple and pear farm, typically open daily from July to October. Like Kiyokawa, it has spectacular views of Mt. Hood from every tree. Admission is free. They sell both their own picked, or for you to pick, variety of fruits including prunes, cherries, peaches, grapes and pumpkins. Check their website for a calendar of special fall events. They grow , wine tastings, farm to table dinners and more.
Don’t Forget Those Pumpkin Patches!
The small community of Tualatin, Oregon draws crowds each October for its annual Pumpkin Festival. Tualatin is located less than 15 miles south of Portland. This festival features the big orange gourds, of course, plus pumpkin bowling and golf. Prepare your duds before you travel for a costume contest.
Don’t forget to pack your life jacket for the Giant Pumpkin Regatta. (Only kidding, this is a very competitive event to enter.) Watch participants, chosen by lottery, pilot their giant pumpkins through a water course with a single kayak paddle.
Oregon Favorites for Families Pick Your Own Farms Directory
Draper Girls Country Farm, 6200 Highway 35, Parkdale 97041 – 541/490-8113
Kiyokawa Family Orchards and Fruit Stand, 5625 Hutson Road, Parkdale 97041 – 541/352-7115
Mt. View Orchards, 6670 Trout Creek Ridge Road, Mt Hood Parkdale 97041 – 541/806-7070
Tualatin Valley, check out a crop of local pumpkin farms thanks to Tualatin Valley Tourism.
For more information and for a complete listing of orchards, visit the Fruit Loop online. See our suggested itinerary for ideas on including the Fruit Loop on your road trip through the Pacific Northwest.
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