Orchards Near Me
Cherry Picking Near Denver: What You Need to Know
Denver's proximity to the Western Slope makes it a reasonable base for cherry picking, with the Palisade and Cedaredge areas producing sweet cherries as well as the region's more famous peaches. Colorado cherries are harvested in late June and July, and the orchards along the Grand Valley welcome picking visitors throughout the season—a beautiful drive through canyon country that makes the trip worthwhile in itself.
Mountain West Cherry Orchards
The mountain west's cherry orchards benefit from the same altitude and climate extremes that make the region exceptional for apples—the intense sunshine and cool nights of high-elevation growing produce cherries with concentrated sweetness and flavor that flat-country orchards can't match. Utah's Wasatch Front orchards, Colorado's Western Slope, Idaho's Treasure Valley, Montana's Flathead Lake region, and Nevada's Sierra Nevada foothills all host cherry growing operations that welcome pick-your-own visitors in late June and July. The scale is smaller than Pacific Northwest cherry production, but the quality is often exceptional, and the settings—against mountain backdrops with clear high-desert sky—make for some of the most beautiful orchard visits available anywhere.
Best Time to Go Cherry Picking Near Denver
Late June through July on the Western Slope, with the Palisade and Cedaredge orchards producing their cherries in a window that precedes the famous peach harvest.
Tips for Your Denver Cherry Picking Trip
Colorado cherry picking on the Western Slope is best combined with a broader exploration of the area's fruit and wine scene. Palisade in June is a destination worthy of an overnight stay, with its combination of cherry orchards, peach farms, and wineries offering a full agricultural tourism experience that feels genuinely special.