Peach Picking Near Sacramento: What You Need to Know
California grows more peaches than any other state by a wide margin, and the Central Valley surrounding Sacramento is home to some of the largest peach orchards in the country. Both clingstone peaches destined for canning and freestone varieties grown for fresh eating ripen in the orchards within easy driving distance of the capital.
Pacific Coast Peach Orchards
California dominates national peach production by a wide margin, with the Central Valley's vast orchards supplying both fresh-eating freestone peaches and clingstone varieties grown for canning. Washington's peach orchards cluster in the irrigated Yakima Valley east of the Cascades, a very different growing environment from the state's cooler, wetter western half, while Oregon's Willamette Valley produces a smaller peach crop alongside the berries the region is better known for. Alaska's climate rules out commercial peach growing almost entirely.
Best Time to Go Peach Picking Near Sacramento
The longest peach season in the country, starting as early as May in the warmest parts of the Central Valley and running clear through September depending on variety and elevation.
Tips for Your Sacramento Peach Picking Trip
Go on a weekday morning if you can; California's major peach orchards draw big weekend crowds during peak season. Ask which block has been picked most recently, since a large commercial orchard can have rows in very different stages of ripeness.