Orchards Near Me
Cherry Picking Near Columbus: What You Need to Know
Ohio has a modest but genuine cherry picking tradition, with orchards in the Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio and the Lake Erie shore counties growing sweet and sour cherries harvested in late June and early July. Columbus is within a couple of hours of both regions, making cherry picking a viable spring excursion from the capital and a pleasant way to experience Ohio's agricultural diversity before the fall apple season begins.
Mid-Atlantic Cherry Season
The mid-Atlantic states offer some of the best cherry picking access on the East Coast, with the orchards of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Maryland's western counties, New Jersey's Hunterdon County, and Pennsylvania's Adams County all growing sweet and sour cherries that support pick-your-own programs in late May and June. The cherry harvest in this region precedes the apple season by several months, providing an early-summer reason to visit the same orchard country that draws apple pickers each fall. Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is particularly notable for its cherry production, with the orchards around Winchester producing sweet varieties that rival anything grown in the Pacific Northwest for quality and flavor.
Best Time to Go Cherry Picking Near Columbus
Late June through early July for the Lake Erie shore county and Appalachian foothills cherry orchards, with the season brief but the quality generally excellent.
Tips for Your Columbus Cherry Picking Trip
Ohio's cherry orchards in the Lake Erie shore counties and the Hocking Hills region are accessible from Columbus in one to two hours and offer pick-your-own experiences in late June and early July. Many of the farms near Millersport and in the eastern Ohio hills that have Grange Fair traditions run cherry picking as an early-season warm-up to their larger fall apple programs.