Peach Picking Near Olympia: What You Need to Know
Washington's major peach orchards are concentrated in the irrigated valleys east of the Cascades, particularly the Yakima Valley, a considerable drive from Olympia's much cooler, wetter climate on the western side of the state. Western Washington's growing conditions simply don't suit peaches the way they suit berries and apples.
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 Olympia
July through August in the Yakima Valley, entirely separate from the state's cooler, berry-focused western half.
Tips for Your Olympia Peach Picking Trip
The real peach orchards are a long drive east in the Yakima Valley, well outside Olympia's much cooler, wetter climate, so plan for a multi-hour trip if peaches are the priority. Western Washington's farms are better bets for berries and apples instead.