The Bay Area u-pick bible: every farm, every berry, every weekend from now until fall

The definitive guide — updated for 2026

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U-pick is one of the rare family outings that pays off on every front. The kids get dirty and tire themselves out. You're outside, moving, not refereeing screen time. It's usually under $50 for the whole morning. And you come home with flats of something you'll actually eat — not another tote bag or sticker from a "free family event." This guide is every farm worth the drive, grouped by where you are, with notes on when to go and what's ripe when.

Bookmark it. You'll come back in May when cherries hit, in July when it's stone fruit paradise, and in September when you're suddenly googling apple orchards.

First: the one rule that matters

Check Instagram before you drive.

U-pick farms are weather-dependent in a way that regular businesses aren't. A muddy field after rain, an unexpected heat wave, or a weekend that sold out by 10am — any of these will close a farm for the day. Almost every farm in this guide posts updates on Instagram the morning of, or the night before. Not their website. Not Google. Instagram.

Follow the ones in your rotation now. Future you will be grateful.

Pro tip: Brentwood's Harvest Time collective runs a real-time interactive map showing which farms are open right now.

When to go: the 2026 season calendar

Spring and early summer is when the Bay Area u-pick scene actually earns its reputation. Here's the rough order of operations:

March — 🍓 strawberries start sneaking in. 2026 has been a warmer year, so some strawberry places opened in March.

April — 🍓 strawberries go into full swing across Brentwood and start in Half Moon Bay and San Gregorio.

May — 🍒 🍑 Cherry picking starts in Brentwood around early May. Stone fruit begins as well with apricots first, then peaches and nectarines.

June — 🍒 🍑 🫐 peak cherries, peak early stone fruit. Also when Sebastopol's raspberry and blueberry farms open up north.

July–August — 🍑 peaches, nectarines, pluots, plums. Late-season strawberries. Prime stone-fruit stretch.

September–October — 🍏 🎃 apple season. This is when Apple Hill (Placerville, about 2.5 hours up I-80) becomes the move. Also pumpkins start in Half Moon Bay.

Save your calendar reminders now. Half the battle is remembering the season exists.

Brentwood: the East Bay's u-pick capital

Fifty plus farms in a 10-mile radius. Brentwood is literally branded "U-pick Capital" — a nonprofit collective of 65+ local farmers keeps the whole operation running. For East Bay families, this is home base.

The drive from Walnut Creek is about 40 minutes. Go before 10am: heat, crowds, and the best fruit all point to the same answer.

Chao's Strawberries

2600 B Walnut Blvd, Brentwood chaostrawberries on Instagram · Facebook

The new owners of the beloved former Chan's Fruit Stand. Owned and operated by the Chao family — Iu Mien people who immigrated from Thailand in the 90s and brought their hillside terrace agriculture expertise to Brentwood. Hours shift with the harvest, so Instagram is your friend.

Three Nunns Farm

550 Walnut Blvd, Brentwood threenunns.com · threenunnsfarm on Instagram

Fifth-generation family farm, 150 years of Brentwood farming in the family tree. Cash or card, free parking, and a u-pick plus pre-picked operation across the season — cherries May–June, peaches June–September, pumpkin patch August–September. A favorite for a reason.

Marsh Creek Cherries

1751 Orchard Lane, Brentwood marshcreekcherries.com · marshcreekcherries on Instagram

Forty acres with five varieties — Coral, Utah Giants, White Rainier, Lapin, and Sweethearts. Cash or Venmo, no reservations, no entry fee. Open Tuesday–Sunday during season. The Coral cherries are the move if you find them. Sweet, juicy, and the trees are shorter so kids can actually reach.

The Cherry Pit

23800 Marsh Creek Rd, Brentwood (plus Coral Road location at 22011 Marsh Creek Rd) thecherrypitupick.com · thecherrypitupick on Instagram

Open daily 8am–6pm during season. Formerly Chavez U-Pick Cherries. Seventh-generation farm family. Cash and credit cards accepted. Free buckets on site. Pay for what you pick.

Cherry Time

1875 Walnut Blvd, Brentwood cherry-time.com

2026 season opens April 29th with six-plus cherry varieties — Bing, Coral Champagne, Royal Tioga, Tulare, and more. They offer u-pick and pre-picked plus local honey. Bags and ladders provided. Coral Champagne is specifically the kid-friendly pick because the trees stay compact.

Mike's U-Pick

3230 Concord Ave, Brentwood mikesupick.com · mikes.upick on Instagram

Family-owned for decades, opens in May for a few weeks each year for peaches and nectarines. Their longtime cherry orchard closed after the 2024 season — the peach and nectarine spot is still going strong.

Airaya U-Pick Farm

25221 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood brentwood-u-pick.com

The Swiss Army knife of Brentwood u-pick. 22 varieties of tree-ripened fruit across the season, opening May 8 with white peaches and nectarines and running through late August. $4.50/lb across the board. Cash, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. Free bags and parking. Open daily 8am–5pm.

Bacchini's Farm

2010 Walnut Blvd, Brentwood bacchinisfarm.com · bacchinis_farm on Instagram

The reservation-required option, which sometimes matters during peak weekends. 2026 season starting around early May with entry tickets required. Reservations open at 8pm the evening before u-pick days. Growing premium fruit since 1945 — white peaches, kiowa blackberries, sweet cherries, white rainier cherries, olallieberries, pluots, Santa Rosa plums, white nectarines, apricots, loquats, raw honey, walnuts.

Farmer's Daughter Produce

23151 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood farmersdaughterproduce.com · farmersdaughterproduce on Instagram

Opens May 23rd for the 2026 season. Forty acres of stone fruit with almost 40 years in the game — peaches, apricots, plums, pluots, apples, nectarines. They encourage kids to get as dirty as possible...closed-toe shoes strongly recommended.

Berry Best Family Farm

7450 Balfour Road, Brentwood

BIPOC- and family-owned. U-pick strawberries plus olallieberries, boysenberries, blueberries, and corn as the seasons roll. Open as of April 4 for 2026. $4 per pound with a pound minimum, $1 entry fee per person, cash only. Bring your own bucket or pay $0.50 per box. Check the Harvest Time listing for current hours.

The Urban Edge Farm

2017 Walnut Blvd, Brentwood theurbanedgefarm.com · theurbanedgefarm on Instagram

A 34-acre certified organic farm — 4 acres of veggies, 3 acres of wine grapes, 24 acres of orchards dedicated to u-pick. The Cecchini family has farmed here for nearly a century. Opens in May for apricots, Memorial Day weekend for peaches. Monday–Saturday 8:30am–6pm, Sunday 9am–4pm. Wide open, not crowded, good for a calm morning — and the organic angle matters if that's your thing.

Half Moon Bay + San Gregorio: the coastal move

Under an hour from Walnut Creek via 580 to 92. Worth it for the coastal drive alone — but the farms are genuinely excellent, and the fog keeps the berries sweet.

Blue House Farm

950 La Honda Road, San Gregorio bluehousefarm.com · bluehousefarm on Instagram

Certified organic, family-friendly, and exactly the vibe you want. U-pick strawberries at $7/lb, no reservations, first come first served. Strawberry picking available late-May through October, with a pumpkin patch in fall. Early-season varieties are Cabrillo and Monterey; later in the season, Albion and San Andreas.

Two things to know: cell service is spotty and there's no wifi, so download your maps before you go. And yes, kids are welcome — just not dogs in the strawberry field.

Swanton Berry Farm

25 Swanton Road, Davenport (a little past Half Moon Bay, worth the extra 25 minutes) swantonberryfarm.com · swantonberryfarm on Instagram

One of the few places in the Bay Area where you can do u-pick strawberries with a front-row ocean view. Weekends only. U-pick strawberries $8/lb, boxes provided, no reservations. Farm stand open seven days a week. Season runs May through October.

Pair it with Pie Ranch up the road for lemon blueberry pie on the way home. This is a full-day move, not a between-naps move.

Webb Ranch

2718 & 2720 Alpine Road, Portola Valley webbranchinc.com

Hundred-year-old ranch with organic blackberry u-pick open June–July depending on the crop, plus a pumpkin patch in October and a Christmas tree lot starting Thanksgiving week. They also host events in the berry fields — birthday parties, that kind of thing. The bougie-adjacent option, in the best way.

Worth the drive: further afield

Gizdich Ranch

55 Peckham Road, Watsonville (about 2 hours from Walnut Creek) gizdich-ranch.com

The one that everyone tells you about after they go. Fourth-generation family-owned in the core of Watsonville's apple country. Strawberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, blackberries, and apples across the season, starting mid-May for 2026. Bring your own containers or pay a small fee for boxes, and there's a picnic area behind the sales barn where you can enjoy the pies, ice cream, jams, and juice from the farm stand. Family camping is nearby if you want to make a weekend of it.

Boring Farm

4200 Canfield Road, Sebastopol Instagram

The best raspberries some families have ever tasted — reservations required the Wednesday before you want to pick. Open June–September, Saturday mornings 9am to noon. Small certified organic farm south of Sebastopol. The raspberry popsicles and raspberry lemonade are reason enough to go.

Apple Hill

Placerville (about 2.5 hours northeast via I-80) applehill.com

Not spring, but mark it down for fall. 50-plus farms, ranches, and orchards. Apples, pumpkins, cider donuts, the whole thing. September kickoff, peak in October. A separate guide on this is coming — but file the dates away now.

What to actually bring

Every farm's guidance is roughly the same, so here's the unified kit:

The basics. Cash and Venmo — most Brentwood farms take one or both and nothing else. Closed-toe shoes (fields are dusty, dirty, or muddy depending on the week). Hats and sunscreen. Water bottles.

The fruit logistics. Most farms provide bags or boxes, but an extra reusable tote never hurts. A cooler in the car for the drive home, especially in peak summer.

The kid logistics. Snacks for the ride out there. Wet wipes for the ride home. A change of clothes if your kid is the kind who will sit down in a strawberry row. (They will.) Stroller-friendly isn't a given — most farms are fine but uneven, so a carrier is often easier for little ones.

The mindset. Go early. Like, 8am early. The fruit is better, the crowds are nonexistent, and you'll be home by nap.

The five rules of u-pick

1. Only pick fully ripe fruit. Strawberries should be 100% red. Cherries should be dark. Peaches should give slightly when you press them. Unripe fruit won't ripen on your counter.

2. Stay on the paths. Trampled rows hurt the farm and the fruit. This is also the rule the farmer will remind you about if your kid gets loose.

3. Pay for what you pick. This includes what your toddler eats. Most farms are cool about a handful of taste-testing, not cool about a half-pound vanishing before you get to the scale.

4. Don't bring dogs into the fields. Food safety rules. They're welcome at farm stands and picnic areas.

5. Check for updates before you drive. Weather, supply, sell-outs. Instagram first, Facebook second, website last.

   
   

If you remember nothing else:

• Early April through May: strawberries in Brentwood and the coast

• May through June: cherries in Brentwood (this window is short — don't miss it)

• Memorial Day through August: stone fruit in Brentwood, strawberries and raspberries on the coast and up north

• September: apples at Apple Hill, pumpkins everywhere

  
  

A tantrum-free morning, under $50 before nap, and you come home with something you'll actually eat (and cheaper than most grocery stores). U-pick is the Bay Area parenting cheat code. See you out there!

xo,

the burbs