Apple Hill 2022 - A Guide Where to Visit and What to Eat

Disclosure: We were pleasantly surprised and invited to visit Apple Hill this year by Boa Vista Orchards and they were so generous and sent us home with goodies. Although we receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine. Apple Hill and Boa Vista Orchards are seriously one of our absolute FAVORITES!

Have you been to Apple Hill yet? Visiting Apple Hill is a family favorite, we try and visit a couple different Apple Hill farms every Fall. Of course, our favorites are the most popular like Boa Vista Orchards and High Hill Ranch.  We have been visiting these places since our boys were babies. If you don't know Apple Hill is located in Northern California between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe and has over 50 ranchers. I hope this blog post is helpful, a sort of guide on where to go and what to try. I know when we first started driving up to Apple Hill we were unsure of where to go. 

We always try and make a stop at these two places while we are in the area. I am happy to report that Boa Vista Orchards has their samples open again, yay!!!! This is one of my boys' favorite things, trying the different types of apples and pears.  We love visiting during September/October while you can pick pumpkins from the Pumpkin Patch.

Boa Vista has so many great photo props, I love that they are open all year long, 363 days, and only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love visiting multiple times so we can enjoy all the seasonal events.  Boa Vista has so much more than apples, they have a bunch of different products, quality locally-grown produce, and frozen pies you can take home and bake during the holidays. Don't go home without their refreshing Apple Cider, which is always a must-have for us. 

On this visit to Boa Visita Orchards, we were gifted with some yummy treats, and they were not joking when they said these are their favorites, I can see why.  Definitely get the Extreme Queso for delicious spicy nachos.  The Hot Pepper Bacon Jam was so good over cream cheese served with chips for our Sunday Football game days. The What'cha Dill Pickles were the perfect yummy crunch alongside our cheeseburgers. The Apple Butter was perfect on toast and English muffins for breakfast. Thank you Boa Vista these will definitely be on our must-have list. 

Another favorite we typically buy at Boa Vista is the Apple Donut Ice Cream Sandwich (the picture below is from a couple years ago, so the price may not be the same). Boa Vista Orchards is located at 2952 Carson Road, Placerville, CA.  They are open daily from 7:30 AM to 6 PM.

At High Hill Ranch we always get donuts! You find a ton of local craft vendors here, selling handmade unique items perfect for Christmas gifts.  We love walking around the pond and visiting the chocolate shop.  They have Pony rides open on the weekends.  High Hill is open during the week like Boa Vista, so if you want to avoid the long lines and crowds I highly recommend visiting during the week.

High Hill Ranch is located at 2901 High Hill Road, Placerville, CA. They are open Monday-Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday-Sunday 8 AM to 6 PM.

In my opinion, Thursdays and Fridays are the BEST days to drive up to Apple Hill because a lot of the other smaller farms are only open Thursday-Sunday, many Friday-Sunday, so you can partake in those as well as the high-traffic areas with fewer crowds than if you go on a Saturday. 

This year a newer family farm to the Apple Hill farms is Bodhaine's Drew Bean Farms, I believe I heard this is their first full season open at Apple Hill and it is so adorable. A great spot for photos and of course delicious treats.  We specifically went to Drew Bean Farms to try their Chicken Pot Pie and it did not disappoint. It had a delicious homemade crust, loaded with shredded chicken and veggies.  It came out piping hot! We also ordered their tacos, which came with Mexican rice and guacamole, and chips.  We like to order a couple of things at each farm and share it so we can try all the yummy things.  Don't fill up too much at one location or you will be too full to enjoy it all. 

Drew Bean Farms is located at 2315 Cable Road, Camino, CA. They are open Thursdays from 10 AM to 5 PM, Fridays from Noon to 8 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 6 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM.

We have seen on social media for quite a while the popular coffee flights from Grandpa's Cellar, so happy to report we finally made a stop here. While I will say the coffee flights are super cute, they make for a great social media photo/video. We bought the Classic Coffee Flight, for $12 which came with S'more, Caramel, Mocha, and Apple Pie Spice Cold Brew. I think the highly underrated thing they have is the Apple Pie Churro Sundae. This Apple Pie Churro Sundae was so delicious, and only $7 highly recommend 10/10. I really liked that they give you a buzzer when you order, so you can go sit on their cute porch or browse their adorable shop full of great local finds while you wait for your order. 

Their barn was recently painted, and looks so cute, near the porch they had large Connect Four and Big Jenga Blocks to play with. I could have sat out on the porch for hours, people-watching and just enjoying the beautiful area that is full of gorgeous trees. I did not know until after our visit I guess they have a nice walking trail, I might just need to go back and check it out. 

Grandpa's Cellar is located at 2360 Cable Road, Camino, CA. They are open Thursday-Monday from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Our last stop before heading home on this visit was Pine-O-Mine Ranch. They have a gorgeous open-air barn.  They serve BBQ and Apple Cider Shakes, I would have loved to try their BBQ but we were too full. They also offer U-Pick Apples and have a Pumpkin Patch.  This had more of an adult vibe to it, the bar serves specialty drinks, and they have live music on certain nights. It was so peaceful here, probably because there weren't a lot of kids running around. My boys enjoyed the cornhole outside and loved their friendly pup. Although we were already full from all the delicious treats we had, we made room to share the Apple Cider Shake and it was so refreshing and yummy.

Pine-O-Mine Ranch is located at 2620 Carson Road, Placerville. CA. They are open Friday-Sunday 9 AM to 8 PM.

Another favorite we did not make on this trip but is an annual must for us is Delfino Farms. They are known for their famous Walking Apple Pie, and this is always on our annual Fall must-visit list. They also have a winery/restaurant and stunning views here. I love enjoying the Walking Apple Pie and just soaking up the gorgeous views here.

Delfino Farms is located at 3205 North Canyon Road, Camino, CA. Open Friday-Monday 10 AM to 5 PM.

Since I haven't really blogged about our Apple Hill Visits, Larsen Apple Barn also deserves a mention, we love the little museum they have, it is a fun stop to go to with kids. The photos below are from a couple years ago. We visited with family visiting from out of town on our drive up to Lake Tahoe. Below is only one photo from the Museum, I do not want to give it all away, they have a ton of stuff to look at, it is like a peek into the past and how life was and tools they used, and more. I love that you will likely find the family giving tours at the museum.  That is one thing I love about all of the Apple Hill Farms, they really are family owned and operated. They have a deli and bakery, and you can get a hot dog, burger, and chips, and a slice of apple pie to enjoy at their family park area. Note they are closed on Saturdays during Apple Hill Season. 

Larsen Apple Barn is located at 2461 Larsen Drive, Camino, CA. Open Sunday-Friday 9 AM to 5 PM. 

I hope you'll plan a visit up to the Apple Hill area, maybe a couple visits this Fall through Winter because not only do they have Pumpkin Patch fun, but also many farms have Christmas Trees, some you can even chop down yourself. I hope this post is helpful, a sort of guide on where to go and what to try. I know when we first started driving up to Apple Hill we were unsure of where to go. Be sure to follow us over on TikTok and Instagram, you'll see videos from our visits. We have an Apple Hill Playlist on our TikTok and an Apple Hill Highlight on our Instagram.