Photo: misterchou, Public Domain Mark 1.0, via Flickr
By Lauren Pierce·Realtor®, Windermere Signature Properties·13 min read
Apple Hill right now
Peak season in Camino
Apple Hill farms opened for the 2026 season on Friday, Sept 4, and late October is the heart of it: cider donuts, u-pick apples and pumpkins.
Most farms run into late November, and Christmas tree farms open the day after Thanksgiving.
It's a crisp Saturday in late October. The lots at High Hill and Rainbow Orchards are filling up, cider is pouring at Hidden Star, and the vines around Camino are turning gold.
Apple Hill began in 1964, when about 16 ranches banded together after pear decline wiped out most of El Dorado County's pear crop.
At a glance
50+
Member farms
Sept 4
2026 opening day
Dec 24
Last day at High Hill
before 10am
Best weekend arrival
Donuts, Pies and Cider in the Hills
Ask anyone in the Sacramento region about fall and they'll mention Apple Hill. It isn't one farm. It's a loop of family orchards, bakeshops, cider barns, Christmas tree farms and wineries in the hills around Camino and Placerville, about 44 miles east of Roseville on Hwy 50.
Locals have favorites they defend fiercely: hot apple cider donuts at Rainbow Orchards, apple pies and fritters at High Hill Ranch, Joan's "Walkin' Pies" at Delfino Farms, chicken pot pies at Drew Bean Farms, coffee flights at Grandpa's Cellar and 30 flavors of fudge at Fudge Factory Farm. In Placerville, Sweetie Pie's on Main Street has served breakfast and pie for years (open daily from 7am).
Since 1964
From pear blight to apple country
Photo: Hu Nhu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How Apple Hill Began
In the late 1950s, pear decline disease wiped out most of El Dorado County's Bartlett pear crop. The county's pear harvest fell from about 52,000 tons in 1958 to 8,435 tons by 1965.
1958
52,000 tons of pears
El Dorado County's pear crop was near its peak, just before pear decline spread.
1964
The Apple Hill Growers form
Grower Gene Bolster, farm advisor Dick Bethell, ag commissioner Edio Delfino and retired army officer Bob Tuck organize about 16 ranches.
1965
8,435 tons
The pear harvest bottoms out, and growers turn to apples and direct sales.
1972
Boeger Winery opens
Boeger becomes one of the first wineries of the modern El Dorado wine revival.
2026
More than 50 farms
Apple Hill now counts more than 50 member farms, wineries and tree farms.
The founders borrowed the marketing model of Oak Glen in Southern California, and Bob Tuck came up with the name. Some farms go back much further: Harris Family Farm in Pollock Pines has been farmed for more than 150 years and seven generations.
Farms and Ranches to Know
Pick three farms, not eight. The driving adds up, and the most popular stops sell out of donuts and pies by afternoon. Hours are the farms' posted 2026 hours.
01
High Hill Ranch (#1)
2901 High Hill Rd, Placerville. Daily 9am to 5pm through Dec 24. The biggest Apple Hill farm, with apple pies, donuts, fritters, a fishing pond and a big craft fair. High Hill Ranch
02
Rainbow Orchards (#10)
2569 Larsen Dr, Camino. Weekends 9am to 5pm through Oct 31, then 9am to 4pm through Nov 29. Family-run since 1977 and famous for hot apple cider donuts. Rainbow Orchards
03
Larsen Apple Barn (#9)
2461 Larsen Dr, Camino. Sundays from 9am (its site says a 4pm close, the growers' page says 5pm), closed Saturdays. 20+ apple varieties, a bake shop and a small farm museum. Larsen Apple Barn
04
Delfino Farms (#5)
3205 North Canyon Rd, Camino. Friday to Monday 10am to 5pm through Nov 23. Walkin' Pies, Henrietta Stich hard cider and a nature trail. Delfino Farms
05
O'Halloran's Apple Trail Ranch (#18)
2261 Cable Rd, Camino. Daily 9am to 5pm through Nov 30. U-pick apples, 16 varieties and an orchard trail, since 1968. Apple Hill Growers
06
Drew Bean Farms
2315 Cable Rd, Camino. Through Nov 29: Thursday and Monday 10am to 4pm, Friday 10am to 7pm, weekends 10am to 5pm. Known for chicken pot pies. Apple Hill Growers
07
Grandpa's Cellar (#17)
2360 Cable Rd, Camino. Weekends 9am to 4pm through Nov 29. Coffee flights, a bakery and gluten-free options. Apple Hill Growers
08
Harris Family Farm
2640 Blair Rd, Pollock Pines. Thursday to Sunday 9am to 4:30pm through Dec 24. Seven generations on the same land. Apple Hill Growers
09
Abel's Apple Acres
2345 Carson Rd, Placerville. Daily 8:30am to 5:30pm through Christmas Eve. Pies, fudge, BBQ and pony rides. Abel's Apple Acres
10
Boa Vista Orchards
2952 Carson Rd, Placerville. Daily 7:30am to 6pm, almost year-round. Fresh fruit, a bakery, cider and a fall pumpkin patch. Boa Vista Orchards
Next step
Love the foothills?
Homes near Placerville and Camino come with Apple Hill as your backyard.
Apple Hill sits in the El Dorado AVA, and the tasting rooms are a calmer alternative to the busiest farms on an October Saturday.
01
Boeger Winery
1709 Carson Rd, Placerville. Daily 10am to 5pm, reservations recommended. Family-run since 1972. Boeger Winery
02
Lava Cap Winery
2221 Fruitridge Rd, Placerville. Daily 10am to 5pm, $15 tasting, no reservation needed. Lava Cap
03
Madroña Vineyards
2560 High Hill Rd, Camino. Daily 11am to 5pm, last tasting at 4:15pm. Madroña Vineyards
04
Rucksack Cellars
3030 Carson Rd, Placerville. Thursday to Sunday noon to 5pm. Apple Hill Growers
05
Hidden Star Camino
2740 Cable Rd, Camino. A 24-tap cider bar and bakery. Daily 9am to 6pm September to November, then Friday to Sunday 9am to 5pm December to March. Apple Hill Growers
06
Jack Russell Farm and Brewery
2380 Larsen Dr, Camino. Ciders, meads and ales, open year-round (daily April to December, hours vary), with llamas on the farm. Apple Hill Growers
Since 1972
Boeger Winery
Open daily 10am to 5pm; reservations recommended.
One of the founding wineries of the modern El Dorado wine scene, just off Hwy 50.
2635 Gold Bug Ln, Placerville. Tour a real 1800s gold mine. Open daily 10am to 4pm April to October, weekends only November to March. Adults $12, youth $8, gem panning $5 per hour; park entry and parking are free. Gold Bug Park
Plan Your Visit
The Drive From Roseville
01
Route
Take Hwy 50 east past Folsom and El Dorado Hills. It's about 44 miles to the Larsen Drive farms, roughly an hour without traffic and longer on October weekends.
02
Which exit
The Apple Hill Growers suggest Hwy 50 exits 48, 49A, 54 and 57. Exits 48 and 49A back up first, so try exit 54 (Cedar Grove) or 57 (Pollock Pines) and work down the hill.
03
Left turns
Several Camino cross streets no longer allow left turns onto Hwy 50. Plan your loop before you head home.
Weekends vs. Weekdays
01
Go early
On weekends, arrive before 10am for parking and fresh donuts.
02
Try a weekday
Many farms are open daily in the fall, and a Thursday or Friday visit means short lines. Note that some farms are weekends-only and Larsen Apple Barn is closed Saturdays.
03
Parking
Farm lots are free, but they fill by late morning on October weekends. Carpool if you can.
04
Back roads
Farms on Cable, Larsen, Mace and North Canyon roads are often quieter than Carson Road.
05
Think November
Crowds thin after October, and pies, fall color and tree farms keep going.
Next step
Thinking about selling before spring?
I can walk you through what your home could sell for and when to list.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Locals' Hidden Gems
01
Harris Family Farm
The farthest-east stop, up in Pollock Pines, and usually calmer than the Carson Road farms.
02
Larsen Apple Barn's museum
A small farm museum and shady picnic park, on a Sunday.
03
Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park
Fifteen minutes past Apple Hill. Fall is quiet, with lakeside trails and $16 day use (7:30am to dusk October to April). Sly Park Recreation Area
04
Placerville Hardware
441 Main St, often called the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi, with roots in 1852. Placerville Hardware
05
Bluestone Meadow
A lavender farm at 2025 Carson Rd, open weekends 9am to 4pm through Nov 22. Apple Hill Growers
Nearby Towns
Placerville
The county seat, about 10 minutes from Camino: Main Street dining, the Bell Tower, Gold Bug Park and holiday events
Camino
The heart of Apple Hill, with most farms along Carson, Larsen, Cable and North Canyon roads
Pollock Pines
Higher up the hill, with Harris Family Farm, Sly Park and Jenkinson Lake
Coloma
About 20 minutes north, where gold was discovered in 1848, along the South Fork of the American River
El Dorado Hills
The closest suburb to Sacramento along Hwy 50, about 30 minutes from Apple Hill
Placerville
Make Apple Hill your backyard
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thinking About Moving Here?
People who move to Placerville, Camino and Pollock Pines often say the same thing: Apple Hill stops being a day trip and becomes your neighborhood. Fall weekends are for the farms, winter brings Christmas trees and snow a little higher up, and Sacramento is still within commuting distance on Hwy 50.
If you already live nearby and want to move up, down or across town, I can help you sell and buy in the right order, so you only move once.
If you're relocating from out of the area or out of state, I'll coordinate with the agent selling your current home so closing dates, movers and logistics line up.
Let’s map out your move together
Wherever you’re coming from, I’d love to hear about your plans. Reach out anytime.
