Looking for Fun Family Road Trip? Pick Apples in New Mexico
Feel the need to get out of town and enjoy a fun day trip with the family? Consider a road trip to Southern New Mexico for a fruitful day of apple-picking. Not only is it a fun excuse to get out of town for the day, it’s an excellent way to eat fresh and support local farms.
Apples in the Land of Enchantment are in season from mid to late August through September, and you can be picking your own in less than 2 hours.
There are three family-run U-Pick orchards within driving distance from El Paso: U-Pick Mesilla Valley Apples in Las Cruces, Nichols Ranch and Orchards in La Luz and Cadwallader Mountain Farms, located between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft.
All offer you and the kids the opportunity to enjoy the mountain views and make some memories while picking delicious apples.
Each farm specializes in some of the most-popular apple varieties perfect for eating raw, baking, and applesauce making. All of them also offer other things like already-picked apples, ready made apple pies, cider, and jams and jellies.
If You Plan to Go
However, the fruit the trees bare don't all ripen at once so before you visit, I recommend following the links I've included or calling to confirm there are apples to pick, which type (if you're wanting a specific apple), and what kind of homemade goodies they're selling.
Nichols Ranch and Orchards
The apple picking begins the weekend of August 14-15 at the family farm located in the Sacramento Mountains outside of La Luz, NM.
Nichols Ranch grows several varieties but Gala apples and some Honeycrisp are the type ready this early in the season. As an added bonus, pears are available for picking right now, too.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash, check, or card payments accepted. Well-behaved dogs are allowed provided they remain on leash and you pick up after them
Facebook: facebook.com/nicholsranch1882
Website: nicholsranchandorchards.com
How to Get There
236 Cottonwood Canyon Road, approximately 7 miles East of La Luz, NM. Click HERE for driving directions.
U-Pick Mesilla Valley Apples, Las Cruces
The Burke Family Orchard is home to four-hundred apple trees ripening as you read this with Red Delicious and Jonathan apples. Red Delicious are sweet, “the little Johnnies” are not, but are are perfect in pies and with caramel -- or raw if you like a tart apple.
Apples sold in two different sized bags; the Peck and the Half-Peck. You buy the bag and fit as many as you can in it. Yummy pies and apple cake will be for sale, too. Cash and credit cards accepted. Pets not allowed in the orchard.
Please bring a mask with you for any inside spaces but once in the orchard, you are welcome to enjoy the green grass, open spaces and juicy apples.
Facebook: facebook.com/FarmFreshApplePie/
Website: www.appleofjoy.com/
How to Get There
2330 Shalem Colony Trail, Las Cruces, NM. Click HERE for map and driving directions from El Paso.
Cadwallader Mountain Farms
This is the time of the year for apples and peaches at Cadwallader Mountain Farms. Traipse through the orchard for Gala, Golden Supreme and Honeycrisp. Their hours are 9-5. Cash or check only. No pets in the orchard.
Facebook: facebook.com/cadwalladermountainfarms
Website: cadwalladermountainfarms.com
How to Get There
13 Mountain Park Road, Mountain Park, New Mexico
See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State
More From 600 ESPN El Paso
