Guide to Cherry Picking

Of all the cherry-centric activities, pick-your-own experiences may be the universal favorite.

There’s nothing quite like spending a hot summer’s day in a cherry orchard—breeze in your hair, sun on your face—plucking perfectly ripe cherries from the trees and collecting them in a pail, dreaming of the pies, jams, sauces, drinks, and baked goods you can make with them later.

Door County cherries are typically ripe between mid-July and mid-August, which means your summer trip is the perfect time to dive into the local cherry world and get the satisfaction that comes with harvesting your own fresh ingredients.

Here’s what you need to know before planning your cherry adventure.

A few orchards that do have pick-your-own offerings:

The History of Cherry Picking
Cherries didn’t always grow on the Door Peninsula, but after a farmer and a horticulture professor began experimenting with cherry crops, they found the local terroir to be perfect for growing three different varieties, and the cherry craze officially began.

Read the History of Cherry Picking in Door County

Read Up on More Door County Delicacies

Cherries may be a local favorite, but they’re far from the only produce grown here. Find out which produce and foods you can expect at farms, orchards, and farmers markets

• Artisan Cheese
• Locally Grown Produce and Meat
• Apples
• Brandy Old-Fashioneds
• Nostalgic Door County Eats
• The Foods that Define Door County
• Door County Recipe Book

Headed to Door County this summer? Brush up on the Door County Leave No Trace 7 Principles.