We've come here for the last 10 years and can say become friends with the owners. This year we came and found out there's new owners and the place was sold three months ago. We were bummed that they were not open for picking and the trees were full of fruits this year. Congratulations to the new owners and good luck. The apples and pears in this orchard are by far the best. We've brought so many at this place and we hope the new owners continue on the legacy. Apple Starr Orchard will always have a special place in our hearts. read more

This year was the first year we did our apple picking at Apple Starr and I think I may have found my new apple orchard. A bit further passed another popular orchard and a winery, Apple Starr Orchards offers a variety of apples and even pears! All organic! Easy to find, pay and get loaded up on your fruit. Lovely orchard, the staff were absolutely amazing and we all definitely look forward to this as it's our annual family tradition. If you plan to get 2 or more bags, I would highly recommend bringing a radio flyer or some sort of cart to hold the apples in. The bags get heavy and after so many apples, the handle may give. read more

Amazing first-time experience picking apples! Keep driving past all the over-crowded orchards until you reach this one at the end of the road about half a mile down. You'll find plenty of parking, the nicest, friendliest folks greeting you, and plenty of varieties of delicious apples!! Everything was easy to navigate and all signs were up marking which apples were which. They provided wagons and harvester baskets to gather the fruit (though we may have used the wagons to haul the babies ). The apples and pears were soooo fresh, delicious and juicy, especially the gala apples! There was something for everyone, some real gems up high that we used the tool for, and plenty of nice ones down below for the toddlers to pick. We got a really nice haul for a great price, and enjoyed the beautiful, peaceful autumn scenery. There is a nice clean bathroom available there as well, which can sometimes be hard to come by in Julian! I can't recommend this place enough; Lord willing, it will become a yearly tradition for my family. read more

See all

CLOSED 2025 - Apparently under new ownership and not offering u-pick this year. The supposedly updated hours posted on yelp the first week of September was an error - not open. Save yourself the drive and disappointment. read more

Never open. I've called for availability. Spoke with a gentleman who did not seem to know much about anything there if they are renting available etc.... They were very unprofessional. It looks to be a very cute place, however also seems to be poorly ran in management. I've seen alot of road crews stay there, I think it may rent to companies in need of lodging while working in the area. read more

Kinda deep in Julian away from everyone but amazing selections on apple and pears. Wagons were also available for usages which was super handy. Will definitely make this an annual thing. read more

See all

My girlfriend and I had a lot of fun here! Picked some delicious apples for such an affordable price compared to other orchards in the area! Their Gala apples are so juicy! Staff was helpful and friendly and maintained a safe atmosphere. Would definitely recommend and come back! read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Apples - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

First time apple picking and we loved this place, especially that they are organic. Friendly, parking good. Will go again! read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - These are all the Gala apples we got. Not gigantic, but very yummy! - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Love Apple Starr. Nicest people, gorgeous farm, very authentic vibe!! They have picking poles and wagons for kids, super fun. So much fruit this year. read more

See all

Such a great spot for apple picking. We just went today and had a great time. They have a wide variety of organic apples and pears. There was an abundance of fruit. All the fruit is delicious. We went middle of the day on a Sunday and it wasn't super busy, it was perfect. $30/bag and $20/bag after that. One bag can fit a lot! (No admission fee) Everyone working there was really nice and helpful. This place is just past Vulcan apple picking - you have to keep going down the road, look for the Apple Starr Orchard Signs. For our family of 4 the Apple Starr Orchard was cheaper than Vulcan, plus it's Organic and had pears too. And this orchard was way less busy than Vulcan. Kids loved it. We'll be coming back here as a family tradition! read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Pear picking - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Awesome apple and pear picking a couple weeks ago. Tons of fruit and no crowds. Keep driving until end of the road to find this place. Staff was super helpful as well. read more

See all

Overall, a positive experience if you have kids. This is an organic apple and pear orchard where you purchase a bag and go around the orchard and pick your own fruits. The first bag is $25 and additional bags are $15, which are a little pricey. Each bag may fill 20 small apples or pears. They have some complimentary red wagons to use if you have little kids. Some downsides are: - when it's apple picking season (September-November), it is CRAZY BUSY. there is only one lane going into the orchard. you have to pass the Volcan orchard and keep going all the way down the road. it could take up to 15 minutes to get into the parking lot. - only one bathroom inside the barn and an additional porty potty outside. - though there are plenty of trees, the ripeness of the fruits can vary based on when you go. most of the apples and pears were small and not ready to eat yet. you may want to contact them before you come in. If you are going to come, I highly recommend you come right when they open. read more

Very friendly, tons of apples and pears to choose from, the true country experience. No lines and had a wagon for the kids to use. Will be going back next year! We had a great time! read more

We come here every Apple season to pick organic apples and pears. We love the fact that they're certified organic & our kids always have a great time. There's plenty of open room for strollers and wagons. Although this orchard is a little way out from the main town, it's worth it to stop by for the experience! read more

We went last year and had an excellent experience! Looking forward to this year's visit! They are organic apples and pears so aren't the cheapest you'll find but they were tasty! One odd thing: my son had an allergic reaction of some sorts-we panicked and there's nothing very close by and farm is truly just farm so be sure pick all you need. read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

See all

When I was looking for an orchard to take my 2-year-old daughter to, I had two requirements. I wanted the experience to be authentic so I wasn't looking for a "circus" to make it fun for her--and more importantly, I wanted the fruit to be organic. After much review, I found that Apple Starr Orchards fit the bill. Our family went on opening weekend and had such an enjoyable time. I found the location to be perfect. After passing a very large, commercialized and super busy orchard right as we pulled onto Julian Orchard Drive, I was very worried. I didn't want that. But thankfully, our GPS kept telling us to keep going down the road. Soon, the gravel road turned into a dirt road. PERFECT! We arrived right around noon and there were less than 6 cars there and the orchard was much smaller in size than the one that we had just passed. This was exactly the experience I was seeking. The old wooden barn and the run down tractor was an epic sight. The smell alone brought my husband back to his childhood days in Michigan and it brought me back to the days I spent on my Grandparents land sitting under large fruit trees just helping myself to whatever I felt like eating. The owners greeted us under a tent and got us set up for our adventure. I knew they only accepted cash/check but my husband and I had a miscommunication and each thought the other grabbed cash. We were all unloaded and mentioned we'd have to go back into town to get cash and the owner kindly said to just promise you'll drop a check in the mail when you get home and don't worry about it. That was a very kind act and very generous of them to offer. Thanks to this, we were able to grab our wagon and picking tool and off to picking we went. It didn't take long for my daughter to get the hang of using the fruit picking pole. We showed her which ones to pick and she was a pro in no time. And soon after that, she was following our lead and tasting the fruit as we went. Even though they weren't ripe yet, she loved the Granny Smith apples the most. She ate two of them fresh off of the tree! The pears probably need another week to ripen but the ones we tasted were still crisp and delicious. I look forward to making a pie and adding them to salads in the coming days and weeks ahead. I'd highly recommend coming here early in the season. This isn't a large orchard so you probably won't be able to find much after several weeks of people picking. Be sure to check their website religiously starting in August so you don't miss their opening dates announcement. We had so much fun! At $25 for the first bag and $15 for each additional, this is the epitome of family fun time and will be an annual event for our family. But again...come early in the season. read more

See all

Organic apples here! A bit tricky to find, have to enter Volcan Valley Orchard first and then keep going on the dirt road. But definitely worth it for the delicious apples. The service here is very friendly. They provide apple picking sticks and red wagons. It has bit of a slope so be careful when you walk. Closed toe shoes are best. $25 for first bag and $15 for additional bags. I took off one star because the website isn't very helpful and calling mostly gets an answering machine. Would be nice if they updated more often so I know when apples are ready to be picked. It's different every year when they ripe. We had to book a hotel to take the kids to have this experience. So it would be nice to have a more updated info. Majority won't ripen until another 2 weeks. Oh well. But it was still lots of fun! read more

Beautiful apple orchard with delicious apples! Highly recommend a visit if you're coming to Julian!

WORMS!!!! I went on September 5, 2021. There were worms in the apples in the trees. I shifted through their produce before buying to make sure I had apples without worms. When I got home, the worms from my "inspected" apples and pears were crawling about outside of the apples. Worms are flopping on my counter table, where I had placed the apples when I got home. Worms are so gross! I am concerned because children were there picking on September 5th. I used my apples as decor for the past few days. I had planned to make pies. I assume those children probably ate the apples that day or the next! I am thankful I DID NOT eat Apple Starr Orchard apples or pears. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS. read more

I love this place!!! When the kids were smaller, we would take them to the dwarf orchard so they could reach, but now that they are older, they love using the pickers to get their fruit. There's always plenty of parking and the staff there is so friendly! Did I mention it's all organic?? Apples and pears for days. This place is the best! read more

See all

This is a cute little organic orchard which is a lot less packed than some other orchards in the area. The people that work there are super nice and the selection of apples and pears is huge. Disclaimer bags are 25$ for the first and 15$ for the second so it's definitely pricey but you get organic apples and a good experience! read more

See all

I spent this past weekend with my friend's at Apple-Starr orchards, to pick organic apples and pears. Most of the apples were gone by the time we had arrived! No surprise there since organic foods are sought out! We were fine with it because we could pick organic pears! We walked, talked, picked, laughed and even snapped a family photo in front of the very cool vintage barn! We had snacks under the big shady tree. We made a Wonderful family memory! Later that evening my friends children and I made a tasty pear tarte! We definitely will be back next year! By the way, there are non-organic orchards in the area with apples available to pick but they are Not organic. You should find out the chemical list before you think apple pie! Sam H read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

See all

My favorite orchard. It's $25 for the first bag and $15 for the second (so $20 a bag)..... we usually get 2 bags and I load up with pears and my daughter gets apples. The fruit is organic and it's soooo good. We usually pick in late August and every year the crop seems to be different depending on the weather that year but there's always been plenty to fill our bags. It gets hot out there though so dress lightly and wear a hat! I sometimes make the mistake of wearing sandals which hurts because there are dried sticks and stuff on the ground that will stab your feet. read more

This was so much fun! The orchard was definitely less busy than some of the other orchards we passed getting here. The owners themselves greet you and give you advice on how to pick out the best fruit. There are wagons and pickers available. There's also a nice area to eat lunch and have a picnic. It's absolutely beautiful and the pears were delicious! read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

We went on Labor Day weekend, which they boasted as opening weekend. We figured since we were going on the first weekend we'd have lots to choose from. Turns out there were NO apples that were ready to be picked. We paid $25 for ONE bag And filled it with barely ripe pears and a few underripe apples. It was a big disappointment. read more

The employees are all very friendly and helpful. I went with a group of friends during the Julian Apple Festival and we had a great time. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that the traffic was horrendous and it took us over 4 hours to get there. They need to invest in shuttles or a better traffic system for funneling visitors in. Luckily we all had a fun time picking apples, wine tasting, and trying the local vendors food & bev. The experience made up for the never ending wait to get in, but anyone who wants to avoid getting stuck in 4 hours of traffic should probably aim on getting there before the place opens. The apples are absolutely delicious and worth the fiasco of getting there. read more

See all

A few neighbors and I planned a quick fall trip out of San Diego to pick some apples with the kids and enjoy a picnic after. The crowds all seemed to be attracted to the orchards all along the way making the picking at AppleStarr a less chaotic and stressful experience for our bunch of a dozen adults and children. The trees were short enough for my two-year-old to pick from which I very much appreciated. The price of the bag of apples became more reasonable considering how many were eaten during the picking process. I wish that the picnic area was a bit more than just a few benches and would have hoped to see the wasp situation better addressed. read more

Went on Labor Day and the apples were already picked through, but they had big, beautiful, delicious pears. The owners (or managers?) were super friendly and said to check their website in early August to find out about picking. I'll be sure to do that next year. At $25 for a bag, it's a bit pricey, but you are paying for the experience. They have the poles with baskets on the end in different heights which I think makes picking even more fun (perhaps because that is my memory of picking apples as a kid). Parking was ample and my husband said the bathrooms were really clean. They also had cold water for sale for $1/bottle. Overall, great experience! read more

Took the family the weekend after Labor Day. There were no Apples. Zero. We went the week after they opened! Tons of pears to be picked though and they are delicious! 2* for no apples and still charging $25 for a tiny bag to fill. Absolutely ridiculous but we went for apples. I really recommend calling ahead and asking if they have apples. read more

We went yesterday (9/5/15), which seems like the beginning of the season. First off, the orchard is past Volcan Valley Orchard. So if you see Volcan, keep going down the dirt road until it ends. Parking: Plentiful and I felt the parking flow was well handled. Price: 1 bag for $25 and 2 bags for $40. It seems pricey but it's organic and you are paying for the experience. Fruit: We choose to pick Fuji apples. Several trees had bountiful options but there weren't many left. (When looking online, some of the other orchards don't even grow fujis so this wouldn't have been an option at all.) The Macintosh were yummy tasting as were the galas. The bosc pears were plentiful but not ripe so we couldn't try them. Since pears (unlike apples) will ripen after picking, we picked a few for later. Picking: They have apple pickers and radio flyers available. The last two years we went to Volcan and pickers were not available. I can't confirm that is true for this year. We didn't get a picker because they were already taken but I saw others using them and they seemed helpful. Tip: Check their website for information on if they are open and when. Bathroom: I know they have real bathrooms but we did not have a need to use them. I heard the line was long but the bathroom facility was nice. Overall, we would go there again. read more

Hmmm, not quite sure why this place has 5 stars. When you pull up, there's a bunch of different companies/orchards you can choose from. We chose apple star due to its reviews. I guess it was helpful that there was a regular bathroom instead of just having the port-a-potty as the only option .... but I did have to wait 30 minutes in line just to use the one person bathroom! :( That didn't start off my journey very well but I can overlook that. Finally got a "1/2 peck" bag which was $12. We went the end of September and it seems as if the majority of the apples and pears were rotting on the ground. The pear selection seemed to be better than the apples. Many of both were rather small. Another down fall is that it took us almost 30+ minutes to hunt down an apple picker pole. They were very short on them, I feel like they should have more available. As we drove away a few hours later, we were viewing the other orchards and they looked A LOT more lush and full of colorful apples and pears! Hmmmm. Not sure what happened, maybe it was just a bad season for Apple Starr? I would definitely come back to Julian since it is such a random, fun activity and great for all ages...but I would personally pick a different company next time! Anyone who is going from Oct 1, 2013 til the season is over, I'd look elsewhere. read more

BEST APPLE ( & PEAR ) Picking trip EVER! Trees were just the right height for my 3 and 5 year olds to pick fruit without any help -- tons of fruits still on the trees -- an easy walk, lots of parking, clean bathroom -- TOTALLY worth the trip. The apples and pears were delicious and worth every penny -- plus we have gorgeous photos! Will definitely be coming back every year!! Get there early, if you can. We got there just after they opened and it go pretty full and pretty hot very soon. By the time we had left, just before noon, the parking lot was full and it was packed everywhere else too. read more

I don't usually write reviews but this is the best orchard we've been to in 4 years. The owners were very nice and friendly. They informed us where to go for the best apples and told my son to borrow a wagon for apple/pear picking. These are by far the best tasting apples in Julian! Probably because they are organic. Spend the extra money for these apples! And then hit up the Menghi Winery on the way out. read more

See all

We have learned that if you love Organic pears and apples and friendly folks that this is the place, BUT COME OUT EARLY!!!! We just went on opening day( 8/20/16) and since we love pears found an abundance!!!! You will have to let them ripen when you get home, but believe me they are worth the wait!! Follow the advice of the older gentleman who was handing out bags and poles, Only pick the ones that come off in your hand or into the pole baskets!! They will turn into the juiciest hand dripping goodness. Apples should be ready in a week or two for eating off the tree. But dont get mad at the orchard if the run out by mid Sept. , the place is very popular , especially for kids!! We have tried other orchards, but this one , if you come late summer is awesome. Last year we came out in early October and they were all gone. Check the Julian event page, as the orchard is at the end of the road to the winery and they have music events that make it a bit crazy traffic wise, but the orchard has its own parking for pickers. Have Fun!!! read more

See all

People were nice. The wagons were awesome for kids. There were plenty of pickers for us. But, the trees looked diseased and were not pruned causing very small, unripe apples. Some of the pear trees were able to offer delicious fruit. read more

My family and I enjoyed our time at the orchard. Walking through the orchard seemed endless. There were so many trees filled with delicious pears and apples. Our bag was over flowing. We will be back next year read more

Apple Starr Orchards - CLOSED - Delicious pears - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Super awesome place to go during the fall to Apple pick! We had a great time here and were glad that in late September we were still able to get apples when a lot of other places were already closed. We used our apples to make homemade apple pie and it was great! read more

Love that you could eat the apples and the pears as you walked the orchard! The kids had a great time using the apple pickers too!

Lovely pastoral location at the end of the dirt road. Friendly staff and a fun family outing. Delicious organic apples and pears. Loved the 100 year old barn. Picnic benches under the shady oak trees for a picnic lunch after picking the fruit in the orchard. Cold bottled water for sale and clean bathroom in the barn. read more

Getting a hold of the people at this farm was kind of frustrating. I went to Julian at the tail end of the apple season at the end of September, and so the lady at the hotel I was staying at told me to call around and find out which farms were still open for the season.. I tried calling this place so many times, but I kept getting their answering machine.. Because of that, we actually went to Volcan Valley, shame because Apple Starr Orchards is so much better! It's much more expensive because everyone who enters has to have a bag.. So we had to pay $20 for two little paper bags of fruit, even though I didn't want to pick any.. at Volcan Valley, I was able to just accompany my mom and take pictures of her, without having to pay an entrance fee.. But my mom was in an apple frenzy! Plus she wanted pears too and Apple Starr Orchards had both so even after going to Volcan Valley we came here for more fruit!! When we got there I almost thought the place was closed, even though after finally getting in touch with the farm via phone they told me it was open.. We had to wait like 10 minutes for someone to come and give us our bags because the front was unattended.. Those things though I'm willing to overlook and give this place a 4 star review because of everything that followed.. I've only been to two orchards but this is a really good one to check out.. Ray, the person who sold us our bags was super jovial and emphasized the need to try before we pick.. He was like every tree is different, despite the fact that the tree next to it is of the same variety, it could taste completely different! So he was like taste taste taste! Seems kind of like a waste but he said so so that's what we did! It took a lot longer to walk around this farm, because most of the whole thing was open! yay! and it had a lot more varietals to pick from.. The fruit trees here are much bigger, wider spaced apart and taller than Volcan.. It's fun because you get to use these like poles to pick the fruit at the top of the trees lol it was cool watching my mom pick fruit with it.. We rarely found a bad tree.. Everything tasted amazingly sweet.. So funny too because while we were walking around the orchard we could hear fruit falling! And my mom would be like where was it?! Sometimes we could see the fruit fall and we'd pick up that specific one.. How rare is it to find a piece of fruit that ripens on its tree to the point where it falls off? They were PERFECT! it was so cute watching my mom run around when she would hear something fall hahaha On a regular basis she literally eats like 5 servings of fruit a day, so goes bananas over bananas and apples and everything else so she had a great time! The fruit sits really well too.. A lot of time when you buy fruit at the store it'll go back within like the week or something, especially pears.. but the fruit here lasted my mom forever!! Even tho I've never paid $20 at one time for fruit, it was totally worth it.. read more