We are giving this well-maintained, apple orchard, a solid five You know none of the Apple orchard and Julian had a very good season. They pretty much had 50% less apples than they did last year so they were trying very hard to get all these apples into our bags and home safely for our own apple cobbler and apple pie. We were able to fill up three bag bags of apples, small apples, but still very flavorful , Pippin and Jonathan's and some empires .. They do allow service dogs . Super fun activity however we were there on October 4 th Honestly, I think the season would probably be about done by now .. there's plenty to do and Julian. They have dirt parking. And crazy enough they have great music playing throughout the Orchard. We did a little Apple picking a little dancing read more

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It doesn't compare to apple picking in the Midwest and northeast but it does scratch the itch if you want to pick apples yourself. $5 admission for each person at $18 for a bag for apples. They estimate that the bag holds 6-7 lbs of apples. When we went they said there were 5 apple varieties but three of them were pretty picked through. This was the 4th day they were open for the season. It is a pretty small apple orchard. That being said, we were able to get a full bag although a lot of apples were small or ones that looked nice only turned out to have wormholes in them. Lots of tossed apples on the ground too. Parking is all in one area now which is better than previous years where there were multiple. Some food and drinks vendors right outside the entrance. They don't sell apple cider or apple cider donuts here sadly. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Entrance - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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After you take a windey road for about 15 min from Wynola, you will not be disappointed to find an excellent "U-Pick Apples" destination. We went at 12, and there were several apples left to pick. They charge $5 a person for admission and $18 for a bag to fill with as many apples as you could. The apples are tiny ones, so you could fill the bag to the brim. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Apple picking is a fun fall activity though it is still very hot in mid September . Volcan Valley farm is $5 to enter and $18 a bag of apples (6-7 lbs). The apples are very small (this year? Always?) and honestly not very good. Go for the experience but not really for the apples. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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They are open for the 2024 season starting today, 9/8/24. No reservation required. We went right at opening at 9am and there were already a lot of people waiting to enter. There is parking along the fence at the north and south entrance. If there's no parking on the side of the road, don't worry and actually keep driving to go around the back. There is a large parking lot and another entrance there! It might be faster to enter that way than the front anyways. They have portable bathrooms available at the entrance. It is $5 for entrance and $15 for a bag. They take both card and cash. You don't have to get a bag if you want to share one bag for the group. The bags are paper bags so be careful and maybe have a shopping bag in your car so you could transfer them when you get back in your car (of course don't bring it to the actual Apple picking). It is dog friendly so bring your fur child~ There were people with strollers and wagons so bring them if you need. There's plenty of space for them. Although they just opened today, the Gravensteins were all gone as those ripen early August. So skip rows 20 and 25. They have nothing on the trees. There were plenty of the other types though (Jonathan, empire, golden delicious and pippin). I feel the bag has gotten smaller than before but I counted 26 apples when I got home. Of course they are of various sizes but it was 6 per row that could fit in the bag. The apples are quite dusty so clean them before you try them! read more

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Annual tradition of family apple picking! Like to get there early to beat the crowds, and parking in the parking field in the back. Love how many different apple varieties there are! (Only one complaint the bags get smaller every year) $15 per bag, and $5 per person, 5yo and under are free read more

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Weve been visiting for years and it's always been such a fun memorable family experience. It has gotten pricier and the bags have gotten smaller as the years have gone by, but i still feel like it's an amazing experience for the family especially little kids. This year they added a fee just to enter, which was disappointing for a family of 6 , but i guess this covers the cost of apples consumed while there. (4 stars instead of 5 only bc of fee pp to enter.) I would recommend going early and/or on an overcast day. It gets very hot and i imagine that makes the experience less enjoyable if everyone is over heated. Otherwise - it's great! Apples are always tasty ! read more

Reasonably priced, especially if you only care about apple picking and not the other activities. $5 for admission per person and then $15 for a bag that can be shared. Huge apple orchard with clearly marked rows and they offer guidance on where to find which apples... varieties that seemed riper were the Empire and Jonathans when we were here mid-Sept. The Gala and Fuji apples that were a little tougher to find even though they say they are at the end of each row. They have portable toilets for anyone who needs. The parking lot is on the side near the farm and seems to be plenty for everyone if you have some patience even coming later in the day. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - One bag ($15) - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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Super cute place but I'd say it's probably better to come earlier in the picking season when it first opens because while there were a lot of apples on the trees....they were majority super small and underripe. That was super disappointing. We managed to find a few decent apples. Worth it for the experience. The apples were a 2-3. Experience and getting to check out Julian was a 5. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Most apples were available but the bags got smaller. We picked apples during the heatwave and luckily it was cooler with a breeze in Julian which made it nice to pick apples. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Our family has been visiting this orchard since my daughter was 3 years old. It's become tradition. To this day, she still looks forward to apple picking. This orchard has at least 4 different types of apples to chose from. The people who work there are welcoming and helpful. Admission is $5 a person and $15 for a bag. Personally, the price is worth the simple yet, wholesome family time. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Orchard - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

First time picking apples here and we came at the very end of the season but there were still plenty of apples left and we left very happy! I haven't taken the road from Julian but if you come from the direction of Wynola and Santa Ysabel it's an uphill climb with lots of turns and the road is pretty narrow. Drive slow and you can hopefully avoid your passengers getting carsick! There is plenty of parking along the road where there is lots of lemonade and food stands. If you can't find any, continue driving and there will be signs that directs you to a large open empty field to park. Good thing is there is also an entrance from the empty field so you don't have to walk all the way back to the "entrance" in the front. The price to enter is $5 per person. Free for those 5 and under. It costs $15 for a bag that they provide and you place your picked apples there. We were asked by the attendant if we wanted sweeter apples or more tart apples and was directed the way that we should go! The orchard is at a slight incline so watch your steps! The trees are not too tall so picking apples is very easy! I had a blast and would go again. Go to their Facebook and instagram to have the most updated apple picking news for the season. They close for the season when all apples are gone. read more

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This is a cute little apple farm that has 40+ rows of apple trees with 3-4 varieties to chose from. The bags they give you at the entrance are sturdy enough to hold a full bag! 4/5 stars because the apple trees were over picked and the apples were quite small and tart. We recommend wearing shoes that are good in the loose dirt. Overall it was a great experience and would highly recommend it if you want a fun fall activity to do with family/friends. The apples were perfect for an apple pie! read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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If you've ever lived somewhere colder, this will not be the apple picking experience you're used to. But for the San Diego area, this is great. Plus, is one of the few (only?) U pick places to allow dogs. You can bring them right into the orchard with you to pick, so it really can be an event for the whole family. It's $5 admission, plus $15 for a bag of self-pick apples. For the 7+ pounds I got, that's not a bad price. My only complaint is that they were very, very small. Fun for snacking, but when it came to peeling, coring, and chopping, it was an insane amount of work to handle such tiny apples. Too much work for dessert! I highly recommend arriving early. If you get there at opening you can get in, have fun, and be on your way again to your favorite apple pie restaurant before the one lane roads clog up. But even if you're late, at least there's plenty of parking. read more

First time for the whole family to go apple picking, we got two bags and had five people with us, around $60 to get in and pick your own apples to take home. The staff is very friendly and will help you with any questions you have on the orchard. We tried to get "store sized" apples and found one, but all the apples regardless of size taste amazing! read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Dog friendly - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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My boyfriend and I had the best time at the Volcan Valley Apple Farm! We even got to meet the farmer and he gave us some helpful tips on which apples to pick. Beautiful scenery and yummy apples. My bf and I had so many and we only got one bag full. We ate half and made an apple pie and apple turnovers out of the rest. read more

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So fun and delicious apples!!! Went to another "orchard" very nearby and it didn't even compare. Volcan is BEAUTIFUL, huge, with lots of different tasty varieties. read more

Outstanding selection of a variety of apples. We asked for the best cooking apple and we were directed to a certain species but I don't remember the name. If anyone could advise I would greatly appreciate it Dan 949-363-3379 you can text me here I cooked 2 pies and everybody loved them read more

We had an excellent time here. The staff was incredibly friendly and the apples are delicious. Rows and rows of Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Empire and other yummy varieties. I have some great recipes I look forward to making with my apple haul! They had some popup food vendors in case the kiddos get hungry / thirsty and portable toilets for their needs. Parking was good, nothing really bad there. Take the family to Volcan Valley Apple Farm. Go get some yummy apples. read more

Great day trip to Julian for apple picking with the family. Driving to the location on a winding road was very scenic. Admission was $5 and $15 per bag of apples, card only when I went. The types of apples available are Gravenstein, Jonathan, Empire and golden delicious. There was plenty of parking and they have food and beverages as well. It's best to go earlier in the season as apples run out quickly and pick apples from the edges as most pick from the center lanes so there's less apples. Overall it's kind of pricey but it's also an activity so I would return next year. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Gravenstein, Jonathan and Empire - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

Such a unique activity for the fall! It was $15 for the bag and $5 per person for admission. I compared prices and it seems to be one of the more reasonable options. We came on a Friday afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. They had a variety of apples and there were still plenty to choose from. If I remember correctly they had Jonathan, Golden delicious and Empire apples. The apples were delicious and perfect for some apple pie. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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Came here for the infamous U Pick apples! While the area experienced a lot of weather (really high temps, to hurricane with heavy rain and high winds) over the past few weeks, we trekked from north county SD to Wynola to try our hand at apple picking. We really like that this was a no reservation needed spot as other places were already all booked up on weekends. We arrived around 9:30 and the lot was pretty busy. Luckily there were multiple entrances into the orchard so the line was very short. It was $5/ person (ages 5 and under are free) and $15/bag. In total we spent $40 for 2 adults and 2 kids under 5. We got 2 bags and a nice tip of where to head for some delicious apples. Most of the varieties are marked: golden delicious, Jonathan, empire, and we were informed pippin apples are all along the parameter. I may have missed a few other varieties. As we were part of the morning crowd, we saw families and couples walking around but the majority of our time we were free to explore without bumping or fighting for apples (jk we would never fight). Our son had a great time picking apples and may have nibbled on a few of them as he picked. Our baby was mesmerized by all the leaves, apples, and just being outside. There were a few families with strollers and wagons- a part of the orchard is on an incline and with all of the recent fallen apples, it could make it a bit challenging to push a stroller around. I would recommend baby wearing if possible to avoid getting stuck on soft grounds and mushy soggy apples on stuck in your wheels. We hope to make apple picking a yearly family tradition and we can't wait to come back next year! read more

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Great place on the corner of Wynola Rd and Julian Orchard. First great thing about it, easy to find. Parking is a bit tough. Might have to walk a bit. Second nice thing, place is large w lots of variety. Granny Smith, empire, Jonathan, golden delicious and more. I would suggest trying some apples first before picking them. Overall great place w lots of apples. It's a family tradition to come here every year read more

We've visited Volcano Valley Apple Farm for a number of years now and it never disappoints. Each year is different when it comes to the amount of apples that are available. Regardless, the apples are delicious. The prices have increased, but that will not prevent us from visiting again. The staff are very helpful. If you are wanting to take your kids to go apple picking, this is the place to go. read more

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I brought my two sons' and husband here on the last day of apple picking. There were still plenty of apples. When we arrived we found parking right away and it's free. They open at 9AM, we got there an hour after they opened on a Saturday. Not too busy and the weather was perfect, I was finally able to enjoy apple picking on a cloudy, fall day. That doesn't usually happen around here. They had a nice selection of apples on 8,000 trees -Empire, Golden, Jonathan apples and Pippin. We ended up just purchasing a bag for $15.00, it will hold about 7 pounds. Admission: $5.00 if you don't have a bag and kids 5 and under are free. There were no lines to get in, so we purchased a bag and was on our way through this beautiful orchard! We filled our apple bag up to the top with mostly Jonathan apples and Golden Delicious apples. Across the way is a winery with plenty of outdoor picnic tables. I noticed they were setting up for a performer. I will certainly come back next year. The staff was lovely, the orchard is well maintained, hand wash stations were great to have available, and it's a fun activity for all ages. Thank you, Volcan Valley for a lovely day! read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - $15.00 for a bag. Holds around 7 pounds. - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

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My family's first apple picking experience and it was awesome! I arrived at noon on a friday and to my surprise it wasn't as packed as was warned in previous reviews. Besides the line to get in, once you get past that, everyone disperses. We went down 3 different rows and had each row completely to ourselves. This orchard is huge and people respect social distancing. Free parking is a plus. We did the active duty military admission which was $10 and came with a bag to fill up. My admission was $5 so in total we spent $15. You get to fill up the bag as tall as you want. When you leave they will not check your bag or anything. The free water with admission is one big water jug that has paper cups on the side. Bring a canteen so that you can fill it up there. They also have a row of porta potties for your convenience. The apples are on the smaller side but are still sweet. Try to find the all red ones, the green ones are tart. read more

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Went during apple season. Very crowded with long lines. Apples were small and not very tasty. Will not be returning.

This is a great option for Apple picking in Julian. There is $5 per person entrance fee, and it's $15 per bag of apples. Maybe a little more expensive than other apple picking I've done, but still reasonable. They had several varieties, including empire, Jonathon, and golden delicious. The apples were on the smaller side, and it took some time to find the ripe ones that come off the branch easily. But the apples I picked were delicious and I used them in a few recipes. Definitely a cute apple farm to check out. read more

We came on opening day 8/25 and only 2 out of 7 apples were ready for picking. The rest will ripe throughout the season. The gravensteins were rows 20 to 25 and the galas were located at the end of each row. The drive here is your typical whiny one line road to Julian but once you make the turn onto Wynola Road, it becomes extremely narrow with sharp turns with 15mph going uphill. Each bag cost $12 and they tell you it holds 6 to 8 pounds. We managed to pack 22 apples but they were on the smaller to medium size. You are allowed to bring pets. We brought a wagon or else you'll be holding the paper bag while picking. At one point, they asked to inspect our wagon to make sure we didn't smuggle any apples which we didn't. If you decide you need another bag, you must buy their bag instead of stashing it in your bag and then transfer it. Plenty of portable restrooms. There's a canopy for shade with a table for you to hang out. We saw a lot of people picking and eating. I would recommend to bring a foldable stool even though they tell you it's within reach for children and adults. We brought a knife and hung out at the canopy to sort and sample. They didn't seem to care. There's a food truck, picnic tables, and small apple pies made from fugi apples for sale. Across the drive way is Menghini wine tasting room. We plan to come back throughout the season to catch the others. Their FB was a great source as they tell you updates on which is ready for picking. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - 7 types of apples, portable restrooms, picnic area - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

What a great place! We got there right at open and it was a good time. The owner greeted us at the beginning and gave us some tips. So cool!! When we left it was crowded. Rightfully so though because it's adorable and the apples are straight delicious!! read more

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Ladies and gents it's apple season. If you haven't picked apples before, it's a great experience. I remember picking apples with my dad when I was like 7 years old. We even made our own cider right there on the farm. And don't get me started on the cider!! - eh-hem back to the apples... First thing's first, it's pricier to pick your own then to purchase bagsful at the stores and restaurants in town. You're looking at about $12/bag vs ~$8.50 in town. You pay for the experience. walk in, pay at the booths by the entrance, they had you a bag and you get your fill. Walking up and down this huge farm in this fog was somewhat magical to me. The morning dew still glistening on the ripen apples. They have a variety of apples from Jonathans, golden delicious, empire apples, pippins, some fujis. They are opened from Monday-Friday from 9-4:30 pm. They welcome well-behaved dogs and children under 5 pay no admission. Otherwise admission is $2/per person. There's a gentleman there with apple cider and he's there until he sells out. His apple cider is the best I have ever had!! Go and enjoy. Stroll and take in the vast apple trees and just being surrounded in nature. That in itself made it worth it to me. read more

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Love every time we visit. Very cool scenery and a nice getaway. Lots of variety and good food nearby

We had a five star day at Volcan Valley Apple farm today. When we arrived we found plenty of spaces to park. There are three entrances, so if it's crowded at the beginning of the driveway, keep on going. We listened to some really great live music, tasted some apple wine, picked two bags of delicious apples, and shared a bbq'd sausage on a bun with grilled onions. Yum! Lots of porta-potties so bring tp or wipes and water. Even in the heat, it was a fantastic day and everyone was super friendly and helpful. Enjoy! Julian APPLE PICKING Fun! Volcan Valley Apple Farm 1284 Julian Orchards Dr. 760-302-4574 https://visitjulian.com/u-pick-orchards/#!biz/id/5ecfe28df9dd97235b7f1ad8 Pricing: Each apple bag holds approx. 6-7 pounds of fruit $15 . . . . (1) bag plus (1) admission $5 . . . . (1) admission per person FREE . . . . Children 5 years old & under Credit ONLY (no fee for credit card charges) read more

We came here on a Sunday afternoon one hour before closing. The parking was very doable since they were a couple of spots but there were a lot of people here as well. To enter there is a five dollar entry fee, but if you buy a bag of apples to pack, that's $15 and you can waive the five dollar entry fee. There were many options for the apples that you could pick, but if you go earlier in the season they are less ripe. I've gone in the past at the end of the season where there are only a few rows of apples left. I would definitely suggest going now where there are definitely rows and rows of apples, which is a very fun experience. They also sell lemonade out front, and apple cider in case it gets too hot. But overall this is my default apple picking orchard in Julian every year and I would definitely recommend! read more

In my opinion, it's a little expensive. They charge $5 per person just to enter on top of the $15 per bag of apples. Cash only. I always wonder about places that force you to pay in cash. read more

So sorry I didn't get the name of the wonderful staff person manning the North entrance just before noon on Friday... he kindly explained the difference between the varieties of apples and gave me a hint on where to find the best apples, and I was off hunting! I ended up with a full bag of beautiful red and golden apples and have happily shared them with my friends upon returning home. Will definitely return for another fun afternoon. read more

Another check from my bucket list. The travel time is all worth it . Went here with my friends and we all had a great time picking apples . Some of them were not yet ready but its totally ok . The employees were pleasant and accommodating to let let us know which one to pick. Unluckily we're not able to fly the drone because its too windy we could've shown the beauty of the whole apple farm . May next time read more

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I am 100% certain I am being a snob with this review but... I wasn't impressed. I am from central NY and we get great weather for apples and apple picking and it is something that I have done multiple times every single year of my life. When I moved to San Diego I figured that tradition was out the window but when I learned we could go apple picking in Julian, I knew we had to go. We made the drive up to Julian on a Saturday afternoon and I was so excited. We were able to easily find the apple orchard and we were pointed towards parking. We had to drive a bit down to find a spot but we finally did and agreed it was still easier than parking in most places. We found the entrance and walked in. You have to stop at a table to pay for your bag. My husband and I each got a bag and thought it was quite small for the price we paid. This was the first thing that through me off. I'm also used to paying by the pound after you pick and the per pound price I'm used to is so much less. We started our apple picking journey and I think I just got upset because it was so different than what I am used to. I didn't get any autumn vibes and it wasn't amazing to me. The pathways are all dirt. Which is to be expected from California but I am used to plush grass and I had never been here before I didn't know how much I needed to lower my expectations. I was wearing sandals and felt irritated that the dirt was going all over. I also felt like the trees were really small and bare. Not that they had all been picked and were bare but they weren't very tree like to me. It felt like they were struggling. It just again, wasn't what I am used to seeing and not what I had imagined. We were able to fill our bags up with apples and then headed on out. On the way home I made a list of apple recipes to bake and got some groceries. We had an incredible week of delicious apple foods. Overall, the apples were delicious but it was overpriced and not a great experience to me. I don't think I'll come back until my boys are old enough that they would have fun apple picking. In the meantime I'll go to sprouts for apples. read more

Came here opening weekend this year. We weren't really sure how to tell what to look for. I wish there was a brochure or something to tell you what ripe apples of each variety should look like. We grabbed whatever looked good from each variety. We bought 2 bags and total got about 30-40 apples. They are on the small side but that's not a problem. I had one tonight and it tasted fine. The parking was easy for us, we took the first spot available right when pulling in. It was a nice way to spend 30/40 mins, I recommend but probably wouldn't return. read more

Volcan Valley Apple Farm - One bag of apples - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Julian, California

What a disappointment today at Volcan. We quickly found a good parking spot despite the place being packed then it started to go downhill. We proceeded to the payment area under the tent and see they charge $12 for a smallish bag to fill then $2 per person. We spent $22 for 5 of us to go pick some apples. Whatever, you do it for the kids. There are barley any apples left and what is left is very small. Can't slice them and only worth about 3 bites. We walked the whole orchard, not every single row but many between the 5 of us, and could not fill the bag. Total disappointment. They should be closed for the season instead of continuing to extort us and the lines of excited people. read more