Calico Ranch

I brought my kids to have a fun apple picking experience. I wanted to take great pictures and make great memories. The staff just seemed like they hate everyone and they hate their job. I even noticed the pictures posted on here, the staff look disgruntled and unfriendly.Sad.
I tried to take some pictures of my girls walking along a nice looking path close to the «red string,» we weren’t picking apples or hurting anything. (Though, I paid for a bag to pick apples,) just walking for a picture. Some staff came over and meanly stated we couldn’t be over the «red tape!»
I thought we were on the right side. Then try to make me feel stupid by saying that everyone else gets it! I think I’ll try a different apple orchard next year. I was going to do a field trip here with my daycare, but I won’t be doing that. Not very kid or people friendly.

What a great operation! Though not certified organic, they use organic practices to keep pests at bay. And these are what apples should taste like! We were part of a farm tour, so we got a great behind-​the-​scenes look at their operation, and were able to pick in parts of the orchard that the public doesn’t use. But everyone I saw up front had plenty of apples in their bags! Get here early; parking gets crazy. And it’s well worth it to taste so many great varieties of apples. BTW, the apple pies that were being sold there when we visited come from apples from Calico Ranch (and the pies were still warm!), unlike other pie companies in Julian that use non-​Julian apples.

Convenient location, friendly staff, good apple choices. ½ peck is $ 10 cash. Pick what you want in the orchard and then fill up the remainder of your bag with pre-​picked apples from the stand. The apples were crisp, fresh, and delicious. It can get very busy, so go earlier in the day, if possible. And check them out on Facebook for updates and which apples are in season. That’s what I did before our recent trip and it worked perfectly. Loved it. I just wish they didn’t have the red tape around the parts of the orchard you can’t go in. But, I understand the need for it. It just took away from the ambiance a bit.

I originally planned to go to another orchard but the reviews were terrible. Calico Ranch was originally my first choice anyways. We came on Sat Oct 12^th with our 3 girls (6, 3.5, 2) to spend the day in Julian. This was our fist time apple picking. We arrived right at opening time, 10am, because we had a train ride to catch at 11:30 at Smith Ranch — I reviewed them too! We wandered through the orchard, got a lot of great pictures. I noticed more and more people as the minutes ticked by but the orchard is so big that it wasn’t a problem. As we made our way to the front around 10:40 I quickly saw why. The small parking lot was FULL — we were the 3^rd car in. When we left at 11 the street, up and down both sides, was also full of cars along with many cars coming still. I loved that we spent $ 20 (2 bags) for us to pick apples, run and play around the trees as well as get some apples I’ve never had before from the stand out front. They have apples cut for tasting too.
I’m so glad we went early! I’m not sure we would have enjoyed it as much if we’d come an hour later. However, when we left Julian around 2 and passed the ranch by, the parking lot was still full but there seemed to be a lot of parking close on the street so it definitely wasn’t as busy then. There were PLENTY of apples left, from what I understand this is their 3^rd weekend open. The apples aren’t treated with pesticides so you can eat them right off the tree. It wasn’t hard to find apples that didn’t have bad spots or worm holes either, which was a concern I had coming here.
Make sure you call or check their facebook page — which I found both to be clear as to what times they were open and if they had a good amount of apples.

Setting off the Fall season is a perfect time to try apple picking. Came here Saturday, arriving around 10:30. Lots of people! We had no problem stepping up and looking at the types of apples they had and there were samples to enjoy before trekking out into the orchard. $ 10.00 for a bag to pick away. Because this is an organic orchard you must keep an eye out for worm holes. The apples were of some varieties I was not familiar with but boy were they delicious. You can eat as many as you like while you are there aside from your bag. Pears too! They had scarecrows for pictures and a huge selection of pies made from the apples in their orchard to purchase, some combos like blueberry/​apples and peach/​apple. They had a huge sample for tasting. It was a really fun experience and great for kids. No tree climbing allowed. Limited parking in lot. An experience you must do at least once.

It was so nice of the lady at Calico to give us a mini tour after getting lost down the wrong road and just after closing. She let us pick a few apples since we drove all this way to get here with 2 kids. This is the place to go for your apples. Can’t wait to make some apple butter and some pie.

We went apple picking on October 6^th because sometimes it seems like September is too early. It was a great experience with my daughter since she was just starting to walk and eat so the chance to roam the apple farm on her own and eating apples seemed very appetizing to her.
Before you enter the farm, there’s baskets of different types of apples for you to just buy straight up instead of picking on your own. They give you samples of apples for you to try to see which type of apples you want to pick. Then they give you this dinky little bag for you to fill for about $ 10. We were able to leave with lots of apples because my husband didn’t mind climbing the trees to get the good apples.
Right before we left, we got one of their apple turnover pies they were selling for $ 3, it was a nice little experience and we plan to make it an annual thing with our kids.

We came here during the last weekend to pick apples in Julian for the year… and it was evident. There were hardly any apples left which made the picture taking not as fun. It is $ 10 per bag and though we didn’t pick many apples, there were already picked apples waiting for us when we left that we could fill our bags with.
Overall, this is a good place to pick. It is right off the main drag and parking can get crowded. The property is fairly large but not large enough where you could get lost. The staff was nice and the grounds well maintained. I hope to come back sometime earlier in the season next time.

This was a fun time for the family. We came the last weekend of picking and they warned us before we entered the orchard that the trees were pretty well picked through. Despite the warning we ended up finding enough apples to fill up my daughters sack. There were also lots of bins outside the orchard to fill up your bag if you couldn’t find enough apples on the trees. Next year I plan on coming earlier in the season to get the best selection.

«Great place, my family has been coming here the past 10 years! Free samples of hard to find apples, family oriented, owner Conrad and his wife are so nce, have been to all our # 1 spot to come to in julian!»

We came on the last day of the season and had a great time. They warned us right up front that there weren’t a lot of apples left, but that was okay because after you were done hunting you can just fill up from the plentiful bins of differing varieties they had displayed up front. You were even able to select from pears if desired. They only charge per bag ($ 10), unlike another orchard right around the corner which insists on charging $ 10 per person entering the grounds, regardless of whether or not you’re picking. As I was told by the person in charge after stating I just wanted to accompany my kids and didn’t need my own bag, «Well Sir, you are paying for the experience.» Unlike that place, the folks at Calico Ranch were all extremely nice and helpful despite the hordes of people and commotion going on around them.
The orchard is huge and we were able to find way more than enough apples to pick. Yes they were all high up in the trees and I had to shove my daughter carelessly through branches and almost dropped her to her death several times, but it was all in the name of apples! We’ll be heading directly here next year, only this time at the beginning of the season so we can lazily grab the low hanging fruit.

Summary: OVERHYPED. If this is apple picking in Julian, then you’re better off picking from the farmers market.
I went during the last weekend of apple picking (and was chided by the lady who took our money for doing so). For $ 10, you get to fill a plastic bag with apples. But alas, more apples were on the ground than in the trees. (I hope they allow some pigs to come in and clean up the orchard floor– they would have GORGED.)
They had already picked the good ones from the back orchards. After strolling in the empty orchard, you came back and filled your back from the already-​picked baskets. Even the selection they had there (about 5 apple and several pear varieties) were the runty ones of the litter.
And then the people. Throngs and throngs of people showed up, all receiving the same disappointing news, which some then had to relay to their kids.
The drive from the 15 along the 78 was certainly the most enchanting part of the experience. At least now I can cross «Julian apple picking» off my list!

Yay! This place is great. We came on the last weekend of the season, so the trees were pretty bare. However, the ladies were super nice and let us get some apples from the trees, and fill up the rest of the bag (and another bag) from the apples in their back orchards (i.e. the better ones, lol). So 2 bags of fresh apples for 10 $. Thats a pretty great deal. They also have pears for people who prefer those :)
I really liked the crisp and tart apples (I forget the names of course). I think they’ll make great pie, but I might eat them too quickly to make one :)
Next year I’ll come earlier so I can do more picking, but it was a fun experience and now I have delicious apples!

I came here on the LAST weekend of the season so the trees were fairly bare but I was given two bags to fill with apples! I perused the orchard to pick some of the last apples on the trees then came back and was able to sort through boxes of apples to fill another peck :) They also have pears too if you’re all appled out! The people were nice and even for the last weekend it was pretty busy!
Apparently the FIRST weekend in October is the best time to come, so I’ll remember that for next year!

We are so looking forward to the 2011 picking season. We were so sad that Calico Ranch did not have any apples last season because of a freeze (according to their website). This is our favorite U-​pick orchard. We make it a yearly family trek and have never been disappointed. It is best to go early in the season for the best selection. The staff have always been friendly and very informative. I highly recommend this orchard.

I arrived here the second weekend of October. You can see the ranch clearly by the loads of cars piled up on the street out front, parked along the ditch. We got to the front gate, and the staff told us that most of the orchard had already been picked over, but we could still buy bags for $ 10 each and fill them with the apples and pears out of the barrels in the front, and walk along the grounds to see the apple trees.
We walked in and roamed for a while, and sure enough, most of it had been picked over. I was able to hoist my girlfriend’s sister up on my shoulders to reach some good-​looking apples on the tops of the trees, but the bottom branches were bare. I wonder if you can bring your own ladder into the ranch…
We filled our bags about halfway with freshly-​picked apples, then wandered back towards the front (pausing for a group picture on the haystacks they have in the orchard), where we filled our bags to the brim with apples and pears. A great experience, definitely worth it — but it’d be better if you get in early in the season and pick the apples yourself. Give the ranch a call ahead of time and find out if they’re open.

As summer came to an end, thoughts of fall and winter rekindled memories of Julian: snow balls fights, hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and without fail, apple pie.
Wondering what else there was to do in and around Julian with a 2 year-​old, I took my query to the ‘net. «Apple picking», «U-​Pick Apples», and «apple orchards» bombarded the screen time and time again. Upon comparison of orchards — tales of skepticism — talks of knocking on home owners’ doors, asking for apple bags — Calico Ranch seemed like a safe bet. On any Julian related site, Calico is almost always mentioned; the Cabernet Sauvignon of U-​Pick apple orchards.
After reading that the apple harvest occurs between August and September, I was determined to go, albeit late, in mid September.
Calling Calico’s apple hotline, gave me great hope. An informative recording explains, that due to the mild summer, the harvest was pushed back ’til about the first of October. I was instructed to call back as the date grew closer for a definitive opening day.
Sunday, Oct. 4^th rolls around, prompting me to give them another call. A man this time, answers my questions with a shocking, «today’s the last day.» But, I just called two weeks ago saying you’d be opening around this weekend…“Yeah, must be some kind of record, we’re just about out.” he retorts, crushing my will to live. «We’ll be closing up around 4:00pm so come on down.»
It’s 3:10pm, «come on down» he says. OK, I’ll just jump in my Harrier and fly right over — wait, what if I can make it? I’m not missing it. «Let’s go, ninja!»
We fly up the mountain just to arrive at 4:03pm, right as they’re closing the gate to the orchard. A handful of other families are attempting to haggle their way in, and a wave of defeat rushes over me. «We missed it.» I explain to my baby.
I take a couple pictures of her by an old oak tree and we start to head out. A lady stops us offers us a consolation gift. «Feel free to pick apples off the fence.»
I look over, two feet in front of my parked car, there are dozens of little apples, perfect and frosty, and exactly at my daughters height. We grab one and I show her how to twist them off the branch.
She points out a little whole on the top, and I explain to her that worms love apples too. I tell her to find him, and she goes barreling into this toddler sized apple, the likes of which she’s never seen before, trying to eat a worm. No worm. :(
I spent none dollars, got three of four apples, that were perfect for my girl, perfect pictures of the event and we were in and out in less than 20 minutes.
Too Long Didn’t Read:
This place is pretty awesome for kids, call early in the season (early August?) to find out when they open, and go the first day you can, early in the day.

Took a day trip up to the Julian area with my girlfriend. Looked up a few places to go pick your own fruit and found Calico Ranch’s website. They boasted over 100 varieties of apples and pears in total. Well maybe because its October or something, but they only had 1 pear variety and 4 apple varieties. So, that was sadly disappointing.
However, the staff was very nice and the grounds are well kept. So, overall the place is pretty average for a pick your own place.
Don’t go expecting monstrously sized apples, as this place does not use herbicides or pesticides. They’re apples like they’re supposed to be.