Question 1

When are peaches in season?

Accepted Answer

Fresh-picked peaches are in season somewhere in the U.S. from mid-April (Florida) through mid-September (Michigan, Pacific Northwest, New York). The biggest U-Pick window — when most U.S. orchards are open — is mid-June through mid-August across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mid-South. After mid-September, fresh-from-the-orchard peaches become rare outside Pacific Northwest and California's Central Valley.

Question 2

When do you pick peaches in Georgia?

Accepted Answer

Georgia peach picking opens in mid-May and runs through early August, with peak the second half of June and all of July. Central Georgia's Lane Southern Orchards (Fort Valley) and Pearson Farm anchor the U-Pick volume — both run a 60+ day open window covering 30+ varieties. South Georgia farms open 7–10 days before North Georgia mountain farms.

Question 3

What's the difference between freestone and clingstone peaches?

Accepted Answer

Freestone peaches release cleanly from the pit when split — these are the U-Pick favorite for canning, baking, and slicing, and they dominate the mid-July through August window. Clingstone peaches have flesh that adheres to the pit; they're firmer, have a longer shelf life, and ripen earlier — most May and early-June peaches are clingstones. By mid-July, almost everything ripening is freestone.

Question 4

How do I pick the best peach at a U-Pick orchard?

Accepted Answer

Look for color, not feel. The background color (the part of the peach not blushed pink-red from sun) should be cream-yellow, not green. A green undertone means the peach was picked too early and won't fully ripen. The peach should yield slightly when cradled in your palm — not pressed with a thumb, which bruises. Smell the stem end: peak peaches have a strong sweet aroma. Pick firm and ripen on the counter for 2–4 days; refrigerate only after fully softened.

Question 5

When do peaches peak — and when does picking start to drop off?

Accepted Answer

In any single state, peach picking peaks roughly 3 weeks after a farm opens. Each variety has a 7–10 day pick window, and farms plant 15–30 varieties to extend the season — so the orchard is fullest of fruit and variety once 4–5 varieties are simultaneously ripe, which is typically the third or fourth weekend after opening. After Labor Day, most non-Northern peach orchards have moved to a small late-variety window or closed.

State	Region	Opens	Peak	Wraps	Notes	Farms
Florida	Subtropical	Mid-April	May	Early June	Florida's UF-bred low-chill peaches ripen 6 weeks before the rest of the U.S. — the only domestic source of fresh-picked peaches before May.	View
Georgia	Southeast	Mid-May	June–July	Early August	Georgia is the U.S. peach state by tradition; central Georgia's Lane Southern Orchards (Fort Valley) and Pearson Farm anchor the U-Pick volume.	View
South Carolina	Southeast	Mid-May	June–August	Mid-August	Larger commercial peach producer than Georgia — the Edgefield/Saluda corridor and Sandhills are the U-Pick centers.	View
Alabama	Southeast	Late May	June–July	Late July	Chilton County is the state's peach capital; the I-65 corridor between Birmingham and Montgomery is dotted with U-Pick stands.	View
California	West Coast	Mid-May	June–August	Mid-September	California produces ~70% of U.S. peaches but most commercial fruit ships out — the U-Pick corridor is the Sierra foothills (Apple Hill area) and the Central Valley near Fresno.	View
Texas	South	Late May	June–July	Late July	Hill Country Fredericksburg is the state's peach capital — 30+ stands along Highway 290 from late May through July.	View
Arkansas	Mid-South	Early June	Late June–July	Early August	Johnson County (Clarksville) is Arkansas's peach capital.	View
Louisiana	Gulf South	Late May	Mid-June–early July	Mid-July	Ruston in north Louisiana is the state's peach capital.	View
Tennessee	Mid-South	Early June	Late June–July	Early August	Middle Tennessee orchards open before East Tennessee mountain farms.	View
Kentucky	Mid-South	Mid-June	Late June–July	Early August	Bluegrass region has the densest U-Pick peach corridor.	View
Virginia	Mid-Atlantic	Mid-June	Late June–early August	Mid-August	Chiles Peach Orchard (Crozet) and Carter Mountain — the Charlottesville corridor — anchor the state's U-Pick volume.	View
Maryland	Mid-Atlantic	Late June	July–early August	Mid-August	Frederick County orchards run the volume.	View
Pennsylvania	Mid-Atlantic	Late June	Mid-July–early August	Mid-August	Adams County (Gettysburg) is Pennsylvania's peach capital — fourth-largest peach producer in the U.S.	View
New Jersey	Mid-Atlantic	Late June	Mid-July–mid-August	Late August	Fifth-largest peach producer in the U.S.; Hammonton and Vineland anchor the U-Pick volume.	View
North Carolina	Southeast	Mid-June	July–early August	Mid-August	Sandhills (Candor, Eagle Springs) is the state's peach capital.	View
Illinois	Midwest	Late June	Mid-July–mid-August	Late August	Eckert's in Belleville is the regional anchor; southern Illinois orchards open ahead of central Illinois.	View
Michigan	Great Lakes	Late July	Mid-August–early September	Mid-September	West Michigan fruit belt — Romeo and the Old Mission Peninsula produce most of Michigan's U-Pick peach volume.	View
New York	Northeast	Late July	Mid-August–early September	Mid-September	Hudson Valley and Lake Ontario fruit ridge run the state's small but late peach window.	View
Connecticut	New England	Late July	Mid-August	Early September	Lyman Orchards (Middlefield) and Bishop's Orchards (Guilford) are the U-Pick volume centers.	View
Washington	Pacific Northwest	Mid-July	August	Early September	Yakima Valley produces commercial peaches; U-Pick is concentrated in the Cascade foothills around Cashmere.	View
Oregon	Pacific Northwest	Late July	August	Mid-September	Hood River Valley is the U-Pick center — same orchards run apples in fall.	View

Peach Picking Season 2026: When to Pick Peaches in Every State

Quick answer

State-by-state peach picking calendar

Related guides

Frequently asked questions