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I had the loveliest experience to welcome fall this weekend.
I rode to Sedona’s Slide Rock Park with some friends to pick apples from the park’s orchard. I didn’t know this was possible until I was invited a few days before the trip!
Admission to the park costs $30 per vehicle through the end of this month. We rolled up around 12:30 p.m. and had to wait in line for a bit to enter, but it moved pretty quickly. You can arrive as early as 8 a.m.
The costs for the apples are $5 for a small bag (1/4 peck), $10 for a large bag (1/2 bushel), and a box is $20. The park prefers cash payments.
You can also buy bags of pre-picked apples: A small bag is $10, a large bag is $20, and a box is $40. The money goes toward the care of the historic orchard, which was first planted in 1912.
Most of the apples in the orchard are Starking Double Red Delicious, but other varieties, including Fuji, Royal Gala, and Braeburn, may be available.
My partner used all of our apples to make a delicious applesauce, and I had some cider that a friend on the trip made. I’m planning to use our leftover cores to make a cider of my own!
The trip was wonderful, even with Sedona’s notorious traffic, and I would highly recommend it as a nice fall day trip. There’s no set end date for apple picking—the park just says it will continue as long as apples last.
