August in the Hudson Valley smells like warm fruit and dust. The strawberry chaos is over, the apple rush hasn’t started, and for a few precious weeks, it’s peach season. The quiet middle child of Hudson Valley u-pick. If you want to pick your own peaches, these few weeks in August are your window.
I’ve been picking peaches at local farms since I was a little kid and I’ve learned that not all u-pick experiences are created equal. Some farms have you climbing ladders into old orchards where bees hum around split fruit. Others run more like outdoor grocery stores with pre-picked options and wagon rides. Both are fine. You just need to know what you’re walking into.
Whether you’re driving up from the city for a Saturday morning or you’re a local looking for something to do that isn’t another hike up Breakneck Ridge, here’s where to actually pick peaches in the Hudson Valley, broken down by county.
Where to Pick Your Own Peaches, by County
| Farm | Town | County | Season | Fees | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochs Orchard | Warwick | Orange | July–Aug | Pay by weight | Small; cider donuts |
| Pennings Farm Market | Warwick | Orange | August | $20.99/half-peck | Check in at the cidery |
| Soons Orchards | New Hampton | Orange | August (weekends) | Pay by weight | Best U-Pick winner; rain closes it |
| Fishkill Farms | Hopewell Jct. | Dutchess | August | Reservation only | Eco-certified; hilltop views |
| Weed Orchards | Marlboro | Ulster | July–Oct | Pay by weight | Winery; NY Peach Fest |
| Outhouse Orchards | North Salem | Westchester | August | Pay by weight | Metro-North accessible |
| Harvest Moon | North Salem | Westchester | Summer | Pay by weight | Family farm; fall festival |
| Dr. Davies Farm | Congers | Rockland | Late June–Aug (wknds) | $20/half-peck + shuttle | 17 varieties; reserve online |
Orange County
Pennings Farm Market, Warwick
The Pennings orchard is massive, and during peach season they usually have a few varieties available. Expect crowds on weekends. They provide bags, but bring a small cooler if you’re driving more than 30 minutes, peaches bruise easily in a hot car.
penningsfarmmarket.com
Ochs Orchard, Warwick
Smaller operation, which means it rarely feels overrun. They also have a small farm stand with their own cider donuts, which I’d argue are better than the peaches.
ochsorchard.com
Soons Orchards, New Hampton
My closest peach spot and honestly my go-to. A 110-year-old farm growing 20-some varieties of peaches and nectarines. U-pick peaches run for a weekend or two in August, so watch their hotline and socials for the ripe window (a steady rain closes picking). They’ve won the local Best U-Pick award four years running!
soonsorchards.com
Dutchess County
Fishkill Farms, Hopewell Junction
One of the most popular u-pick destinations in the region. Peach season here runs late July into September depending on the year. They provide picking bags and have a solid farm café if you want to make it a longer outing. Weekday mornings are your best bet for avoiding the Instagram crowd.
fishkillfarms.com
Ulster County
Weed Orchards & Winery, Marlboro
Marlboro is peach country and Weed leans all the way in, they even throw a New York Peach Fest. U-pick peaches (plus plums, pears, and more) run July into October, weekends and Thursday–Sunday at peak. There’s a winery, cider donuts, hayrides, and a corn maze, so it’s an easy half-day.
weedorchards.com
Westchester County
Outhouse Orchards, North Salem
Small, family-run, and easy to reach via Metro-North if you’re coming up from the city. Peach season is typically August. They close when they’re picked out, so don’t assume they’ll be open through Labor Day.
outhouseorchardsny.com
Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem
Bigger farm with a wider variety of activities. U-pick peaches, pre-picked options, hayrides on weekends. It can feel a little theme-park-ish during peak times, but the fruit is good and the operation is well-run.
harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com
Rockland County
Dr. Davies Farm, Congers
One of the oldest continuously operating farms in Rockland County. Peach picking here is usually late July into August. They also do pre-picked if the orchard’s already been picked over by the time you arrive. Small farm stand with local honey and preserves.
drdaviesfarm.com
Know Before You Go
Peach season is short. We’re talking 4-6 weeks total, and each variety ripens over maybe ten days. Strawberries give you a month of chances. Apples run from August into October. Peaches? You blink and they’re gone.
Call ahead. Farms update their availability daily during peach season, and nothing’s worse than driving 45 minutes to find out they picked out yesterday. Most farms post updates on Facebook or Instagram more reliably than they update their websites.
Go early in the day, early in the week. Weekend afternoons in August mean crowds, heat, and picked-over trees. Tuesday at 9am? You’ll have the orchard mostly to yourself and first pick of the ripe fruit.
Bring cash. Most farms take cards now, but not all of them, and cell service in some of these orchards is spotty enough that card readers don’t always work.
Wear closed-toe shoes. Orchards are uneven ground, dropped fruit attracts bees, and I’ve seen too many people in flip-flops stepping on fermenting peaches.
Check the ripeness. A ripe peach gives slightly when you press near the stem. If it’s rock hard, leave it for another day (or another picker). If it’s so soft your thumb goes through the skin, it’s past peak. You want the in-between.
What to Know About Peach Season in the Hudson Valley
Peach season in the Hudson Valley typically runs late July through early September, with peak picking in August. The exact timing shifts based on how warm the spring was and whether we had a late frost.
Different varieties ripen at different times. Early season peaches (late July) are often smaller and firmer, good for grilling or baking. Mid-season varieties (early to mid-August) are your classic peach flavor, juicy and sweet. Late-season peaches (late August into September) are often larger and softer, best for eating fresh or making preserves.
Most Hudson Valley peach orchards grow a mix of white and yellow peaches. Yellow peaches are more acidic and hold up better in baking. White peaches are sweeter, less tangy, and more fragile, eat them within a day or two.
What to Make with Your Peaches
My husband loves to eat Peaches right over the kitchen sink but there are a lot of things you can make with them!
If you picked more than you can eat fresh (easy to do), peaches freeze well. Slice them, toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning, and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to freezer bags. They won’t be crisp when thawed, but they’re perfect for smoothies or cobbler in January.
Peach jam is less fussy than strawberry jam. The fruit has enough natural pectin that you don’t need to add much. Peach salsa (peaches, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime) is underrated. And if you’re not a cook, there’s no shame in just slicing them over yogurt or ice cream for a week straight.
Make it with your peaches: they slot right into a lot of my summer baking. Swap them into my almond coffee cake (peach and almond were made for each other), use them in place of the berries in my blueberry crumb bars, or pile them into my strawberry rhubarb cobbler.
Plan Your Trip
Most of these farms are 60-90 minutes from New York City depending on traffic and which county you’re heading to. Orange and Rockland are closest. Dutchess and Ulster are a bit farther but pair well with a longer Hudson Valley day trip, pick peaches in the morning, hit a brewery or the Walkway Over the Hudson in the afternoon.
If you’re local, peach picking makes a good weekday morning activity when you need to get out of the house but don’t want to commit to a whole day. You’re in and out in under an hour, and you leave with something that actually tastes like August.
Peach season doesn’t announce itself the way apple season does. There are no big festivals, no hard cider releases, no orchard hayride extravaganzas. It’s just a few quiet weeks in late summer when the fruit is perfect and the farms smell like jam. If you miss it, you wait another year.
Hungry after a morning in the field? Here’s where to eat in the Hudson Valley — my honest local guide to the restaurants worth the drive.
