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Pick Your Own Farms

Pick-your-own orchards in the Hilltops

In September, strawberries are picking in Hilltops. We list 12 farms across this region — browse the listings below and call ahead to confirm what's ripe before you travel.

The Hilltops is New South Wales cherry country. Young has called itself the Cherry Capital of Australia for the best part of a century, and the orchards spread south from town through Wombat and Kingsvale in a tight cluster you can drive across in twenty minutes. It is about ninety minutes north-west of Canberra and roughly four and a half hours from Sydney.

Cherries are the reason most people come, and the window is genuinely short — broadly November into early January, with December the peak. Ballinaclash Orchard & Cellar Door pairs picking with a cellar door and runs the district's best-known cherry blossom event in spring; Allambie Orchard at Wombat charges no entry and simply sells by the kilo; Lynton Orchards, Main Range Orchard, Stony Creek Orchard, Gleann Mohr Farm, Top of the Hill Orchard and Drive In Orchards all pick through the same weeks.

It is not only cherries. Hill-Lock Orchard at Wombat carries the season further with figs in February and persimmons in April, Ballinaclash adds apricots and strawberries, and several orchards run shed sales of pre-picked fruit, jams and honey once picking finishes.

Two practical things. Weekends in December book out, and some orchards sell picking sessions in advance rather than taking walk-ins — ring before you drive. And because ripening moves with the weather, the orchard that is open one weekend may be finished the next, so check the day before rather than the month before.

Around Young, Wombat and Kingsvale in the NSW Hilltops region, about 90 minutes north-west of Canberra

Compare farms in this region

Farms compared by picking status, typical season, price, booking and whether they suit kids.
Farm Status Typical season Entry / price Booking Kids
Eastlake's Family Tree (Fairfield's Orchard) In season Nov-Dec — — —
Gleann Mohr Farm In season Dec-Jan — No booking needed Yes
Hill-Lock Orchard In season Nov-Dec (peak December); Feb Pay by the kilo for what you pick, with no entry fee. Persimmons have been listed around $8/kg. Check current prices with the orchard. — —
Ballinaclash Orchard & Cellar Door In season soon Nov-Dec Entry fee set annually - check the current rate with the farm; children under 6 free. Booking recommended Yes
Drive In Orchards In season soon approx. Nov-Dec (inferred from years of dated pick-your-own posts, e.g. 2 Dec, 5 Dec, 6 Dec, 25 Dec, 31 Dec 2025; not an explicit published date range) — Booking recommended —
Lynton Orchards In season soon late Nov-Dec — No booking needed Yes
Allambie Orchard Closed for season Nov-Jan No entry fee; $10 per kilogram picked; cardboard boxes 50c each Booking required Yes
Main Range Orchard Closed for season mid Nov-late Dec Priced by weight of cherries picked No booking needed Yes
Petal Falls Orchard Closed for season Nov-Dec — No booking needed —
Stony Creek Orchard Closed for season Nov-Jan — — Yes
Top of the Hill Orchard Closed for season Nov-Dec (weather dependent) $10 per adult entry to pick, payable on arrival at the orchard gate; children 16 and under free. Pre-packed cherries also available for those who don't want to pick. Booking required —
Hall Family Orchards Unconfirmed · call ahead select December weekends Call ahead — —

Open or in season now in this region

  • Eastlake's Family Tree (Fairfield's Orchard) Wombat · Strawberries View
  • Gleann Mohr Farm Young · Strawberries View
  • Hill-Lock Orchard Wombat · Strawberries View
  • Ballinaclash Orchard & Cellar Door Young · Cherries View
  • Drive In Orchards Young · Cherries View
  • Lynton Orchards Young · Cherries View

Farms in this region

12 farms

Closed for season Last verified 31 Aug 2026

Allambie Orchard

Wombat · Hilltops

Season
Nov-Jan
Price
No entry fee; $10 per kilogram picked; cardboard boxes 50c each
Open
9am-5pm weekdays, 8am-5pm weekends during season (booking via text)
Booking
Booking required
View farm
DirectionsCall
Closed for season Last verified 31 Aug 2026

Main Range Orchard

Wombat · Hilltops

Season
mid Nov-late Dec
Price
Priced by weight of cherries picked
Open
Thursday-Sunday 8am-5pm during season
Booking
No booking needed
View farm
DirectionsCall
Closed for season Last verified 18 Jul 2026

Top of the Hill Orchard

Young · Hilltops

Season
Nov-Dec (weather dependent)
Price
$10 per adult entry to pick, payable on arrival at the orchard gate
Open
Open by pre-booked timeslot only, during cherry season
Booking
Booking required
View farm
DirectionsCall

Farms in Hilltops

View farm list

12 farms

Nearby regions

Orange & Central West 27 farms Cherries · Figs · Apples Bilpin & the Hawkesbury 13 farms Apples · Cherries · Blueberries Sydney Basin 17 farms Strawberries · Apples · Blueberries Central Coast 15 farms Citrus · Sunflowers · Flowers Riverina & South Coast 30 farms Strawberries · Citrus · Blueberries

Plan your day in Hilltops

Last verified 3 Sep 2026. We check listings against farms' own sources and re-verify regularly. How we verify Report a change

Frequently asked questions

When is cherry season in the Hilltops?

Broadly November through to early January, with December the busiest month. The exact window shifts every year with the weather and it is short — an individual orchard may only pick for a couple of weeks. Ring the orchard a day or two before you travel rather than relying on last season's dates.

Which Hilltops orchards let you pick your own cherries?

Ballinaclash Orchard & Cellar Door, Lynton Orchards, Stony Creek Orchard, Gleann Mohr Farm, Top of the Hill Orchard and Drive In Orchards around Young; Allambie Orchard, Main Range Orchard, Hill-Lock Orchard and Eastlake's Family Tree at Wombat; and Petal Falls Orchard at Kingsvale. Not every orchard opens for picking every season, so check first.

What does cherry picking cost around Young?

The two common models are a flat entry ticket or straight pay-by-weight. Ballinaclash charges entry per person plus a booking fee. Allambie Orchard has no entry fee at all and charges by the kilogram for what you pick. Hill-Lock is also pay-by-the-kilo with no entry. Prices move season to season, so confirm when you book.

Is there anything to pick outside cherry season?

Yes, though the choice narrows. Hill-Lock Orchard at Wombat picks figs in February and persimmons in April, and also grows strawberries and plums. Ballinaclash has apricots and strawberries alongside its cherries. Several orchards keep selling pre-picked fruit, honey and jams from the shed after picking ends.

Is the Hilltops the same as the Riverina?

No, and it is a common mix-up. Young, Wombat and Kingsvale sit in the Hilltops council area, which the district markets under its own name. The Riverina lies further west, around Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Leeton. If you are driving from Canberra, the Hilltops orchards are the closer of the two by a wide margin.

How far is it from Canberra or Sydney?

Young is roughly ninety minutes north-west of Canberra, which makes the Hilltops an easy day trip from the capital. From Sydney it is about four and a half hours, so most visitors make a weekend of it — and December weekends are the busiest of the year, so book accommodation and picking sessions ahead.