Got 15 minutes? That’s all it takes to trade campground gravel for rows of ruby-red cherries hanging low in the cool morning light of Animas Valley. Just hop in the car, head ten miles north of the resort, and watch the kids’ screens turn off as fast as their grin meters turn up. 🍒
Key Takeaways
• The orchard is 10 miles north of the resort; the drive takes about 15 minutes.
• Best season: last week of June to first week of July—check Facebook the night before you go.
• Arrive around 8 a.m. for cool weather, small crowds, and firm fruit.
• Price: $2 per pound if you pick, $3.50 per pound pre-picked, no entry fee.
• Bring closed-toe shoes, a sun hat, sunscreen, a cooler with an ice pack, and wet wipes.
• Sweet Bing and Lapins are for snacking; tart Montmorency are for pies—you can pick both in one visit.
• Trees are short, so no ladders are needed; kids and seniors can reach easily.
• On-site help: free parking, shaded picnic tables, and portable bathrooms.
• Orchard rules: roll cherries off gently, no tree climbing, and pets stay leashed outside the rows.
• Keep cherries fresh: leave stems on, keep cool, wash only before eating.
• Extra fun: Mid-June Cherry Festival plus nearby park, honey store, train ride, and hot springs make a full day out..
Keep reading to discover:
• The easiest way to score shade, parking, and a bathroom before anyone says “I’m bored.”
• Why sweet vs. tart matters—and how to pick like a pro without climbing a single branch.
• Budget-savvy tips (yes, you can fill a bucket and still splurge on pie à la mode).
• Photo-perfect spots that make couples and grandparents look like influencers.
• Smart packing tricks so cherries arrive back at your cabin, RV, or road-trip cooler in selfie-worthy shape.
Ready to turn sticky fingers into sweet summer memories? Let’s cherry-pick your perfect day.
Quick-Glance Need-to-Know
Cherry season usually pops from the last two weeks of June into the first days of July. Check the orchard’s Facebook feed the night before you leave to confirm color, crowd, and weather updates at orchard Facebook. If the post shows full buckets by noon, plan for an early start the next morning.
The drive from Junction West Durango Riverside Resort is a breezy 10 miles—about 12 to 15 minutes. Head north on US-550, turn left onto Trimble Lane, then right on County Road 203. Hours run 8 a.m.–4 p.m. during U-Pick; last entry 3 p.m. Pricing this year is $2 per pound you pick, $3.50 per pound pre-picked, and there’s no gate fee. Pack closed-toe shoes, sun hat, sunscreen, and a cooler with an ice pack. Portable restrooms, a hand-wash station, shaded picnic tables, and free (but unpaved) parking await at the entrance.
Why Cherry Days Belong on Your Durango Getaway
Animas Orchards & Pie Co. rooted itself in 1880, making it one of La Plata County’s oldest working farms. Every pound you harvest helps a 144-year-old family business preserve heritage fruit—and supports the non-profit Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project through seasonal donations.
Dual harvests sweeten the deal. Sweet varieties like Bing and Lapins satisfy that crunchy, pop-in-your-mouth craving, while tart Montmorency cherries deliver the zip pies and jams need. Snacking and pie filling from one stop means less driving and more doing. And because the trees are grafted on dwarf rootstock, even preschoolers can reach without a ladder, making it a screen-free win for families, couples, retirees, and road-trippers alike.
Getting There & Parking Made Simple
Leave camp by 7:30 a.m. if you want first pick. Morning temps hover in the 60s, fruit is firm, and bees are still sleepy. Cell coverage is solid, but screenshot directions before you roll off campground Wi-Fi—Colorado can surprise you with sudden dead zones.
The orchard entrance sits on County Road 203, clearly signed. Cars and SUVs handle the unpaved lot with ease. RVs and trailers should stay at the resort; tight turns and limited back-up space make big rigs stressful. Cyclists craving cardio can ride the 11-mile scenic loop via the Animas River Trail and CR 203 in about 50 minutes each way—popular with Orchard-Date Adventurers chasing sunrise selfies.
Timing Your Pick: Sweet vs. Tart & Festival Highlights
Elevation (6,600 ft) keeps harvest windows short and sweet. Expect sweet cherry branches to blush first around June 15. Tart cherries usually catch up within days, so you can often gather both in a single basket. Weather swings can shift timing by a week either way, so that early-morning Facebook check is gold.
Mid-June brings the Cherry Festival: live bluegrass, local food trucks, and a kids’ craft tent. Crowds swell, yet the buzz is electric. If you’re a Leisure Harvester aiming for peaceful rows, circle a weekday morning instead. Staff say Tuesday and Wednesday before lunch are the quietest hours of the entire season.
How the U-Pick Process Works
Pull in, park, and stroll to the check-in shed. You’ll sign a quick waiver, grab a lined plastic bucket (liners keep juice off clothes), and receive a row assignment. Staff happily point out which trees hold sweet gems versus tart treasures.
Orchard etiquette matters: no tree climbing, no shaking branches, and keep pets leashed outside tree rows. Kids get a gentle “two-hand touch” lesson so next year’s spurs stay safe. Pay by weight at exit; cash and cards accepted. Groups of ten or more should call ahead so extra wagons and buckets are staged, saving time and tantrums. Seniors 65+ earn a 10 % discount Tuesday through Thursday.
Orchard Etiquette & Safety Snapshot
Cherry stems snap free with a gentle roll between thumb and forefinger. Yanking damages next year’s buds and brings down unripe fruit. Keep dropped cherries out of walkways—buckets for culls sit at row ends and help control bees.
Sunscreen matters at altitude, even under haze. Reapply every 90 minutes and encourage kids to sip water often. Closed-toe shoes save toes from surprise ant hills and make footing steady on uneven ground.
Caring for Your Harvest: From Car to Cobbler
Leave stems on and spread cherries no more than two layers deep in your cooler. An ice pack below a towel works best; loose ice bruises fruit. Never stash them in a hot trunk.
At camp or in your rental kitchen, refrigerate cherries unwashed. They stay crisp up to a week. Rinse only right before munching. Freezing is easy: lay fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet, slide into the freezer until hard, then pour into gallon bags—good for smoothies and pies for 12 months.
Craving dessert tonight? Dutch-oven cherry cobbler is a three-step wonder: layer four cups of tart cherries, sprinkle half a cup of sugar, top with a box of yellow cake mix, dot with butter, cover, and bake over medium coals for 45 minutes. The campground store rents Dutch ovens if you didn’t pack one.
Build a Full Day Around the Orchard
Morning pick done by 10 a.m.? Cross the street to Oxbow Park for a shady picnic beside the Animas River. Restrooms, easy parking, and plenty of tables keep kids happy.
After lunch, cruise five minutes north to Honeyville for free honey tastings and a peek at their mini-zoo—baby goats are crowd favorites. Train buffs can make the 2:45 p.m. express run of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad; cherries travel well as a snack on the ride. Cap the evening with a soak at Durango Hot Springs, washing away orchard dust under pink-sky sunsets.
Maximize Your Junction West Stay During Cherry Season
Every campsite and cabin sports a picnic table—perfect for sorting and pitting cherries outdoors. Borrow the campground cherry pitter from the front desk and you’ll process a gallon in minutes. Tent campers can label bags and use the communal freezer; RVers can flash-freeze fruit right in their onboard freezers.
Quiet hours start at 10 p.m., so light that fire by 8 p.m. if cobbler is on the menu. For active guests, the morning bike-and-pick loop (Animas River Trail to orchard and back) clocks 20 miles round-trip—fitness points earned, cherries rewarded.
Cherry season is short, but the memories you’ll make here can last forever. Reserve a cozy cabin, shady RV pad, or riverfront tent site at Junction West Durango Riverside Resort, and you’re only ten sweet-smelling minutes from the orchard—and moments from a crackling fire to melt that cobbler. Sites and cabins fill quickly during harvest weekends, so check availability and book your stay now. We’ll keep the cherry pitter waiting and the Animas flowing—see you riverside!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is cherry picking at Animas Orchards safe and fun for young kids?
A: Yes; the orchard uses dwarf trees so fruit hangs at child height, staff give a quick “two-hand touch” lesson, rows near the entrance are stroller-friendly, and shaded benches plus portable bathrooms keep breaks easy, making the whole outing a low-stress, high-giggle adventure for families.
Q: How much does it cost and do we need reservations?
A: U-Pick runs $2 per pound with no gate fee, pre-picked fruit is $3.50 per pound, and only groups of ten or more need to phone ahead; everyone else can simply show up during 8 a.m.–4 p.m. hours, last entry 3 p.m.
Q: How far is the orchard from Junction West Durango Riverside Resort?
A: The drive is a straight ten-mile, 12- to 15-minute hop north on US-550, left on Trimble Lane, and right on County Road 203, so you can be picking before the kids finish their road-trip playlist.
Q: Can we squeeze cherry picking, the train, and rafting into one day?
A: Most guests pick from 8 to 10 a.m., grab lunch at their campsite or nearby Honeyville, catch the 2:45 p.m. Durango & Silverton express run, and still have daylight for an early-evening raft float or hot-springs soak, so yes—plan an early orchard start and keep drives tight.
Q: What should we pack and how messy will it get?
A: Closed-toe shoes, sun hats, sunscreen, wet wipes, and a cooler with an ice pack cover 90 % of needs; juice splatter is mild but dark shirts hide spots, and a spare tee in the car keeps everyone photo-ready.
Q: Are there shaded picnic spots or a playground on-site?
A: The orchard offers several tree-covered picnic tables near the check-in shed and a grassy play area with yard games, while a full playground sits across the road at Oxbow Park if the kids still have wiggles.
Q: Can we buy pie, ice cream, or drinks at the orchard?
A: The farm stand sells whole pies, single slices, hand pies, vanilla ice-cream cups, cold cider, and bottled water, so you can taste dessert without turning on your RV oven.
Q: Is there hard cider or cherry beer available?
A: On festival weekends the orchard pours a small-batch cherry-apple hard cider produced with a local brewery; IDs are checked and pours are limited to the picnic zone, keeping tree rows family-friendly.
Q: Do Junction West guests get any discounts or coupons?
A: Show your resort wristband or key card at check-in and the staff will knock one dollar off every bucket you fill, a little thank-you for staying local.
Q: Will cherries travel well in our car or RV?
A: If you leave the stems on, lay fruit no more than two layers deep in a cooler near 40 °F, and avoid a hot trunk, cherries stay crisp for six hours of sightseeing or the full drive back to Texas.
Q: Is there parking for RVs or large vans?
A: Standard cars and SUVs fit easily, but rigs over 24 feet should remain at the resort because the orchard lot has tight turns and limited back-up space, saving you a stressful squeeze.
Q: Are dogs allowed among the trees?
A: Leashed pups are welcome in the parking and picnic areas where water bowls wait, but only service animals may enter the picking rows to protect fruit safety.
Q: Are senior or weekday discounts?
A: Guests aged 65 and up enjoy 10 % off Tuesday through Thursday, when crowds are light and staff can even lend a hand carrying heavy buckets to the car.
Q: How level is the ground, and may we bring folding stools or walkers?
A: Rows three through five are the flattest and closest to the lot, the gravel is compact, and folding stools, canes, or walkers are all welcomed so every guest can harvest comfortably.
Q: Is the pie café open for seated service?
A: During cherry season the indoor café runs 10 a.m.–3 p.m. with table seating, ceiling fans, and restrooms, offering a cool spot for pie à la mode, coffee, and conversation.
Q: Do we need to bring buckets, gloves, or ladders?
A: No; the orchard provides lined buckets and optional wagon carts at check-in, gloves aren’t necessary, and the dwarf trees keep every cherry within easy reach, so your hands stay free for photos.
Q: What are the most photogenic spots and best light times?
A: Golden light between 8–10 a.m. and 6–7 p.m. paints the fruit luminous, and the old wooden windmill two rows west of the check-in shed is the favorite backdrop for #cherrypick selfies.
Q: Can we bike from the resort to the orchard?
A: Yes; the 11-mile scenic loop via the Animas River Trail and County Road 203 takes about 50 minutes each way, has minimal elevation gain, and ends with complimentary bike racks by the entrance.
Q: Is there a shuttle or bus option for travelers without cars?
A: The Bustang Outrider line stops 1.2 miles away on Trimble Lane; from there it’s a flat roadside walk or an easy thumb of a ride from fellow pickers, making the orchard reachable on a $4 ticket.
Q: How much fruit can I pick for under $20?
A: At $2 per pound, twenty dollars buys roughly nine pounds—about one grocery bag cradling 325 cherries—which is plenty for roadside snacking plus a campground cobbler or two.
Q: Are volunteer or short-term work options available?
A: The family occasionally trades a few hours of early-morning thinning or sorting for extra fruit, so ask at the shed or message their Facebook page a week ahead if you’d like to help and harvest.
Q: Do staff speak any languages besides English?
A: Several crew members are bilingual in Spanish, and one attendant speaks conversational French, so check-in, safety briefings, and payment can be handled smoothly in those languages.
Q: What happens if the weather turns stormy?
A: Light rain keeps the orchard open, but thunder or lightning triggers a temporary closure; you can wait it out under the café porch or receive a rain-check to return the next morning, keeping your cherry day intact.
Q: Who should I tag on social media?
A: Share your ruby-red haul with #JunctionWestAdventures and #AnimasOrchards so both the resort and the farm can feature your photos and keep other travelers inspired.
