Updated July 2026

Cherry Picking in Door County: When to Go and Where to Pick

The short answerCherry picking in Door County runs roughly mid-July through mid-August, when the Montmorency tart cherries come in. The easiest all-in-one stop is Lautenbach's Orchard Country south of Fish Creek; if you just want trees and a pail, Hyline Orchard up the road keeps it wonderfully simple. Exact opening dates shift with the weather every year — check the orchard's site or call the morning you go.

Door County grows the large majority of Wisconsin's tart cherries — millions of pounds a year from orchards that have run for generations — and for about four weeks each summer the orchards open their rows to anyone with a pail. It's the county's best cheap family activity: most orchards charge by the pound, hand you a pail, and point you at the trees.

Know these four things before you drive out:

The season is short and moves. Tart cherries typically come ripe in mid-July and are done by mid-to-late August — but a warm spring can pull that forward a week, a cold one push it back. Orchards post daily picking status; check before you go.
These are tart cherries. Montmorency — the pie cherry. Eaten raw they'll make your face do things. That's correct; they're for pie, jam, and freezing. Some orchards also grow a smaller crop of sweet (eating) cherries earlier in July, and those go fast.
Go in the morning. Cooler for kids, better parking, and midsummer afternoons in an open orchard are hotter than you think. Trees are low; no ladders needed for most picking.
Bring a cooler. A pail of cherries in a hot trunk turns into juice. Most markets sell cherry pitters — buy one, thank us in February when you're pulling pie cherries out of the freezer.

Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery & Market

Easiest all-in-one stop

Lautenbach's is the U-pick that works for a mixed group: cherry rows out back, and a winery, cider tastings, and a full farm market up front for whoever fills their pail first. It sits right on Highway 42 south of Fish Creek, so it slots into any northern-Door day without a detour.

Pick first, taste after — the orchard is hot by noon and the wine is better as a reward. If you're here outside picking season, the market still earns the stop for cherry salsa and their fresh-pressed cider.

Hyline Orchard

The pure U-pick

Hyline is a family fruit farm on 42 where the point is the fruit. Pails at the stand, rows of Montmorency trees, pay by the pound, done. Prices are friendly, and on a July weekday you can have whole rows to yourself.

Bring your own snacks and water — amenities are minimal, which is exactly the appeal. Check their picking status before driving out; a good crop day here empties fast.

Seaquist Orchards Farm Market

For cherries without the picking

Seaquist is one of the biggest tart cherry growers in the Midwest, and their farm market north of Sister Bay is where to get the county's best cherry pie, frozen pitted cherries by the pound, and every cherry product the peninsula has ever invented. Whether they open rows for public picking varies by year and crop — call if picking there is the goal.

Honestly, the smart move is both: pick your pail down south in the morning, then stop at Seaquist on the way up the peninsula for the pie you're too tired to bake.

Also worth knowing

Choice Orchards near Carlsville does seasonal cherry and apple picking on the way up the peninsula — we haven't picked there recently, so call before making it the plan.

If you miss the picking window (or just want the cherries without the labor), Seaquist Orchards Farm Market north of Sister Bay sells everything the county does with a cherry — fresh in season, plus pie, salsa, jam, and frozen pitted cherries by the pound year-round while the market's open.

What to do with a pail of tart cherries

Pit them the day you pick (this is non-negotiable — they don't keep), freeze them flat on a sheet pan, then bag them. A standard pie takes about four cups. You will not regret picking more than you think you need; you will regret the opposite.