Montana · Berries & small fruit
Typically early July to late August, with peak mid-July through mid-August.
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Almost all around Flathead Lake, where roadside stands ring the shore from mid-July.
From early July — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
mid-July through mid-August — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Through late August — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
about 9 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
Pick with stems attached and keep buckets shallow — stemless cherries weep and need eating within a day. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (mid-July through mid-August) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.
Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.
Cherry peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:
In Montana, the cherry season typically runs early July to late August, with peak availability mid-July through mid-August. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
Aim for peak: mid-July through mid-August. An early trip around early July gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for jam-and-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.
about 9 weeks end to end — early July to late August. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.