Typically early May to late October, with peak
early June through late August.
In season now
now
JFMAMJJASOND
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
The coastal fog belt around Watsonville and Oxnard gives an extra-long season.
At a glance
Early
From early May —
first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
Peak
early June through late August — full stalls,
full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Late
Through late October — quantity for
preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
Season length
about 26 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
U-pick raspberries in California
Bring shallow containers and stack no more than a few berries deep or the bottom layer crushes. The picking window tracks the band above: early
trips get clean fields, peak (early June through late 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.
Raspberries
Look
Uniform deep color with plump, well-filled drupelets and no white patches at the tip.
Feel
A ripe berry slides off its white core with almost no pull and feels soft but still holds its shape.
Smell
Ripe raspberries carry a light floral perfume; a sour or winey smell means the flat is past its best.
Tip
Lift the canes and look underneath; the ripest berries hide on the shaded side of the row.
Keeps
Refrigerate immediately in a shallow layer and eat within a day or two; they are the most fragile berry.
Chasing the season?
Raspberry peak moves across the map.
After this window, it lands next in:
In California, the raspberry season typically runs early May to late October, with peak availability early June through late August. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
When should I go u-pick raspberries in California?
Aim for peak: early June through late August. An early trip around early May 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.
How long does raspberry season last in California?
about 26 weeks end to end — early May to late October. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.