About Crane Orchards
Crane Orchards has been farmed since the 1880s and is run today by the sixth generation of the Crane family, on M-89 just east of Fennville. It is one of the fixtures of the lakeshore fruit belt: the family's pie pantry and restaurant is the next driveway over, while the orchard concentrates on picking. The Saugatuck–Douglas visitors bureau counts more than 20 apple varieties, ten freestone peach varieties and sweet cherries in the rows.
Sweet cherries and peaches come first in summer; hours for those vary, so the orchard asks you to call the day you plan to come. Apples usually open with Honeycrisp around the third week of September, then move through Empire, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cameo and Ida Red, with Evercrisp and Braeburn late in the season. Apple picking runs daily from 10 to 6, weather permitting, until about the end of October.
Fall adds a pumpkin patch from mid-September, a corn maze cut into a 20-acre field with a new design each year, and hayrides and a cow train for kids on weekend afternoons. There is no entrance or parking fee; you pay by the pound at the U-pick building. Wagons are provided for fruit, but bring your own for small children. The family also rents a lakefront home and two pavilions for events.
Summerhouse Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes west. Pair its July bloom with cherries or peaches here, or come back in fall for apples and the maze, with pie next door at Crane's Pie Pantry.
What to do
- Pick sweet cherries and freestone peaches in summer (call ahead for hours)
- Pick apples from about the third week of September to late October
- Walk the corn maze in a 20-acre field, new design each year
- Take a weekend hayride, or the cow train with kids
- Choose pumpkins from the patch, priced by the pound
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Cherries and peaches in summer; apples from about the third week of September to the end of October; pumpkins, maze and hayrides from mid-September
- Hours
- Fall 2026: apple picking daily 10–6, weather permitting; hayrides and cow train Sat–Sun 12–5; cherry and peach hours vary
- Admission
- Free entry. Posted fall 2026: apples $1.80/lb, pumpkins $0.50/lb; corn maze $8 (ages 11+), $5 (6–10), free 5 and under; hayride $5; cow train $3
Good to know
- Dogs
- Not allowed (orchard, pumpkin patch and corn maze)
- Payment
- Cash and card (3% card fee); no checks
Tips for your visit
- Call 269.561.8651 on the day you plan to pick cherries or peaches, since hours vary.
- If you bring your own basket, have it weighed at the scales before you start picking.
- Pay for fruit before eating it; samples are offered at check-in.
- Parking is limited, so drive rather than walk between the orchard and the pie pantry next door.
Pair it with a lavender farm
Summerhouse Lavender Farm · about 15 minutes away
Summerhouse Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes west, an easy pairing with summer cherry or peach picking here.
Getting there
Questions
Does Crane Orchards charge admission?
No entrance or vehicle fee; you pay by the pound for fruit, and separately for the maze and rides.
Are dogs allowed at Crane Orchards?
No. Dogs are not allowed in the orchard, pumpkin patch or corn maze.
Is Crane Orchards the same business as Crane's Pie Pantry?
They are separate family businesses on neighboring properties.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Holland, Saugatuck & Fennville, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
