Lazy K Ranch Cherry U-Pick

My kids and I had so much fun picking cherries last year, and we love going to Kathy’s ranch. It is very peaceful and lovely. I found out from the owner that the ranch is CLOSED for cherry picking this year.
—AC

My friends and I had a blast picking cherries at Lazy K Ranch on Sunday! I’ve never gone cherry picking before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The people there were very polite and there was ample parking along the streets near the ranch. We ended up parking along a dirt road. We also loved petting the horses and looking at the goats.
Things to bring if you decide to go cherry picking:
1. A container for your cherries. They provide buckets and paper bags, but we brought a grocery tote and a basket. If you’re going with a group like we did, gallon size ziplock bags to divide your bounty.
2. Sunscreen and a hat, because we were out in the sun for at least an hour.
3.Wear comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. You will be walking through dirt and lots of hay and rocks. The two of us that wore sandals were tip toe-​ing around stuff. The girls that wore shoes complained because they were covered in a layer of dust by the end. Don’t wear white canvas shoes! We parked on a dirt road nearby, so it was a lot of walking through dirt.
4. If you want to picnic on the grounds, bring a blanket! I saw families hanging out under some of the cherry trees.
5. Baby wipes to wipe down your hands/​legs/​feet when you’re done. We were pretty dusty by the time we got back to the car.

South Bay residents no longer have to drive up to Brentwood to pick their own cherries. If you want fresh cherries this place is the real deal. Bings/​vans/​brooks right off the tree, ripe and unblemished, for only $ 2.75/lb. The trees aren’t labelled so you can’t really tell which is which, but you can always just sample a cherry from a tree to see if it’s to your liking.
They have hundreds of trees so you should be able to find a tree with ripe fruit that hasn’t been picked over on the lower/​mid branches. Part of the fun is finding a «jackpot» tree with large sweet ripe cherries. If you have a tall person or a child that you can put on your shoulders you can reach some of the higher branches that go untouched and are covered with big ripe cherries (most trees are like this). I guess you can bring a ladder if you have a light portable one; even saw one guy climb into a tree like a monkey to get to the higher branches.
They have buckets for you to use but far fewer than customers they get, so bring your own bucket/​basket to make sure you have something to collect your cherries in. They do provide full size supermarket paper bags for you to take your cherries home.
Try to get there early unless you mind a long walk — I went at 11am and Susie Ln was full, and cars were parked way down Canada Road and in a makeshift parking lot in a field people kind of just created. Also as noted on their website be careful when parking in a dry grass field as your catalytic converter can cause a fire, especially in the dry hot weather of cherry season. The walk is a minor inconvenience for dirt cheap top notch cherries.
They have a big lawn area and farm animals for the kids but I was just there for the cherries. I’ll be back every week until the season ends. Bring cash.

We went there in the afternoon at around 3:45. We were warmly greeted by the owner and then proceeded to cherry picking. The cherries were sooo sweet and fresh! My wife and I just loved the cherries and the experience. I would definitely go there again!!!

Just went to the Lazy K Ranch this past Saturday with my family to U-​Pick Cherries (
). We were told by close friends that we would have a great time. What an experience!!! We took our family to pick some cherries but soon found out that the Lazy K Ranch is more than just a place to pick cherries… it’s a destination place, perfect for family and friends to meet, hang out, pick cherries, picnic, feed horses (bring some carrots) and most of all, enjoy being out in the country. Best of all, the owners of the ranch are super nice and make you feel welcome from the start! You don’t come across friendly folks often enough.
We arrived there around 12pm on Saturday and were welcomed by the owners of the Lazy K Ranch. My kids were captivated by the two horses there on the property next to the parking area in their private corral. Fortunately, we reviewed their website and noticed the horses in the pics and decided to pick up some carrots prior to arriving. My kids were having fun in feeding the two horses, Copenhagen and Crystal. They were able to pet the horses while feeding them. The horses seemed gentle and well behaved. There was also a goat in the same corral. My kids had a blast spending time with the horses and by the time we left, they had visited the animals three different times.
After feeding the animals, we decided it was time to pick some cherries! There are plastic 2 – 3 gallon buckets available for your use and so each of us grabbed one. There are over 1000 cherry trees so it’s best to first walk around and look at all of the trees to decide which ones have the best cherries. There are some many cherry trees that one could get lost if not paying attention to where you are.
Once you and your family start picking cherries, time seems to past quickly and before you know it, you’ve got a lot of cherries in your bucket not to mention a few in your stomach! They are so delicious! You can pick the cherries which suit your taste buds. I like cherries which are firm, plump, sweet and fresh! If you want to take a break from picking cherries, we saw some other families picnicking right in the middle of the cherry tree field. What a great idea! Next year we definitely bring a mat so we can picnic too out in the middle of the cherry trees! Once you’ve picked to your hearts content, you can go weigh your cherries and bag up your rewards! If you go as a large group, there’s a discount if you buy 50 pounds or more. So, bring your friends and other family members! Once you’re done picking, you’ll want to wash your hands. Don’t worry, there are four clean bathrooms available. The restrooms are permanent structures, not portables which is very important for me and my family.
We decided prior to coming to the Lazy K Ranch to pick up some sandwiches, chips and drinks and have a picnic. The owners of the ranch have a large open grassy area next to the pool along with picnic tables. The pool is covered so there’s no risk of someone falling in. We asked the owners if we could picnic there and they insisted on it! As we were enjoying our meal and surroundings, the kids were going back and forth to look at the horses. They couldn’t get enough of Copenhagen and Crystal! We had a great time just relaxing with everyone! We highly recommend visiting the Lazy K Ranch during the cherry picking season. Make sure you view their website to know when they’ll be open to pick cherries. Cherry picking is usually in the month of June in Gilroy.

Yesterday was the second time going to Lazy K Ranch for cherry picking and we had such an AMAZING time! I work for a wonderful nonprofit in East San Jose (GFS) and we took our Summer Literacy and Enrichment Program kids for cherry picking and afterwards for lunch and outdoor activities in the open lawn area. The trees had so many cherries that were super yummy! Our kids had a blast and really enjoyed the day trip to the ranch. Many of them were eager to return with their families! Kathy and their family are super sweet and very friendly. Thank you for everything!

Wanted to experience Cherry picking for the longest time and finally had a chance today. It turned out to be an awesome experience with lots of sweet and plump cherries still on the trees! Did not even need a ladder as the cherries were just dangling for easy pickings. Kathy was gracious and showed us around including giving me and my wife treats for the friendly horses, Copenhagen, the brown horse and Crystal the white one. A goat was hanging around and they seemed to be enjoying each others company. Wish the cherry season is longer, so we could come back a few times and just enjoy the relaxed atmosphere here. Definitely 5 Stars!