U-Pick Mandarins at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits Near Sacramento

Wintertime can be dreary, but mandarin picking helps brighten it up. In the winter, families can experience mandarin picking when these sweet and tangy citrus fruits are in season just outside of Sacramento.

One of the best places near Sacramento to go u-pick mandarin picking is Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits in Newcastle. The Placer County u-pick farm is sprawling with various types of citrus from November through March. If kids enjoy apple picking, they’ll also love mandarin picking. If you’re looking for a fun outdoor seasonal activity that’s different and low-key, mandarin picking is one of the best winter activities for kids in Sacramento.

When Is Mandarin Season?

Each year, mandarin season kicks off with the annual Mountain Mandarin Festival. The mandarin season is a lengthy one, spanning from November to early March. The types of citrus available for u-pick vary from month to month. Typically, the most varieties are available in January and February.

Where Is Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits?

Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits is in Newcastle, about 10 minutes from Auburn. It makes an easy day trip from Sacramento, while leaving plenty of time to combine other nearby outings. The drive from Sacramento to Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits is approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

There is a lot of signage directing cars toward the farm. In many rural farm areas, it’s common to lose cell service, but this was not the case for this particular farm. Some of the roads close to the farm do turn to rougher dirt terrain.

Is U-Pick at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits Free?

While there is no admission for u-pick at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits, reservations are required. The farm can get very busy, especially on warm winter weekends and holiday weekends, like MLK Day Weekend and Presidents’ Day Weekend. Book reservations online.

Walk-ins are not allowed on the farm. All visitors must have a reservation. There are ample reservation times available each day throughout the season, pretty much every 5 minutes. Reservation slots are for one-hour time slots for one vehicle.

What to Expect for U-Pick Mandarins at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits

Citrus Sampling

Before going into the orchard, staff members at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits will first give an overview of what varieties of citrus are available for picking at that time. They also provide samples, which was a nice bonus! Most of their citrus is seedless, which is perfect when you have kids. That said, there might be a seed here or there.

When we visited, freshly-squeezed mandarin juice samples from their on-site juice press were being handed out.

The Orchard

The Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits Farm is quite large, and you might be in the orchard for longer than you anticipated. Each family will get a large bucket (or two if you plan to pick a lot) to take with them into the orchard to gather their mandarins.

I wish the orchard had signage, as it was a bit of a guessing game to determine where the different varieties were. I can tell you this: the blood oranges are near the telephone poles. There are some steep hills at the orchard, so be mindful of this when taking smaller children mandarin picking. You could take a stroller into some parts of the orchard, but again, be careful of the hilly terrain.

My kids had such a fun time plucking the large mandarins straight from the trees and tossing them into our bounty bucket (and I did, too). Note that sampling citrus in the orchard is not allowed, and it shouldn’t be necessary since samples are available before entering the orchard.

The Store

There is a store at Sunset RidgeFine Fruits at the farm entrance. Inside, there are varieties of citrus currently available in the orchard. We couldn’t find the Cara Cara navels in the orchard, so we opted to grab some from the store instead.

There are also homemade products, like mandarin marmalade and lemon Meyer curd, as well as a spicy mandarin orange barbecue sauce (we had to grab this). Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits merchandise, such as hats, is also available.

What Are the Cost of Mandarins?

As of 2026, there is a flat fee of $2 per pound for all fruit picked. We picked about half of a bucket, and it yielded 11 pounds. Another benefit of mandarin picking is that it supports a local farm. When paying, the farm bags up your bounty of mandarins.

Where is Parking?

There are a few parking spaces for vehicles at the farm’s entrance. The parking spaces can fill up quickly, but cars are frequently coming and going, so parking shouldn’t be an issue. Reservations also help maintain capacity.

Tips for Visiting Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits

• Wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothes for walking around the vast orchard.
• Don’t forget hats and sunscreen, as the orchard has no shade.
• To reiterate, reservations are required for u-pick mandarins at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits.

How Long will Mandarin Picking Take?

It can take as long or as little as you like. However, it’s safe to estimate that from arriving to sampling to picking and paying, the whole experience will take approximately one hour.

What are the Hours of Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits?

During the mandarin season of November to early March, Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits is open daily from 9am to 5pm.

What Varieties of Mandarins are Available?

Mandarin varieties vary by month. The weather may also affect the varieties available for that month. Generally speaking, the following mandarin varieties and citrus are available for picking during these specific months.

November:

• Satsuma Mandarins
• Pomegranates

December:

• Satsuma Mandarins
• Meyer Lemons

January:

• Clementine Mandarins
• Tango Mandarins
• Blood Oranges
• Cara Cara Pink Navels
• Navel Oranges
• Eureka Lemons
• Meyer Lemons

February:

• Tango Mandarins
• Cara Cara Pink Navels
• Navel Oranges
• Blood Oranges
• Eureka Lemons
• Meyer Lemons
• Valentine Pomelo
• Red Flame Grapefruit

Things to Do Nearby

Make it a day trip and consider these other family-friendly activities in the wintertime to combine with picking mandarins at Sunset Ridge Fine Fuits.

Nyack Snow Park — Emigrant Gap

About 40 minutes away from Newcastle, Nyack Snow Park is ideal for families when there is snow available for snow play. It’s one flat vehicle entry fee for families to stay as long as they like in this popular snow park in Emigrant Gap. Bring your own sleds, make a snowman, and frolic in the snow at this fun wintertime activity near Sacramento.

Hidden Falls Regional Park — Auburn

One of the most popular hiking trails near Sacramento is Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn. It’s only 20-25 minutes from Newcastle. In the winter and springtime, the waterfall flows on this trail. The popularity of this trail means parking reservations are required for Hidden Falls Regional Park on all weekends and other expected high-volume days.

Quarry Park Adventures — Rocklin

Craving a little adventure? Quarry Park Adventures is only a 20-minute drive from Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits. With thrilling activities like zip lines, rock climbing, and aerial adventures, it’s better for older kids. That said, there is a lesser-known play area called Kidz Kove where kids as young as 3 can explore on climbing nets and test various obstacles.

Roseville

It’s easy to combine an outing to Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits with activities for kids in Roseville. From playgrounds to entertainment centers, there are many fun things to do in Roseville with kids. Check out some of my favorite spots to take kids in Roseville, below.

Utility Exploration Center

This free, indoor exploration center is a mini science museum with interactive exhibits and activities that highlight Roseville utility vehicles and sustainability. Kids can climb into a utility vehicle, sort trash and recyclables on an interactive game, and interact with bathroom and kitchen appliances.

The Utility Exploration Center is inside the same building as the Martha Riley Community Library. While there are aspects that younger kids will enjoy, it’s better suited for elementary-aged kids. Don’t miss the Mahany Park playground outside in the back to extend the fun.

Olympus Park

There are only a few dinosaur-themed playgrounds in the Sacramento area. One of those is Olympus Park in Roseville. For a free, low-key outing to combine with mandarin picking, make a pit stop at this favorite Roseville playground. Want to know about another dinosaur-themed playground? Check out George Park in Elk Grove.

Roseville Golfland Sunsplash

If it’s a warm winter day, families can play a round of mini golf at Roseville Golfland Sunsplash, which has one of the best mini golf courses near Sacramento. If you prefer indoor activities, there are plenty of arcade games and laser tag to entertain kids of all ages.

Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits Address: 7825 Fox Hill Ln, Newcastle, CA 95658