Picnic Hill Orchard

Orchard · Lincoln · Nebraska

Southeast of Lincoln, Picnic Hill grows more than 25 apple varieties for picking or pre-bagged buying, with the season starting in late July and running into late October. There is no entrance fee, so it is easy to stop by without planning a whole day around it.

Best for: Lincoln-area apple picking without the crowds

Don’t miss

  • 25+ apple varieties
  • U-pick or pre-bagged options
  • No entrance fee

Plan your visit

2026 Forecast

Color nearby peaks: October 16–October 20

Color builds from October 10 · mostly bare by November 9

Color starts: October 10Peak: October 18Bare: November 9AugustDecember

Sampled at Picnic Hill Orchard’s own coordinates and elevation (412 m) rather than a regional average.

38 weather points cover Nebraska, and the model needs no correction to land on 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against Nebraska's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 6 days earlier. How the forecast works

When to go to Picnic Hill Orchard

You get about 17 days of color here, from the first turn through to roughly October 27. Against Nebraska overall, that is 4 days later. The elevation is 1,352 ft, which pulls the turn earlier.

You will find it at Lincoln, NE, in Nebraska.

Picnic Hill Orchard on the map

Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Nebraska, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.

More things to do in Nebraska

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Frequently asked

When does Picnic Hill Orchard peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 16–October 20 (best estimate October 18). Color starts around October 10 and is mostly bare by November 9.

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