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Washington Apple Country Toursin the Heart of the Apple Capital of the World |
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The first commercial apple orchard in Chelan County is believed to have been
planted sometime in the early 1880s. As irrigation ditches and canals were
constructed to supply more water to the orchards, apple production quickly
expanded over the next twenty years. By the turn of the last century, other
water resource projects were well underway. The first of these, the Highline Canal, was carved directly through the center of the Wenatchee Valley in 1902, and extended across the Columbia River into Douglas County. This irrigation network laid the foundation for agricultural development in the Wenatchee Valley. In time, tree fruit production, primarily apples, came to dominate the county's industrial base.
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Apple Country Tours
Enjoy the "Fruit of our Labor"
with customized bus tours through the scenic Wenatchee Valley.
See and experience-
Education, Entertainment & Fun
Call to make reservations- Toll Free: 1-866-459-9614
Be sure to visit our online shop for great products from the family orchards of Wenatchee Valley
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Washington's oldest fruit orchards date back to approximately the mid-1870s.
It was at that time that those new arrivals who had come west to farm, rather
than to seek gold or minerals, began to establish permanent settlements.
Apples and other tree fruits were introduced by these early settlers perhaps
more by chance than by design; they simply brought saplings for their personal
use. 
The question is often asked, "Why [has] the Pacific Northwest become so famous
for the production of apples?" From the afore-mentioned Encyclopedia of
Practical Horticulture come three general answers to that question, answers
which remain as true today as they were nearly one hundred years ago, when
the three volumes which comprise this copiously researched monograph were
first published. First, "the latitude is in the great apple producing belt
of the world. Even where the latitude would seem not to be far enough north
the altitude of the hills and mountain ranges often compensates for the distance
south, and gives cool nights, and a temperature favorable for the growing
of the best fruits. Second, in a large part of this country there is during
the day a bright sunshine and at night a cool air, both of which tend to
give color and flavor to the apple. Third, the character of the volcanic
ash soil, o[n] which a large portion of this region is built, is favorable
for the growth of the apple tree and its fruits."