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These cranberry bog tours will make you feel like you’re in an Ocean Spray commercial. Step into a real cranberry harvest with these immersive cranberry bog tours, from Cape Cod to Wisconsin.

Yahoo News – Joni Sweet
Creator

Cranberry bog tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the vibrant fall harvest.

If you’ve ever dreamed of starring in an Ocean Spray commercial, here’s your chance. Every fall, cranberry bogs across the U.S. and Canada flood with ruby-red berries—and you can dive right in (well, wade in). It’s a stunning fall sight, every bit as quintessential as apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and the vibrant foliage.

Take in the view while you can, though—the farmers soon step into the water to round up the berries and pump them into trucks to get cleaned and processed into sauce, juice, and all the other cranberry products you love.

These 10 cranberry bog tours take you behind the scenes of one of fall’s most fascinating harvests, offering photo ops, tastings, and a whole lot of berry-good fun.

A farmer harvests cranberries in a bog. Travelers can tour cranberry bogs in the fallIt's cranberry season—here are 10 bogs you can visit this fall.
It’s cranberry season—here are 10 bogs you can visit this fall.
(Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism)
Benson’s Pond (Middleborough, Massachusetts)

Benson’s Pond invites tourists to take a tour of its sprawling 45 acres of cranberry bogs in Middleborough, Massachusetts, during this year’s harvest season. The offer a mix of scheduled cranberry bog discovery tours throughout the harvest season, where you can learn about the history of cranberry cultivation and toast the bog with refreshing cranberry drinks. Benson’s Pond also offers private cranberry bog tours and events by appointment, so reach out to the farm directly to explore your options.

Cape Farm Supply & Cranberry Company (Harwich, Massachusetts)

In spring, summer, and fall, head to Cape Cod to take a tour of Leo and Andrea Cakounes’ stunning 17-acre cranberry bog. The popular 90-minute tours focus on more than just the harvest, instead teaching visitors about how the bog is managed all 12 months of the year. Afterward, head to the farm stand to buy fresh cranberries by the pound and one-of-a-kind cranberry bog honey—perfect for biscuits on Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Interpretation Centre (Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec)

Want a fun day trip from Quebec City? Take a 75-minute drive to the Cranberry Interpretation Centre in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford. It offers guided cranberry bog visits during harvest season that include covered wagon rides and plenty of tastings of products made with the distinctively tart berries. English- and French-language are both available, so be sure to book the tour that makes the most sense for you. You can also opt for an English-language VIP tour, which includes a cranberry muffin and drink, plus a self-portrait in a cranberry pool.

Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation (Long Beach, Washington)

Dedicated to teaching people about cranberries, the nonprofit Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation is open for self-guided walking tours every day from 8 a.m. until dusk. You can always get a look at different varieties of cranberries and irrigation systems throughout the year, but you’ll need to visit in October if you want to see the cranberry harvest in action. Better yet, visit during the Cranberry Harvest Weekend (held annually in mid-October), when you can get an up-close view of the wet harvest, dig into a cranberry-infused breakfast or lunch, and listen to a local musician. Don’t miss the homemade cranberry ice cream in the gift shop—that alone is worth the trip.

Rooted in Red (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin)

Cranberry season is a big time for celebration at Rooted in Red, a historic cranberry farm in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. It invites locals and travelers alike to take part in the fun at several events throughout the fall, including “Stand in Floating Cranberries” experience. You’ll get to wear authentic waders and toss cranberries around the bog as a professional photographer captures every memorable moment. You can also take a ride on a 12-person pulled wagon for an educational cranberry bog tour. It will teach you all about how cranberries are grown and harvested, along with the century-old farm’s ethical and sustainable growing practices.

Splash of Red Cranberry Tours (Pittsville, Wisconsin)

Here’s a cranberry bog tour you can feel really good about. On scattered dates throughout the fall, you can get a guided experience at a cranberry farm just east of Pittsville, Wisconsin, with Splash of Red Cranberry Tours for just $25—and the fee goes to support student scholarships. Led by students and alumni of the only cranberry science class taught in the country, the tour includes the opportunity to pick berries fresh from the vine and see the harvest and processing of berries up close. The experience ends on a sweet note with a cranberry-infused lunch and dessert.

Theodore H. Budd & Sons Cranberry Farm (Leisuretowne, New Jersey)

Want to take a tour of a cranberry bog in New Jersey? Pinelands Adventures has you covered with its guided tours of Theodore H. Budd & Sons Cranberry Farm, a Burlington County mainstay since 1852. During the two-hour wet harvest tour, you’ll get to meet the farmers and watch as they harvest cranberries in the bog.

Vilas Cranberry Company (Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin)

Every Friday from late August through early October, you can visit the Cranberry Square Farm Market in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, at 10 a.m. for a free cranberry bog tour. It starts with an educational video, educational discussion, and free samples at the farm store. Equipped with fundamental knowledge of how cranberries grow, you can then head outside to the bogs at Vilas Cranberry Company to see the harvest in real time.

Wetherby Cranberry Company (Warrens, Wisconsin)

Wetherby Cranberry Company in Wisconsin gives visitors the chance to put on waders and walk right into the bog at the 120-year-old farm during its live harvest. No reservations are required (or accepted) for this annual tradition. Guests also have the option to book a personalized VIP cranberry tour led by a third-generation grower.

Whitesbog Historic Farm & Village (Browns Mills, New Jersey)

Listed on both the National and New Jersey State Registers of Historic Sites, Whitesbog Historic Farm & Village aims to teach people about the longstanding tradition of cranberry farming and rural life in South Jersey. It offers frequent cranberry bog tours most days during harvest season. It also hosts special cranberry-focused events, like High Tea with cranberry teas and scones and a Cranberry Celebration & Living History Day. Come out for wagon rides and cranberry picking!