All ages • 2 hours • Reservations Required
Spend a morning in Ellensburg learning how apples become cider: a two-hour guided walk that pairs a live wheel-line irrigation demo with a hands-on look at pressing, barrel aging, and bottling. Great for curious travelers and families.
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Difficulty
easy
Duration
2 hours
Fitness Level
Light walking over farm terrain; suitable for most fitness levels including families with children.
Wildlife
History
The tour highlights family history and local wheel-line patents that shaped irrigation and cider production practices in the region.
Conservation
Hosts emphasize orchard biosecurity and water-efficient irrigation; visitors are asked to follow boot-cleaning or access rules to limit pest and disease spread.
Wheel Line Cider
All ages • 2 hours • Reservations Required
Wheel Line Cider is a family-run cider operation based in Ellensburg, Washington, centered on a 3,000-tree orchard and small-scale craft production. The operation offers guided orchard walks, production tours, hands-on pressing sessions, and tasting experiences designed to explain apple varieties, fermentation, barrel aging, and bottling. Tours include an Orchard Tour, a Production Tour & Taste, a Walking Farm Tour, a Production & Farm History Tour, Cider Making 101, and a seasonal Mini Pressing Experience.
Each experience combines outdoor orchard access with expert-led demonstrations inside the cider barn. Guests see live irrigation demos, observe fermentation and aging processes, and taste finished cider during guided samplings. The Cider Making 101 and Mini Pressing Experience let participants press apples, begin fermentation, and learn practical techniques for home cider-making under the guidance of experienced staff, including hands-on instruction from Nate during seasonal pressing events.
Wheel Line Cider emphasizes transparent production and education, making craft cider approachable for visitors of varying familiarity. Tours provide a behind-the-scenes look at how apples travel from tree to bottle, including discussions of orchard care, blending decisions, and barrel work. The business operates on a working orchard footprint and focuses on sharing agricultural knowledge along with tasting opportunities.
Located in Central Washington, Wheel Line Cider serves visitors and cider enthusiasts seeking an authentic, educational farm experience. The business presents clear tour options, seasonal pressing activities, and guided tastings, offering both historical context and practical skills for guests interested in craft cider. Advance reservations are recommended during peak harvest and weekends.
Location
Ellensburg, WA
Central Washington orchard destination
Orchard Size
3,000 trees
Mature apple plantings on site
Tours Offered
6 experiences
Guided tours, tastings, and workshops
Seasonal Pressing
Seasonal
Hands-on mini pressing with Nate
Reserve an Orchard Tour, Production Tasting, or Cider Making workshop in Ellensburg today.
Wear sturdy shoes
Expect uneven, sometimes muddy orchard ground—closed-toe shoes or boots make the walk more comfortable.
Arrive early for coffee
Check in at the cider barn before the 8:45 AM safety briefing so you don’t miss the irrigation demo.
Orchard access may be limited
Biosecurity or field work can restrict entrance to orchard blocks; the tour will still cover orchard topics if access is closed.
Bring water and sun protection
Morning exposure on the plateau can be bright and dry—carry a refillable bottle and sunscreen.
Sturdy, closed-toe shoes
Protects feet on uneven orchard rows and around production equipment.
Layered jacket
Cool mornings by the barn warm quickly as the sun hits the fields.
spring
Refillable water bottle
Keeps you hydrated during the walk across exposed planting rows.
summer
Notebook and pen
Useful for jotting down irrigation notes, varietals, or fermentation tips you’ll want to remember.