Apple Picking in North GA
As the weather starts to cool, and the air fills with the sweet scent of ripened fruit, it’s the perfect time to visit North Georgia’s apple-picking orchards.
Apple picking in the North Georgia Mountains
Whether you prefer to spend a quiet weekday strolling through apple trees on a local farm or to get caught up in the excitement of an apple harvest festival, there are lots of great ways to enjoy the fall harvest.
Use the guide below to find great places where you can enjoy the autumn apple harvest in North Georgia.
Apple Picking Orchards in North Georgia
The Autumn apple harvest is the most popular time to visit well-known large farms like Mercier Orchards or some of the smaller orchards in North Georgia. These family-friendly places let you pick your own apples from dozens of apple varieties. Plus, some orchards have u-cut flowers, u-pick pumpkin patches, and more!
These beautiful orchards and farms offer u-pick apples, and many also include additional family attractions like games and hayrides! Learn more about these pick your own fruit farms and make plans to visit your favorites during the beautiful fall harvest season.
As fruit availability varies depending on factors including weather, overall season yield, and customer farm attendance, be sure to contact each farm in advance of your trip to confirm their hours and produce availability.
NOTE: the orchards in North Georgia had to weather a late frost in April 2021, and it significantly impacted the yield at a few places. There are no u-pick apple events in 2021 at Mercier Orchards or Hillside Orchard Farms. The businesses are still open and offer great ways to have family fun (see details below).
Map of U-Pick Apple Orchards in North Ga
Use the North GA apple orchard map to find a great place to spend an autumn afternoon in the mountains.
Ellijay GA Apple Farms
Ellijay, Georgia is the “Apple Capital of Georgia” and is the most well-known area to visit for autumn apple picking. Arrive early on the weekends to get ahead of the crowds.
BJ Reece Orchards
BJ Reece Orchards in the North Georgia Mountains
The BJ Reece Apple Orchard in Ellijay, GA, is a u-pick apple farm that opens for the season during late August and runs through late October (with selected attractions open through late December). Enjoy family-friendly activities at BJ Reece Orchards, including apple cannons, wagon rides, pony rides, petting farm, scavenger hunt, zipline, pig races, giant slide, and more! Stock up on fresh seasonal produce and bakery items like fried pies, donuts, and loaves of bread!
Leashed dogs are permitted in the orchards.
- 2021 u-pick and Family Fun Activities run through October 31
- U-pick schedule: posted online with apple varieties available
BJ Reece Orchards Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 276-3048
- Address: 9131 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA
- Email: reeceorchards@ellijay.com
- Website: reeceorchards.com
BJ Reece Orchards Reviews
- Facebook: BJ Reece Orchards is rated 4.6 with 625+ reviews and 20,950+ likes
- TripAdvisor: BJ Reece Orchards is rated 4.5 with 150+ reviews
Hillcrest Orchards and Farms
Hillcrest Orchards in the North Georgia Mountains
The Hillcrest Apple Orchard GA provides lots of unique autumn farm experiences for families — including the south’s first Apple Tree Maze (open on select weekends)!
Visit during their annual apple picking festival in Georgia — the “Apple Pickin’ Jubilee.” This festival happens during September and October weekends for u-pick apples, live music, cow milking, swimming pig races, kiddie corn maze, wagon rides, petting farm, and more. Enjoy farm-produced products, including apples, pies, fritters, donuts, jams and jellies, cider, and other gourmet foods.
- Hours: seasonal/open during September, October, and November
Hillcrest Orchards and Farms Contact Info
- Phone: (706) 273-3838
- Address: 9696 Highway 52 E, Ellijay, GA
- Email: applelan@ellijay.com
- Website: hillcrestorchards.net
Hillcrest Orchards and Farms Reviews
- Facebook: Hillcrest Orchards and Farms is rated 4.6 with 625+ reviews and 17,950+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Hillcrest Orchards and Farms is rated 3.5 with 125+ reviews
R&A Orchards
Last ticket is sold at 3:30 pm each day.
R&A Orchards Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 273-3821
- Address: 5505 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA
- Website: randaorchards.com
R&A Orchards Reviews
- Facebook: R&A Orchards is rated 4.8 with 300+ reviews and 17,925+ likes
- TripAdvisor: R&A Orchards is rated 4.5 with 20+ reviews
Red Apple Barn
Fall day at Red Apple Barn in the North Georgia Mountains
Spend a fun day picking your own apples, pumpkins, and flowers at the farm at Red Apple Barn in Ellijay, GA. Enjoy the gorgeous mountain scenery on a wagon ride behind the tractor up to the apple orchard. When you finish in the orchard, be sure to retreat back to the Red Apple Barn to enjoy a pie, fritter, a cup of cold cider, or one of the other freshly made local treats.
Take your time and enjoy the “Family Fun Barn” while playing a friendly game of cornhole or horseshoes after apple picking in Ellijay, Georgia, at Red Apple Barn.
- Hours (Store): 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Monday-Saturday) and 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Sunday)
- Hours (u-pick): Open seasonally and posts picking dates for specific fruits online
Red Apple Barn Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (770) 635-5898
- Address: 3379 Tails Creek Rd, Ellijay, GA
- Email: apples@redapplebarn.com
- Website: redapplebarn.com
Red Apple Barn Reviews
- Facebook: Red Apple Barn is rated 5.0 with 150+ reviews and 10,625+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Red Apple Barn is rated 4.0 with 45+ reviews
McCaysville GA Apple Orchards
Visit this orchard near the state line for u-pick apples and other unique orchard events.
Deep Roots Orchard
Enjoy a variety of festivals, workshops, and classes throughout the year, and enjoy a relaxing day of u-pick apples during September and October. Visit the old apple barn (now an herbal apothecary) and purchase home-baked treats from Mae’s kitchen.
Visit the website to learn how to participate in unique orchard events like group wagon rides, movie nights, picnics, unique storytelling options, yoga classes, and more.
Deep Roots Orchard Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 492-7753
- Address: 2984 Mobile Road, McCaysville, GA
- Email: info@rootsorchard.com
- Website: rootsorchard.com
Blue Ridge GA Apple Orchards
The Blue Ridge area has two great apple orchards open for u-pick events during the fall harvest.
Mercier Orchards
Mercier Orchards in the North Georgia Mountains
Due to the late April 2021 frost, there will be no u-pick apple events at Mercier Orchards in 2021. Guests may still walk around the orchard on the weekends and pick one (1) apple each.
Please continue reading to learn about the other ways to have fun at this scenic mountain orchard while the apple u-pick is on hold.
Mercier Orchards is the place for apples in Blue Ridge, GA. This 300-acre orchard features apples plus blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and more. Find the perfect pumpkin for fall decorations in the u-pick pumpkin patch. The family-friendly destination opens early and invites you to visit the bakery, shop in the market, enjoy catch-and-release fishing in their on-site ponds, and sample hard ciders and fruit wines in the tasting room!
Live music performances on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
Mercier Orchards Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (800) 361-7731
- Farm Address: 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge, GA
- Email: customer.service@mercierorchards.com
- Website: mercier-orchards.com
Mercier Orchards Reviews
- Facebook: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.8 with 2,675+ reviews and 87,375+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.5 with 2,425+ reviews
Lakemont GA Apple Orchards
For those staying closer to the eastern border of North Georgia, consider visiting this apple orchard near the Lake Burton and Lake Rabun areas.
Hillside Orchard Farms
Unfortunately, due to cold weather in April, the u-pick apple season at Hillside Orchard Farms is canceled for 2021.
Hillside Orchard Farms hopes to have a crop in the u-pick orchard in 2022. Previous years have included u-pick options for grapes and beans as well. Stay tuned for the next u-pick events at Hillside Orchard Farms.
You can still visit the scenic Hillside Orchard Farms and enjoy the Pumpkin Party Corn Maze running through the end of October 2021. Other attractions at Hillside Orchard Farms include the train, a hayride, a herd of nanny goats, Festus the Donkey, an indoor gem mine, plus a show performed by Miner Jim and Donkey.
Hillside Orchard Farms Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 782-2776
- Address: 18 Sorghum Mill Drive, Lakemont, GA
- Email: kiley@hillsideorchard.com
- Website: hillsideorchard.com
Hillside Orchard Farms Reviews
- Facebook: Hillside Orchard Farms is rated 4.6 with 175+ reviews and 6,900+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Hillside Orchard Farms is rated 4.5 with 50+ reviews
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Make sure you feel prepared with these products that will make your harvest adventure even more memorable!
Lodging Near the North GA Apple Orchards
Be sure to plan ahead and book lodging in advance for peak harvest and festival weekends in the autumn. Enter your travel dates in the interactive map below to find great lodging near Ellijay, Ga, the “Apple Capital of Georgia.”
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Which North Georgia farms or events look the most interesting to you?
I like these topics very much. I would like to see such topics daily, this post is very good indeed. There are people like you in the world who put forth their views. Thank you so much for posting such a great post.
Thanks, Riya!
Apple picking is a lot of fun for the whole family. I didn’t realize Georgia was known for its apples. I guess I always thought peaches. Anyway, this is a great article for anyone in Georgia looking to spend an afternoon gather some apples. I went apple picking here in Oregon a few years ago and it was amazing how much better they tasted right off the tree.
Hi Jamie, Thanks for sharing your apple picking experience!
You are correct that Georgia is known as “the peach state”, but Gilmer County (including Ellijay) in North Georgia is better known as the “apple capital of Georgia”.
Hey thanks again for this post! I was on your other post about mazes and found it contained a lot of useful details so obviously I decided to visit another page. My favourite apple type is the Fuji apple and pink lady, this is what we call them in the UK. I’m not to sure how different they are from the American apples.
I would love to visit these apple gardens and collect some apples as well as other fruits and other fun activities!
Hi Sariyah, There are lots of different apple varieties grown in North Georgia. BJ Reece orchards have 30 types of apples — including your favorite Pink Ladies.
Wow, those apple orchards sound like a great place to visit with the whole family. I mean, I have been looking into places like this but with two small children, I feel family attractions are kind of a must.
I loved the idea of an apple tree maze. I mean, personally, I’m a huge fan of mazes. One made of apple trees I have not had the chance to visit yet. Swimming pig races also sound really fun. I bet my kids will absolutely love that. And petting farms are always nice for kids. Yeah, I think Hillcrest Apple Orchard is something we’ll 100% visit. Thank you!
And I think that’s good advice. We’ll definitely call ahead. 🙂
Hi Matiss, Most of the orchards will have a shorter u-pick season this year due to a late frost in April. The sooner you can go, the better! Enjoy!!
absolutely love this! Makes me want to visit right now. I actually love driving through Georgia as it is, and this is the perfect time of year for apples. I actually go to a local farm stand around this time of year just for that alone because there is just something about them knowing that they’re freshly picked. Not to mention how delicious they are too.
Hi Paul, The market stands and apple orchards do get busy during the harvest — it’s a great time to enjoy the weather, changing leaves, and fresh apples!
Wow this would make for such a nice scenic trip for apple picking. It makes me want to go visit Georgia right now! I absolutely love apples at this specific time of year too.
Hey.
Thank you for sharing this insightful post and idea about taking a break to a more rural and natural setting. Myself, I love agriculture and normally I like to learn more every day something new and sometimes a make a tour to visit various farms for leaning. This is my first time to hear of these great places that are so close by (like Mercier orchards). I wish someday to visit the town of Blue Ridge and enjoy picking fruit on a nice Fall day!
Blue Ridge is definitely a charming mountain town and a good place to visit during the fall. Come and enjoy the weather and the gorgeous visuals of the leaves changing color!
Hi,
From my online research about the topic harvest festival apple picking in north georgia is a one of the favorite yearly traditions of apple picking. Georgia has some wonderful U-pick apple orchards less than two hours from Atlanta in the North Georgia Mountains, Georgia ‘s season runs late August through October, however not all varieties are available at the same time. They come to enjoy apples right off the trees, but also to drink cider, eat doughnuts and fried pies, listen to music, ride on wagons pulled by tractors and enjoy all things related to the Malus domestica.
Thanks for sharing.
Aluko.
You have definitely done your research! However, now that you know that there are over a dozen varieties of fresh apples in North Georgia, the best research is to try them out personally and choose your favorites! 😉
Hello there, thanks for the very vital information about the Georgia mountain fruit harvest season that you have shared. It’s a shame (but understandable) that the festivals were cancelled this year for 2020. However, it is nice that the Georgia mountains have so many options to visit an apple orchard and pick your own fruit during the harvest season. It really sounds like the perfect way to spend a fall day for those who normally live in crowded cities.
Hi ReeceMichael, It is a shame that there aren’t any festivals this year, but hopefully that gives the organizers a good opportunity to plan for amazing events in 2021!!
I’m sure there was a song about the Blue Ridge Mountains, but I think that was Virginia, rather than Georgia. Would this be the same mountain range?
Reading this from the UK, it just sounds so appealing! Such a beautiful part of the world.
As well as being great family days out, I wonder is it possible to have a working holiday to any of these farms? I think it would be brilliant in this sort of environment. I could see myself having a season in Georgia, working by day, and integrating with the locals. It is really good to “get under the skin” of an area, rather than just being a tourist, don’t you think?
Love this article, and hope I might get to Georgia one day. Looks Fabulous!
Hi Colin, You might be thinking about “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, the song about the state of West Virginia by John Denver. The Georgia mountains are a part of that same mountain range that the song is about and the 2 areas do share some similarities. Either one is a great place to visit — especially at this time of year to see the beautiful leaves changing colors! I hope the world craziness settles quickly and we’re all able to visit international friends again soon!
This was refreshing to read. Unfortunately for now I can only enjoy what I see in my imaginations as I go through this article. Georgia Mountain Harvest Festival sound like a place I would love to be. The thought of picking fruits of my choice, variety for that matter just refreshes my mind. Hopefully sometime in the future I will be able to visit this beautiful place
Yeah, I definitely understand. Sigh. Most of us have had to change our travel plans at some point over the past 6 months due to the pandemic. Thanks for checking in on fun things to do in the North Georgia mountains and we hope to see you here for a visit when travel is more feasible!
I like this family outing to the pick your own fruit farm. It ca be fun to go with the wife and kids, walking out in the sun, with the kids running around and about, picking your own fruit which you then sit down to eat. Great family time. You can get to enjoy those pony rides and go on the zip line at BJ Reece Orchards. The family will just love it.
BJ Reece Orchards is a good place for family fun. It’s easy at this time of year to enjoy a full afternoon on a gorgeous Fall day!
This is great! I can not seem to get saturated with reading articles on this website about the amazing places and fun experiences to find in the Georgia Mountains. It is nice to know that there are Harvest Festivals and also fruit picking opportunities in the Georgia Mountains for the city slickers that don’t normally get to see this.
The Georgia Mountains just seems to be a very fun and amazing place to visit — I am definitely looking forward to a visit soon!
Thanks Kelvin! I’m happy to hear that you are excited about all of the fun options available in North Georgia!!
It’s really good to get basic information about some places before you visit so you don’t fall victim to crime in another mans land while you are ignorant of the rules and all. I have had to pay a fine when I travel to a place and I didn’t know I wasn’t meant to park there. So seeing all of this information to about the Georgia mountains is an additional knowledge to us all.
That is certainly sound advice for anywhere you travel — know the rules and respect the local culture. If you have any specific questions about your trip to the Georgia mountains then please let me know and I’ll try to add some clarity.
Seriously, the more I am reading about the Georgia mountain here us the more I am feeling like I have never being there even though I have been there once in my life. Seriously it just feels like you know every little details that I never tend to pay attention to when I visited and I’m adding more and more things to my bucket list of to-do things when back there. Thanks
Hello! I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying learning more about all of the great things to do in the Georgia mountains. The Autumn is the peak tourist season for the North Georgia mountains and it’s a great opportunity to enjoy the Harvest festivities. The weather cools a bit (but still stays pleasant) and the trees put on a show with their bright, beautiful, multi-colored leaves.
Hello!
How happy I am to have found your place full of pure nature with fruit trees that give it very beautiful colors. I have been a grower and exporter of blueberries here in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
There is nothing that matches the taste of a freshly harvested fruit. All the farms you show are very nice to spend a full day with the family. The harvest season is a unique moment and how nice it is to share it with other families.
Excellent article. Claudio
Hi Claudio, I imagine you have some wonderful scenery at your farm in Argentina as well. Thanks for visiting and sharing how wonderful it is to sample fruit that is fresh from the farm!
I’ve always loved this time of year and the festivals that come along with it. They always bring me back to my childhood when we would all go with our family and our church to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Living up north has some decent festivities as well but I always think about our Pastor and the good times we had with our family and church down south. I hope to one day bring my grandchildren to experience all the great times I had as a child in Georgia.
This is definitely a wonderful place to bring your children (and your parents too). I’ve had many great times in North Georgia with 4 generations of family members making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime!!
I love visiting Mercier Orchards and the Red Apple Barn whenever we decide to take a weekend cabin trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Burt’s Farm has some of the best pumpkins to choose from. Whenever we visit there, we love take a KFC bucket of chicken and have a nice lunch in the picnic area. Finishing off with the hayride makes a great way to wrap up the day.
I’ve lived in Georgia for 21 years and this is the first I have heard of the Apple Festival in Ellijay. I can’t believe I have missed out on this event all these years.
The Blue Ridge/Ellijay area is such a beautiful place to visit. Anyone wanting a Georgia mountain experience needs to check out these places.
Hi Bryan, the apple festival is definitely a big deal for the area — when the weather is so nice, having another excuse to go outside and enjoy it is hard to resist! I like your idea of taking a bucket of chicken to enjoy too!!
Awesome! I remembered 2 years ago, My wife and I spent some time picking apples in Hillside Orchard Farms. It was a great activity that we really enjoyed doing together. In fact we ended up picking lots of apple.The Hillside Orchard staff were polite and also very professional and offered to answer any questions we had about picking apples. Great family activity. We might consider Burt’s farm this year.
Regards!
Thanks for sharing that memory! It’s great to hear that you both enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to visiting more farms in the North Georgia mountains!
Wow, it was totally unknown to me about Georgia Mountains Harvest festival and fruit picking. My brother in law going there recently. He said he already decided where he will visit and where he will stay. But I am pretty sure he don’t know about this harvest festival and he can pick fruits as well. I am going to share this post with him. And I know he will be glad. Thanks for this post.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Alyce. Thank you for you’re amazing blog. The photo’s are simply breathtaking. My wife and I will be visiting your country in about eighteen months time. Georgia is one of the states we wish to see. After looking at your images we are even more certain that we need to check out your beautiful state. We have a background in horticulture so we would love to see some of those lovely farms. But we would also like to experience any of the festivals there. The annual Georgia Apple festival is a must see. The BJ Reece Orchards also look like they will be worth a visit. We are fascinated by the mountain views from this orchard. Thank you so much for highlighting these fabulous places. We will come back to your website as soon as we have decided on an exact time frame for our trip. Thanks Jim
Thanks Jim! The Georgia mountains are beautiful all year, but they are busiest during the Fall when people arrive to view the gorgeous Autumn colors and enjoy the harvest.
Wow another great activity in the Georgia Mountains! You are making me want to move there with all these great posts. Some of my favorite things are festivals, and you’ve provided an excellent and comprehensive list here. Orchards and apple picking are right up my alley too as I’m a big fan of apple cider donuts. The Georgia Apple Festival looks particularly inviting, and I might just have to make a point to get there. Thanks for the great recommendations!
The Georgia Mountains are both a wonderful place to visit and to live! 🙂