Apple Picking in North Georgia
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 get caught up in the excitement of an apple harvest festival, there are many great ways to enjoy the apple harvest.
Use the guide below to find great places to enjoy the apple harvest in North Georgia.
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Apple Houses in North Georgia
The late Summer / 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 apples from dozens of varieties. Plus, some orchards have u-cut flowers, u-pick pumpkin patches, and more!
North Georgia Apple Pies Fritters
These beautiful apple 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 plan 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: North Georgia orchards may adjust schedules due to unexpected weather events — please call to confirm open hours before starting your trip.
Map of North Georgia Apple Houses
Use the North GA apple orchard map to find a great place to spend an autumn afternoon in the mountains either picking your own apples or purchasing some from a North GA apple house. Click the top left of the map for a legend and interactive features.
North Georgia U-Pick Apple Orchards
Ellijay, Georgia is the “Apple Capital of Georgia” with the most apple options during peak apple-picking season, but there are also apple houses in other parts of North Georgia too! Choose your favorite and arrive early on the weekends to get ahead of the crowds.
BJ Reece Orchards
BJ Reece Orchards Ellijay GA
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, cider donuts, and loaves of bread!
Leashed dogs are permitted in the orchards (dogs are not allowed in the market).
- BJ Reece Orchards is one of the first places to enjoy u-pick apples for the 2023 season
- Family Fun Activities start on August 26 and run through October 31
- The 2023 U-pick calendar is posted online (with apple varieties available)
BJ Reece Orchards Reviews and Contact Info
Contact this Ellijay u-pick apple orchard or follow social media for the latest updates.
- Phone: +1 (706) 276-3048
- Address: 9131 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA
- Email: reeceorchards@ellijay.com
- Website: reeceorchards.com
- Facebook: BJ Reece Orchards is rated 4.4 with 2,575+ reviews and 24,000+ likes
- TripAdvisor: BJ Reece Orchards is rated 4.5 with 150+ reviews
Hillcrest Orchards and Farms
Hillcrest Farms Ellijay GA
The Hillcrest Apple Orchard Ellijay GA provides many unique autumn farm experiences for families — including the south’s first Apple Tree Maze (open on select weekends)! The farm market and bakery is open daily and features farm-produced products, including apples, pies, fritters, cider donuts, jams and jellies, cider, and other gourmet foods.
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, mini golf, wagon rides, petting farm, and more.
No pets are allowed at Hillcrest Orchards.
- 2023 Pick Your Own Apples run every day starting September 2nd until they are all picked
- Seasonal hours during the peak seasons of September, October, and November
- September and October: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- November: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hillcrest Orchards and Farms Reviews and Contact Info
Contact this u-pick apple orchard in Ellijay or follow social media for the latest news and reviews.
- Phone: (706) 273-3838
- Address: 9696 Highway 52 E, Ellijay, GA
- Email: applelan@ellijay.com
- Website: hillcrestorchards.net
- Facebook: Hillcrest Orchards is rated 4.6 with 625+ reviews and 17,950+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Hillcrest Orchards is rated 3.5 with 125+ reviews
Hillside Orchard Farms
Hillside Orchard Farms hopes to have u-pick events for 2023. Previous years have included u-pick options for grapes and beans as well. Stay tuned 2023 u-pick event details at Hillside Orchard Farms and make plans to visit the scenic Hillside Orchard Farms and enjoy the Corn Maze and other attractions including a train, hayride, a herd of nanny goats, Festus the Donkey, an indoor gem mine, plus a show performed by Miner Jim and Donkey!
Look for fresh apple fritters to be available starting September 1, 2023. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Hillside Orchard Farms Reviews and Contact Info
Contact this Ellijay u-pick apple house or follow on social media for the latest updates.
- Phone: +1 (706) 782-2776
- Address: 18 Sorghum Mill Drive, Lakemont, GA
- Email: kiley@hillsideorchard.com
- Website: hillsideorchard.com
- Facebook: Hillside Orchard Farms is rated 4.6 with 300+ reviews and 7,800+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Hillside Orchard Farms is rated 4.5 with 50+ reviews
Mercier Orchards
Mercier Apple Orchard Blue Ridge GA
Mercier Orchards is back to offering U-Pick events at their orchard, while the fruit lasts! Check online for updates on availability and u-pick schedules.
Mercier Orchards is the place for apples in Blue Ridge, GA. Although this 300-acre orchard is known for apples, there are also fresh blueberries, cherries, and strawberries. 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!
You can walk in approved outdoor areas with your pet (the deck and the pond). Only service animals are allowed indoors.
- Mercier Orchards is one of the first places to enjoy u-pick apples for the 2023 season
- U-pick apples start in August and run until the fruit runs out
- The 2023 U-pick calendar is posted online weekly (with apple varieties available)
Mercier Orchards Reviews and Contact Info
Contact this Blue Ridge u-pick apple orchard and market store or follow on social media for questions and the latest updates.
- Phone: +1 (800) 361-7731
- Farm Address: 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge, GA
- Email: customer.service@mercierorchards.com
- Website: mercier-orchards.com
- Facebook: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.8 with 5,225+ reviews and 100,000+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Mercier Orchards is rated 4.5 with 2,500+ reviews
R&A Orchards
The R&A Orchards market, bakery, and cafe are open daily year-round, but on weekends, from Labor Day Weekend through October, you can experience U-Cut Flowers, U-Pick Apples, plus a Tractor Ride & Farm Tour. The last ticket is sold at 3:30 pm each day.
- 2023 U-Pick APPLES run on weekends from Labor Day weekend through the end of October
- 2023 U-Cut FLOWERS run on weekends from September – October
R&A Orchards Reviews and Contact Info
Contact R&A Orchards and market store in Ellijay with your questions, or connect through social media for ongoing updates.
- Phone: +1 (706) 273-3821
- Address: 5505 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA
- Website: randaorchards.com
- Facebook: R&A Orchards has 23,000+ likes
- TripAdvisor: R&A Orchards is rated 4.5 with 25+ 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, return 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.
- 2023 Apple Barn Market is open daily during season (late August – December)
- 2023 U-pick apple events on weekends beginning August 26
Red Apple Barn Reviews and Contact Info
Contact the Ellijay U-pick Red Apple Barn with questions, or connect with social media to receive orchard updates.
- Phone: +1 (770) 635-5898
- Address: 3379 Tails Creek Rd, Ellijay, GA
- Email: apples@redapplebarn.com
- Website: redapplebarn.com
- Facebook: Red Apple Barn is rated 4.6 with 450+ reviews and 12,000+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Red Apple Barn is rated 4.0 with 50+ reviews
The Folk Collaborative Apple 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.
Check the online calendar to see which apples are available during U-pick events starting September 1, 2023, and running until Thanksgiving.
The Folk Collective Apple Orchard Reviews and Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 492-7753
- Address: 2984 Mobile Road, McCaysville, GA
- Email: info@rootsorchard.com
- Website: thefolkcollaborative.com/apple-orchard
- Facebook: The Folk Collective Apple Orchard is rated 5.0 with 100+ reviews and 6,900+ likes
- TripAdvisor: The Folk Collective Apple Orchard
North Georgia Apple Markets
For the times that you simply want to pick up freshly made baked goods or the freshest apples around, these North Georgia Apple Houses are the perfect choice! The following North GA apple houses do not offer “you-pick” fruits, but they are still fantastic places to get fresh produce!
Aaron Family Orchards
Aaron Family Orchards has a nice variety of apples, ciders, pies, and canned goods. Open daily for the season (August – December) from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm or by appointment from January – July (call 706-273-8456).
Aaron Family Orchards Reviews and Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 273-3180
- Address: 8350 Hwy 52E, Ellijay, GA
- Email: Sales@aaronfamilyorchards.com
- Website: aaronfamilyorchards.com
- Facebook: Aaron Family Orchards is rated 4.4 with 75 reviews and 2900 likes
- TripAdvisor: Aaron Family Orchards is rated 4.5 with 15 reviews
Jaemor Farms
View the online Produce Calendar to see which items arrive the soonest (strawberries) to the latest (pumpkins) and plan your trip to the farm! There are no u-pick apples at Jaemor Farms, but the online calendar can let you know about U-pick events for strawberries (May), Flowers (July), and Peaches (July).
Open daily until 6:00 pm. No pets are allowed in the corn maze, around farm games, in the pumpkin patch, or on hayrides.
Jaemor Farms Reviews and Info
- Phone: +1 (770) 869-3999
- Address: 5340 Cornelia Highway/ GA Hwy 365, Alto, GA
- Email: carli@jaemorfarms.com
- Website: jaemorfarms.com
- Facebook: Jaemor Farms has 76,000+ likes
- TripAdvisor: Jaemor Farms is rated 4.5 with 225+ reviews
- Ranked #1 for Food & Drink in Alto
Mack Aaron’s Apple House
Mack Aaron’s Apple House Ellijay GA
Open daily all year from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm! Pick up fresh peaches from July – Labor Day, fresh apples from August – November, and at least 11 kinds of hand-made fried pies!
Mack Aaron’s Apple House Reviews and Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 273-3600
- Address: 8955 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA
- Website: mackaaronsapplehouse.com
- TripAdvisor: Mack Aaron’s Apple House
Panorama Orchards
Panorama Orchards Ellijay GA
Panorama Orchards farm market features fresh ciders, baked goods, fried pies, homemade fudge, and 20+ varieties of apples! Open all year from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm every day.
Panorama Orchards Reviews and Contact Info
Contact the orchard directly with any additional questions.
- Phone: +1 (706) 273-3813
- Address: 63 Talona Spur, Ellijay, GA
- Website: panoramaorchards.com
- TripAdvisor: Panorama Orchards is rated 4.5 with 225+ reviews
Payne’s Apple Orchard
Open daily with fresh fruit and produce – follow social media for updates on the freshest fruits available in the market store.
Payne’s Apple Orchard Reviews and Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 633-7185
- Address: 326 Tankersley Ln, Epworth, GA
- Email: cpayne226@gmail.com
- Facebook: Payne’s Apple Orchard is rated 5 with 25 reviews and 1,100+ likes
Penland’s Apple House
Penland Apple House Ellijay GA – main 515 location
Penland’s has 2 Ellijay locations open daily during the harvest season (summer – late fall) from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Purchase fresh produce and locally made treats in these North Georgia apple houses. Sit at covered picnic tables behind the apple house and play games of cornhole along with a fried pie, apple fritter, caramel apple, or other freshly-made treat.
Penland’s Apple House Reviews and Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 635-5110
- The “515” or “Main” Location: 41 Talona Mountain Road, Ellijay, GA
- The “282” Location: 7678 Tails Creek Road, Ga Hwy 282, Ellijay, GA
- Email: penland@ellijay.com
- Facebook: Penland’s Apple House is rated 4.4 with 350 reviews and 6400 likes
- TripAdvisor: Penland’s Apple House is rated 4.5 with 15 reviews
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Make sure you feel prepared with these products to 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? Are you also planning to try other mountain Fall favorites including:
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!!