Last updated October 28, 2026
Ellijay calls itself Georgia's Apple Capital, and every fall it earns the name. Drive east out of town on Highway 52 and you'll pass one apple house after another, each with its own fried pies, cider donuts and rows of trees. Some are full farm days with pig races and wagon rides. Others are old-school apple houses where you grab a bag of apples and a fried pie and keep driving.
Fall in Ellijay smells like cinnamon apples. It feels like Christmas, a mountain town coming alive with some of the most amazing people you'll ever meet. Here's every orchard worth your time, what each one does best, and what it costs in 2026.
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The Quick Basics
Where: Most orchards line Highway 52 East, about 5 to 10 miles from downtown Ellijay. A few more sit off Highway 515 and Highway 282.
U-pick season: Late August through October, depending on the crop.
What it costs: U-pick usually means an admission ticket plus a bag of apples. Plan on $6 to $26 per person, plus $12 to $28 for a bag.
Best time: Weekdays in September and October. Apple Festival weekends are packed.
Getting there: About 90 minutes north of Atlanta.
Which Orchard Is Right for You?
The full farm day: Hillcrest Orchards
The most for kids to do (and my favorite fried pies): B.J. Reece Orchards
The cheapest u-pick: R&A Orchards
A calmer u-pick with a tractor ride included: Red Apple Barn
No picking, just apples and fried pies: Panorama, Penland's, Mack Aaron's and Aaron Family Orchards
Worth the drive: Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge
The U-Pick Farms on Highway 52
Hillcrest Orchards (My Favorite)
Hillcrest is my favorite orchard in Ellijay. Hayward Reece planted the first 15 acres in 1946 after coming home from World War II, and his family is still running it four generations later. On fall weekends it turns into the Apple Pickin' Jubilee, with u-pick rows, a petting farm, wagon rides, mini golf, an apple tree maze, cow milking and the swimming pig races. Last season the pig races ran daily at 12:30 PM, so plan your morning around them. There's live music on a stage right by the hot food stands, so grab a plate and listen for a while.
Whatever you do, get the apple float: an apple slushie topped with whipped cream and one of their cider donuts.
The culture at Hillcrest is infectious. Everyone walks around with a smile, and you can tell they love what they do. They want you there, and it's not just a job to them.
The details: 9696 Hwy 52 E. Open daily 9 AM to 6 PM in September and October, and 9 AM to 5 PM in November. Admission is $14 on weekdays and $22 on weekends, and u-pick bags are extra. Ticket sales stop an hour before closing.
B.J. Reece Orchards
B.J. Reece is the one to pick if your kids want to do everything. On weekdays, $8 gets you u-pick admission, the farm slide, the petting zoo, the corn box, a rubber duck race and a wagon ride. On weekends you choose a package: $13 adds pig races and cow milking, $18 adds the jumping pillow and a cow train ride, and $26 does it all, with the apple cannon, a scavenger hunt, pony rides and the mega slide.
Apple bags are $12 for a half peck, $24 for a peck and $48 for a half bushel. Then head inside, because you have got to get some fried pies. Honestly, they're all good, so you really can't go wrong. I'm a simple guy, so my go-tos are the chocolate dipped and the regular apple. These are my favorite fried pies in Ellijay.
Dog people, this one's for you: leashed dogs are welcome in the orchard, just not in the market or the petting zoo. And when you're done, Reece's Cider Co. is right next door. Get a flight. My favorites are the Apple Pie and the Reece's Reserve.
The details: 9131 Hwy 52 E. U-pick runs daily in September and October, 9 AM to 6 PM Monday to Saturday and 1 PM to 6 PM Sunday. Last tickets are sold at 5 PM.
R&A Orchards
R&A has been growing apples on Highway 52 since 1947, and it's the best value on this list. U-pick admission is $6, and bags are $14 for a half peck or $28 for a peck. The orchard covers 160 acres, so the tractor ride takes you behind the scenes, and kids can hop on the cow train. There are u-cut flower fields too, with zinnias, sunflowers and wildflowers.
The market, bakery and cafe are open year-round, which makes R&A an easy lunch stop. They make 18 kinds of fried pies, and visitors also rave about the hot cider, the slushies, and the peach cake and apple bread from the farm store.
The details: 5505 Hwy 52 E. U-pick is weekends only through October, 9 AM to 5 PM, with the last ticket sold at 4 PM. The market and bakery open at 8:30 AM, and the cafe serves 11 AM to 4 PM.
Red Apple Barn: The Calmer U-Pick
West of town on Tails Creek Road (Highway 282), Red Apple Barn is a quieter take on u-pick. Your $12.75 ticket (plus tax, and free for kids 2 and under) includes a tractor ride to and from the orchard, an apple, cider and a doughnut, plus orchard animals, playgrounds, duck races, tire swings and three flowers from the flower patch. Apples are extra, from $7 for a quarter peck up to $36 for a half bushel. The pumpkin patch opens in late September or early October.
The details: 3379 Tails Creek Rd. Apple picking runs Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 1 PM to 4 PM, and Monday, Thursday and Friday 11 AM to 3 PM. The farm market is open every day from August through December 23.
The Apple Houses: No Picking, All the Fried Pies
Not every stop needs a ticket. Ellijay's apple houses sell apples by the bag or the bushel, plus fried pies, cider, fudge, jams and everything else you didn't know you needed. They're perfect for a quick stop on your way home.
Aaron Family Orchards (8350 Hwy 52 E): Apples, fried pies and canned goods, open seasonally from September to December. Don't leave without apple slices drizzled with their homemade caramel. It's to die for.
Panorama Orchards & Farm Market (63 Talona Mountain Rd, off Highway 515): A family fruit farm since the 1920s, with more than 20 apple varieties. Get the apple cider donuts, a fried pie (flavors include apple, peach, blueberry, muscadine and cherry), homemade ice cream, or fudge in 12 flavors. Open daily 9 AM to 6 PM, year-round.
Penland's Orchards & Farm Market (41 Talona Mountain Rd off Highway 515, and 7678 Tails Creek Rd on Highway 282): Family-run since 1936, with more than 30 varieties of apples, peaches and nectarines, plus fried pies, fritters and fresh cider. Both stores are open daily 9 AM to 6 PM from mid-May through November. The Highway 515 store is right next to Panorama, so you can do a fried pie taste test.
Mack Aaron's Apple House (8955 Hwy 52 E): No u-pick, but a good variety of apples and homemade fried pies, with fried apple as the signature.
Worth the Drive: Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge
About 25 minutes north in Blue Ridge, Mercier Orchards has been open since 1943 and grows more than 40 varieties of apples. Apple u-pick is an $8 ticket per person plus your bag. Inside, there's a bakery with cider donuts and fried pies, a big market, and a tasting room for the hard cider they grow, press and can themselves.
It's a great place to take the family. There's a big selection of pies, apple picking is fun, and there's even a catch-and-release pond with some HUGE bluegills. If you're making a weekend of it, see my Blue Ridge weekend itinerary.
The details: 8660 Blue Ridge Dr, Blue Ridge. U-pick runs 10 AM to 4 PM Monday to Thursday and 9 AM to 5 PM Friday to Sunday, depending on the crop and the weather.
My Perfect Fall Day in Ellijay
If I only had one fall day in Ellijay, this is how I'd spend it:
Coffee at Das Kaffee Haus (2 Northside Square). Start on the downtown square with an espresso drink and something from the bakery.
Hillcrest Orchards (9696 Hwy 52 E). It's about 15 minutes out Highway 52. Get there close to the 9 AM opening, pick your apples, catch the pig races and get the apple float.
Lunch at The Roof Ellijay. Head back downtown for the burger and the view over the square.
BEAU-tiful Creations. Walk over and cover a canvas in splatter paint. It's the most fun you'll have downtown.
Roo Mountain Vineyards (1497 Old Flat Branch Rd). Cap the day off with a drink and the mountain view. It's 21 and up, so pick a designated driver.
Want more apples? B.J. Reece, Reece's Cider Co., R&A and the apple houses all sit on the same stretch of Highway 52 as Hillcrest, so it's easy to add a stop or two on your way back to town. For more on every stop, see my Ellijay guide. And if you have extra time, the free self-guided tour at Ellijay Mushrooms is about 10 minutes outside downtown, right down the road from Roo.
When to Go
Late August and early September: U-pick opens, the trees are full and the crowds are light. It's still warm, so go early.
Late September and October: Peak season. Expect the biggest crowds on weekends, especially during the Georgia Apple Festival.
November: U-pick winds down, but the apple houses stay open and the markets are still full of late apples.
What's on the trees changes week to week, so check the orchard's website or social media the morning you go.
Going during the Apple Festival? The 2026 Georgia Apple Festival is October 10 and 11, and October 17 and 18, at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. Admission is $10, and kids 12 and under are free. The orchards are packed those weekends, so if you can, come on a weekday instead. It's cheaper too: $14 instead of $22 at Hillcrest, and $8 instead of $13 at B.J. Reece.
Know Before You Go
Weekdays save money. Hillcrest and B.J. Reece both charge less Monday through Friday.
Ticket sales stop early. Hillcrest and B.J. Reece stop selling an hour before closing, and R&A's last ticket is at 4 PM.
Check u-pick before you drive. Crops and weather can close the orchard for the day.
Bring some cash. Farm stands and smaller apple houses don't always take cards.
Bringing your dog? B.J. Reece allows leashed dogs in the orchard. Check with the others before you bring yours.
Want the whole weekend planned? Ellijay is one of five trips in North Georgia Weekends ($79): a Saturday planned hour by hour, plus Friday night and Sunday, three places to stay and a rain plan for every stop. Just want one great day? Start with 5 Perfect North Georgia Saturdays ($9.99).
Ellijay Apple Orchards FAQ
What's the best apple orchard in Ellijay? Hillcrest Orchards for a full farm day, B.J. Reece for the most kids' activities, and R&A for the best value.
When is apple picking season in Ellijay? Late August through October. Each orchard sets its own dates, and some only open for u-pick on weekends.
How much does apple picking cost in Ellijay? Admission runs from $6 at R&A to $26 for B.J. Reece's biggest weekend package. Bags of apples are extra, usually $12 to $28.
Which Ellijay orchards are open year-round? R&A's market, bakery and cafe, and Panorama Orchards are open all year.
Can you bring dogs to Ellijay apple orchards? B.J. Reece allows leashed dogs in the orchard, but not in the market or petting zoo.
What road are the Ellijay apple orchards on? Most are on Highway 52 East, between about 5 and 10 miles from downtown.
How far is Ellijay from Atlanta? About 90 minutes north.
More in North Georgia, or find a trip by drive time. Want company on the trail? The Explore Georgia Hiking Club is free, and every pace is welcome.