Last updated October 28, 2026
Ellijay is one of my favorite North Georgia destinations. From family-owned farms to exquisite farm-to-table dining, you need to make this your next vacation.
Every time I'm there, I find another reason to come back. One trip it's a cider flight on Highway 52. The next it's an apple float at my favorite orchard, or a canvas I just covered in splatter paint.
Ellijay sits about 90 minutes north of Atlanta, right where the Ellijay and Cartecay rivers meet. It calls itself Georgia's Apple Capital, and from late summer through fall the orchards along Highway 52 are the main event. The rest of the year, it's a laid-back mountain town with a walkable square and wineries with big mountain views. Here's how I'd spend a day there, in the order I'd do it.
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The Quick Basics
Where: Gilmer County, about 90 minutes north of Atlanta
Best time: September and October for apple picking, and the second and third weekends of October for the Apple Festival
Best for: Families who want a farm day, couples who want cider and mountain views, and anyone craving a slow small town Saturday
Pair it with: Blue Ridge, Amicalola Falls or Carters Lake, all under an hour away
Start at Hillcrest Orchards
Hillcrest Orchards is my favorite orchard in all of Ellijay. It has the perfect balance: real u-pick apple rows, plus enough going on to keep your kids entertained all day. On fall weekends, Hillcrest runs its Apple Pickin' Jubilee, with interactive pig races (yes, really), a petting farm, wagon rides, and live music on a stage right next to the hot food stands. Grab a plate and eat while you listen.
You have to get an apple float. It's an apple slushie topped with whipped cream and one of their amazing donuts. Don't leave without one.
Hillcrest is at 9696 Hwy 52 E. It opens daily at 9 AM and closes at 6 PM in September and October, and 5 PM in November. Admission is $14 on weekdays and $22 on Jubilee weekends. Weekdays are calmer, with the petting farm, wagon rides and playgrounds still open.
Don't skip the market, either. When I visited, the bins were overflowing with Honeycrisp, Fuji, Jonagold and Mutsu, with hot cider, doughnuts and fritters inside.
Two More Orchards Down the Road
If you have room for more apples, B.J. Reece Orchards and R&A Orchards are a few minutes away on the same highway. For every orchard in town, with 2026 prices and hours, see my Ellijay apple orchards guide.
B.J. Reece (9131 Hwy 52 E) is the one for fried pies, in apple, peach, strawberry, cream cheese and coconut, plus apple cider donuts. Kids get hayrides, a corn maze, pony rides and apple cannons, and there's u-pick for apples and pumpkins in September and October.
R&A (5505 Hwy 52 E) has been around since 1947 and makes 18 kinds of homemade fried pies. U-pick runs on weekends in September and October.
U-pick depends on the crop, so check the orchard's website or social media the morning you go.
Then a Cider Flight at Reece's
Right next to B.J. Reece is Reece's Cider Company (9110 Hwy 52 E), one of my favorite stops every time I'm in Ellijay. It's a craft cidery that brews hard ciders and non-alcoholic ciders right on site. When you order, you can see exactly where your cider is made: tall steel tanks right behind the counter.
Get a flight first so you can taste every flavor before you commit to a full pour. My favorites are the Apple Pie and the Reece's Reserve. Heads up: the Reserve is pretty strong, so please drink responsibly.
Get Messy Downtown at BEAU-tiful Creations
My favorite spot in downtown Ellijay is BEAU-tiful Creations Fun Art Studio, and the splatter paint room is the reason. You suit up in a poncho and shoe covers, pick your canvas size, grab the paint and let it rip. Sling as much paint as you want until it's a masterpiece.
Not a splatter person? You can also paint a canvas, paint pottery, make wood designs or try resin art. It's the perfect place to let loose and show your creative side, and adults will love it as much as kids. Their sign says it best: "It's NOT fine art, it's FUN art!" No wonder it's won Georgia Business Journal's Best of Georgia three years running.
You'll find it at 9 South Side Square, Suite D. Splatter canvases were $35 for an 8x10 and $40 for an 11x14 when I visited. To book a paint party, call 706-669-2367 or message them on Facebook, and ask about the Wednesday Kid's Club if you have little ones.
Before you leave the square, pop into Cartecay Wine & Craft or 29 North for a local wine tasting, browse Gilmer Arts, or go full tourist at EXPEDITION: Bigfoot!, a Sasquatch museum. On Saturdays from May through September, the Ellijay Farmers & Artisans Market sets up too.
Mushrooms and Mountain Views on Old Flat Branch Road
Late in the afternoon, head out to Old Flat Branch Road for two stops about 2 minutes apart.
Start at Ellijay Mushrooms (2269 Old Flat Branch Road), a commercial mushroom farm that lets you take a free self-guided tour of the whole farm. The Farm House shop has fresh-harvested mushrooms and u-pick flowers, and when I was there they'd just added a grab-and-go Foraging Picnic Box and Lion's Mane coffee in the sunroom. Get there before it closes at 5 PM (4 PM Monday to Thursday).
Then finish at Roo Mountain Vineyards (1497 Old Flat Branch Road), which is upscale but laid back. It's the kind of place where you get a drink, find a seat and just look out at the mountains in the distance. On my last visit I ordered Sabrina's Hiss, a mango habanero hard cider, and boy, that thing had some kick to it. I ended up mixing it with the Salem, a blackberry cider, and it made the drink a lot more enjoyable. If you like heat, try it straight. If not, do the mix.
They have plenty of snacks, plus a full restaurant inside called Roost at Roo. I haven't tried the food yet, but when I do, I'll update this post and let you know how it is. One heads up: Roo is 21 and up only, so this is an adults' stop.
Dinner at The Roof Ellijay
End the day back downtown at The Roof Ellijay, one of the best dining experiences in all of North Georgia. My order is the burger, and it's one of the best burgers I have ever had. Put that together with the views over downtown Ellijay, and it's the best meal in town in my opinion.
In town for lunch instead? Cantaberry Restaurant is known for its tomato basil soup and chicken salad, and The Shack of Ellijay does Asian fusion like birria ramen.
The Day at a Glance
9 AM: Hillcrest Orchards. Pick apples, catch the pig races, get the apple float.
Late morning: A fried pie at B.J. Reece, then a cider flight next door at Reece's.
Early afternoon: Splatter paint at BEAU-tiful Creations, then walk the square.
Mid-afternoon: The self-guided tour at Ellijay Mushrooms.
Late afternoon: A drink and the view at Roo Mountain Vineyards.
Dinner: The Roof Ellijay. Get the burger.
Doing the cidery and the vineyard in one day? Pick a designated driver.
Going in October? The Georgia Apple Festival
The Georgia Apple Festival takes over the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds (1729 South Main Street) the second and third weekends of October. In 2026 that's October 10 and 11, and October 17 and 18, from 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday and 9 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Admission is $10, kids 12 and under get in free, and you'll find hundreds of craft vendors, live music and food, rain or shine. Pets aren't allowed, except service animals.
If you're going to the main event at the fairgrounds, get there early to lock down parking. Want the festival without the crowd? The Apple Arts Festival on the downtown square runs the same two weekends and gets a lot less attention. It's smaller and more laid back, but it gives you a similar experience, and it's free and pet friendly.
Got More Time? The River, the Lake and a Giant Tree
In summer, Cartecay River Experience on Highway 52 rents tubes and kayaks for the Cartecay River. It's rated Class II, with small rapids and a slide at Stegall Mill Falls, so it's not a lazy river. Carters Lake has boat rentals, fly fishing and the Tumbling Waters Trail, and the Bear Creek Trail leads to the Gennett Poplar, Georgia's second-largest tree. And if you want a waterfall, my 12 Best Waterfalls in North Georgia guide has plenty within an easy drive.
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).
Know Before You Go
October weekends are packed. Go early, or come on a weekday.
Check u-pick before you drive. What's ready changes week to week.
Roo Mountain is 21 and up. The orchards and the art studio are the kid stops.
Bring some cash. Small shops and farm stands don't always take cards.
Ellijay FAQ
Is Ellijay worth a day trip? 100% yes. So many apple houses, amazing food, serene mountain vibes and state parks close by make it worth a day, or even a whole weekend.
What's the best apple orchard in Ellijay for kids? Hillcrest Orchards. It has u-pick apples plus pig races, a petting farm, wagon rides and live music on fall weekends.
When is apple picking in Ellijay? U-pick runs mostly in September and October. B.J. Reece offers it both months, and R&A on weekends.
When is the 2026 Georgia Apple Festival? 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.
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.