The Best Orchards for Apple-Picking in Georgia

As my kids were growing up, one of our favorite family activities in September and October was apple-picking. On a beautiful fall day, we loved walking through an orchard, snapping an apple from a branch, and taking a big juicy bite. The first time my husband ever ate a freshly picked apple, his eyes widened in amazement that it could be just that crisp and delicious. It made us wonder what other foods we’d been missing out on our whole lives by only buying from a grocery store.

The biggest and best places to apple-pick in Georgia are Hillcrest Orchards, B.J. Reece Apple House and Orchards, and R & A Orchards. They offer the longest picking windows and the most activities on site. For apple-picking fun, you can’t go wrong with any of these Georgia orchards.

Where to Go Apple-Picking in Georgia

Hillcrest Orchards

Hillcrest Orchards is the u-pick farm my family has visited the most. Years ago, Hillcrest offered u-pick for just one or two weekends each fall during its Apple Pickin’ Jubilee. Now, the popular Apple Pickin’ Jubilee runs for eight weekends in September and October.

The Apple Pickin’ Jubilee isn’t just apple-picking. It’s a fall festival with live music, food, and pig racing. It also has a petting farm, tricycle and pedal-cart courses, hillside slides, a jumping pillow, wagon rides and more. For a listing of Hillcrest’s many family friendly activities, click here.

As for the apple-picking, Hillcrest has a variety of apples, including Rome Beauty, Pink Lady, Mutsu, Granny Smith, Fuji, Cameo, Ambrosia, and Arkansas Black. Our favorites have always been their Golden Delicious and Honey Crisp. Of the three Georgia orchards we’ve visited, Hillcrest has always had the widest and best selection of apples.

Admission to the Apple Pickin’ Jubilee is $15 per person on the weekends. Bags for u-pick are purchased separately and cost $10 for a half peck. Hillcrest Orchards is also open during the week. Weekday admission is $10 but does not include some of the festival activities.

B.J. Reece Apple House and Orchards

B.J. Reece Apple House and Orchards is another one of the best places to pick apples in Georgia. Located just across the street from Hillcrest in Ellijay, it also offers a range of farm activities, including pig races, cow-milking, pony rides, and a petting farm. Families will also love the wagon rides, jumping pillow, and ziplines.

B.J. Reece is more limited in its selection of u-pick. While the farm grows 30 different varieties on 120 acres, it allows u-pick in just three of the orchards, totaling 75 acres. Search the u-pick calendar before you go to determine which apple varieties are available during your visit. Other varieties are for sale in the orchard’s farm market.

During weekends, admission to the u-pick orchards is $5 per person. You’ll also need to purchase a u-pick bag for either $9 a half peck bag, $16 a peck bag, or $28 a half-bushel bag. Weekend packages are available that include admission to the farm activities.

R & A Orchards

After our first trip to R & A Orchards last year, it became a new family favorite. R & A Orchards doesn’t offer the same range of activities that Hillcrest Orchards and B.J. Reece do, but for visitors who are more focused on the apple-picking itself, such as couples or families of teens, it has everything you need for a lovely day on the farm.

Like Hillcrest and B.J. Reece, R & A Orchards is located off Highway 52 in Ellijay. It has a large roadside market, which sells numerous apple varieties, along with jellies, produce, spices, and baked goods. Visitors take a tractor ride from the market area to the orchards and can stop at a u-pick flower field on the way. We had a great time gathering our own beautiful bouquet of bright pink, yellow and orange zinnias.

R & A Orchards has u-pick apples and flowers every weekend in September and October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other Georgia Apple Orchards

Mercier Orchards

Mercier Orchards, set in the North Georgia mountains, is arguably one of Georgia’s prettiest orchards. It also has one of the best farm markets around. Although it’s offering limited u-pick again this year, it’s still inviting visitors to walk through its beautiful property.

In a normal u-pick year, a trip to Mercier Orchards includes a wagon ride and a chance to shoot apple cannons. Discarded apples are loaded into the air-powered cannon, which visitors then aim at various targets in the distance. My kids got a big kick out of watching the apples fly.

Mercier Orchards is conveniently located near Blue Ridge, one of North Georgia’s coolest towns. Blue Ridge has a charming downtown area lined with fun restaurants and cute boutiques. You can combine your visit to the orchard and farm market with a trip on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, a great choice for viewing fall foliage along the Toccoa River. The 26-mile trip takes an hour each way and stops for a two-hour layover in McCaysville, on the Georgia-Tennessee border.

Interested in more fun things to do in Georgia? You might like Ease Your Mind with 8 Great Outdoor Activities Near Atlanta and 7 Best Hikes in Atlanta with Kids.