Where, When and More to Find an Apples in the Ellijay, Georgia Area
Note: This page is NOT the Pick-Your-Own apple orchards page (although a couple on this page do PYO). These are roadside stands and orchard markets. The PYO pages are here: North Georgia, Atlanta area and surrounding counties, Macon / Columbus area, Augusta area, Coastal Georgia area, Southern Georgia area
NEW! Please write me, if you know of any to add or have photos to share!
Also, see our pages on tips for picking apples at a farm, easy illustrated directions to make applesauce, apple butter, apple jelly and apple pie; and our guide to apple varieties!
Guide to Apple Orchards in Ellijay, GA with 2008 prices
You may want to print this page and take it with you when you go to the orchards! Be sure to click on the links for the reviews, photos and additional information. See this page for our guide to apple varieties. and see this page to make your own "Ellijay Apple Bread"


Most of the orchards and their roadside shops are very close together on Hwy 52 on the east side of Route 5/Rt 76 in East Ellijay. The order below corresponds to the order in which you will encounter the orchards when driving from east to the west. Click here for more maps and directions to Ellijay from Atlanta!
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Hillcrest Orchards - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious,
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty; 2007
prices: $26/bushel.
9696 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-273-3838. (PYO only during the Apple Pickin Jubilee festival - call!) Pig races and more! -
B.J. Reece Apple House - Apple varieties: Arkansas Black,
Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonathon, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome
Beauty, Winesap, Yates; 2007 prices: $24/bushel (sold in half bushel bags at
$12/bag)
9131 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: 706-276-3048. Fax: 706-276-3058. Email us at: reeceorchards@ellijay.com. -
Mack Aaron's Apple House - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red
Delicious, Gala, Mutsu, Rome Beauty, Jonagold. 2007 prices: $16 to $24 per
bushel (depends on the variety and size of the apples).
Near 8700 Hwy 52 East., Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3180. Open: in season, 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday; 12:30pm to 5:30 pm on Sunday. -
Aaron's Apple House - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red
Delicious, Gala, Detroit Red, Ozark Gold, Jonathon, Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome
Beauty, Stayman Winesap, Fuji, Arkansas black, Granny Smith, Yates. 2007
prices: $16 to $24 per bushel (depends on the variety and size of the
apples).
Near 8245 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3180. Open: August through December 8am-7pm. Directions: 8.5 miles East of Ellijay on Hwy. 52. Mailing address: 355 Aaron Road, Ellijay, GA 30540. -
Hudsons - Apple varieties: Golden delicious, Red delicious, Gala,
Mutsu, Empire, Ginger Gold, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Fuji. 2008 prices: $10
to $20 for some varieties, up to $24/bushel for others.
8036 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone 706-273-3160. Open 7 days, 8:30 am to 5 pm. -
Seller's Orchard - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden
Delicious, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Winesap; 2007
prices: $20 to $24/bushel
Route 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3026. Open: August through December 8am-7pm. Directions: 7 miles East of Ellijay on Hwy. 52. -
R & A Orchards - Apple varieties: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious,
Gala, Detroit Red, Ozark Gold, Jonathon, Jonagold, Mutsu, Rome Beauty,
Stayman Winesap, Fuji, Arkansas black, Braeburn, Criterion, Granny Smith,
Pink Lady, Yates. 2008 prices: $12 per half bushel. Like many orchards, you can
also - sometimes - buy extra small grade apples for less - perfect for
applesauce.
5055 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-273-3821. Directions: Located 4.5 Miles East of Ellijay On Hwy 52 -
Oak Hill Orchards - UPDATE 2007: Oak Hill CLOSED permanently! :(
Apple varieties: Arkansas Black, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Yates;
4986 Hwy 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 273-3644 Click here for more information, directions, photos and a review. -
Panorama Orchards, Inc. - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Golden
Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome
Beauty; 2007 prices: $24/bushel
P.O. Box 157, East Ellijay, GA 30539. (across the street from Penland's, right on the Hwy 515 bypass). Phone: (706) 276-3813. -
Penland's Apple House - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala, Golden
Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome
Beauty; 2007 prices: $20/bushel
Hwy 515 Bypass, Ellijay, GA 30540. They also have a location at Ga Hwy 282 and US 76, 8 miles west of Ellijay. Phone: (706) 635-5110. Open: August through December, 7 days a week, 9am to 6pm. -
Red Apple Barn at Little Bend Orchard - Apple varieties: Fuji, Gala,
Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty,
Winesap; 2007 prices: $24/bushel for all varieties. Note: they usually have
some specials at $14 per bushel, which are just smaller sized apples -
perfect for applesauce.
3379 Tallscreek Road, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 635-5898 or (706) 635-7674. Directions: 3.5 miles west of Ellijay on U.S. Hwy. 76/Ga. 282 on left side of road. Open: Aug.15 through Dec. Monday to Saturday. 9 am-6 pm, Sunday 12:30-5:30 pm. Apples, cider, dried apples, apple pies, fritters, breads, candy apples, jams, jellies, honey, sorghum syrup, baskets.
Festivals
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Georgia Apple Festival
Ellijay, GA. The Ellijay Lions Club, the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, and the cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay invite everyone to come and enjoy the 34th year of the Georgia Apple Festival. There are over 300 vendors with handmade, hand-crafted items, as well as many on-site demonstrations of how selected types of crafts are made. This year promises many new crafts as well as favorites from past festivals. There is a parade and antique car show each year. The parade is on the second Saturday. 32th Annual Georgia Apple Festival From the mountains of North Georgia Event dates: October 8th, 9th, & 15th, 16th, 2005 (Second and third weekends). Producing 600,000 bushels of apples each fall, Ellijay/Gilmer County is Georgia's Apple Capital, so it's only natural that the second and third weekends of October each year, people from all over the nation come to Ellijay to celebrate the apple. Handmade arts and crafts, homegrown entertainment, and plain old fun, combine with every apple product imaginable to make the weekends a family adventure. Throw in the colorful fall leaves, crisp mountain air, sky-blue days, and star-studded nights and you'll want to visit again and again. Sponsored by the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce and the Ellijay Lions Club, the festivities include a car show and a parade. Call the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce office for more information (706) 635-7400. Also see ELLIJAY CELEBRATES 34 FUN-FILLED YEARS!
Closed or erroneous
Other websites list these as apple orchards, but they are either permanently closed or not even an orchard.
- Country Apples/Country Hearth - This is a gift shop, not
an orchard
Phone: (706) 276-6541. P.O. Box 603, Ellijay, GA 30540. - Little Bend Orchards - No answer - May be closed / out of
business
3385 Tails Creek Road, Ellijay, GA 30540
Phone: (706) 635-5898 - Pat-A-Cake Bakery - it is a bakery! Applejournal.com lists them
as an orchard!
1075 Old Hwy 5 South, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-636-3917 Fax:706-636-3917.
They do have fresh apple bread, fried apple pies and other treats!
Ellijay Apple Varieties
Below is a listing of the main varieties grown in the Ellijay area. Ellijay Apple season is approximately: August to December. The apples are listed in approximate order of ripening and harvesting.
| Apple Variety | Photo | Usually start harvesting | Flavor | Best uses |
| Gala |
|
August 1 | Very sweet | Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies |
| Ginger Gold |
|
Early | Sweet | Eating |
| Detroit Red | August 1 | Tart | Cooking | |
| Ozark Gold | August 1 | Tart | Cooking | |
| Jonathon |
|
August 15 | Tart | Cooking |
| Red Delicious |
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August 15 | Sweet | Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking |
| Golden Delicious |
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August 15 | Sweet | Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking |
| Empire |
|
August 20 | Tart | Cooking |
| Honey Crisp |
|
August 20 | Sweet, Crisp, Juicy | Eating, Applesauce, Apple Butter, Pies |
| Mutsu |
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September 1 | Sweet / Tart | Cooking / Eating |
| Jonagold |
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September 1 | Sweet / Tart | Cooking / Eating |
| Rome Beauty |
|
September 15 | Slightly Tart | Cooking / Eating |
| Stayman - Wine sap |
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September 15 | Tart | Cooking / Eating |
| Granny Smith |
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September 25 | Tart | Cooking / Eating |
| Fuji |
|
October 20 | Very sweet | Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies, cooking |
| Brae burn |
|
October 20 | Sweet | Eating |
| Arkansas Black |
|
October 20 | Tart | Baking, Eating (very hard apple) |
| Pink Lady |
|
October 25 | Sweet | Eating |
| Yates | Nov 1 | Sweet | Eating |
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Home Canning KitsThis is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother
used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to
tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything
you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber
tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and
the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than
buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except
jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! |
Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.Need lids, rings and replacement jars? Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes? Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! |


















