Find a local pick your own farm here!

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Northern Georgia in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Fannin County

  • Deep Roots Orchard - apples
    The Folk Apothic At Deep Roots Orchard, 2984 Mobile Road, Mccaysville, GA 30555. Phone: (706) 492-7753. Email: folkapothic@gmail.com. Open: U-Pick begins the first week of September, Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Click here for a map and directions. (ADDED: June 14, 2022, JBS)
  • Mercier Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), U-pick and already picked, gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
    8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge, GA 30513. Phone: (706) 632-3411. Email: customer.service@mercier-orchards.com. Open: Weekends - Weather Permitting - Seasonal 10am to 4pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Mercier Orchards Facebook page. April - Blossom Tours May - Strawberry U-Pick June - Blueberry U-Pick July - Blueberry and Blackberry U-Pick August, September and October - Apple U-Pick. We use integrated pest management practicesPet are allowed on our Deck and may stroll around the pond. They are not allowed in the Orchard, Market and Restaurant. All U-Pick events are subject to availability and weather. In 2021, Admission was $12 per person (2 and under free)Each person will receive a quart size container to fill with fruit. (UPDATED: February 18, 2020)
    Comments from a visitor on May 15, 2010: "We went to this orchard to pick-your-own strawberries yesterday (5/14/10)and I cannot say enough about how nice they were.. the ladies at the front, the people on the tractor (to and from) and TJ who was out in the field answering everyone's questions. We found it very interesting and educational about what they told us about the farm, it's history and how it's operated. We do not have children, but many others out there did and they seemed to be VERY children friendly. They did allow you to eat strawberries in the field, the only rule given was "Please put at least one berry in the bucket for each one that you eat!" LOL! They still had lots of strawberries ready and you could see more ALMOST ready for picking. But they were being picked relatively quickly so no telling how long they will have more.. there were lots of picking customers coming and going. We had such a wonderful experience we are already planning our next trip for their next crop.. Cherries :)!"

Gilmer County

  • B.J. Reece Orchards - apples, pumpkins, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, ziplines
    9131 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: 706-276-3048. Email: reeceorchards@ellijay.com. Open: July 20th or around through December 20th or around from 9 am to 6 Monday - Saturday, 1 pm to 6 Sunday; During U - pick apple season we are open everyday from 9 am to 6 including Sunday. Directions: 60 miles north of Atlanta. You can come Interstate 400, or Interstate 75. Feel free to call for more detailed directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Our market and bakery open each year around the 20th of July and remains open until around the 20th of December. (Please check website for exact dates) We open for U-pick Apples the last weekend of August and remain open until the end of October or all the apples have been picked. They sell the last tickets to go into the orchard at 5pm each day. There is no need to make a reservation for u-pick or any farm activities, just come on up and visit us during their business hours. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesPeaches and Nectarines in our Roadside Market are available July 25 through September 1; Peaches are not U-pick; Seasonal produce available July 25 through mid September; Apples are available August 1 until December 20 in our Roadside Market; U-pick apples are available September and OctoberWe have Goldens, Rome Beauty, Mutsu, Reds, Arkansas Black, and Yates in our u-pick field. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. We have a Petting Farm, Apple Cannons, and live Bluegrass Music in the orchard. These things will be open on the weekends only. We have other orchards that we harvest some other varieties like Gala, Empire, Jonathans, Jonagolds, Winesap, Granny Smith and Fuji. These varieties we only sell in our market and are not available for u-pick. . While the U-pick orchards are open, if you visit on Saturday or Sunday we offer lots of activities for a fun filled day on the farm! We have a Petting Farm, Pony Rides, Cow Milking, Apple Cannons, Giant Farm Slides, Wagon Rides, Jumping Pillow, Cow Train Rides, Ziplines, Scavenger Hunt through the corn maze, Pig Races and lots of yummy food to get you through the day! (UPDATED: October 7, 2022 JBS) Comments from Blake: "This is my favorite apple orchard in Georgia! The produce is top quality, good prices, and the staff are all exceptional pleasant!"
    Comments from a visitor on October 02, 2011: "Great people! Great apples! My family love it!"
    Comments from a visitor on September 10, 2009: "We went to the Reece Apple House today on a 'home-school field trip' with several other families today. Unfortunately, due to an unavoidable, unforeseeable issue (which we were told usually only effects one day every few years LOL) we were unable to pick our own apples today. However, the owner came out and explained everything to us and was VERY accommodating!! The Orchard, petting farm, and House/Store themselves are very nice, I can't wait to go back and actually pick!! This will defiantly be an annual trip for us!"
  • Hillcrest Orchard - apples, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, jumping pillow, trike track, mini-golf, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info)
    9696 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30536. Phone: 706-273-3838. Email: applelan@ellijay.com. Open: Pick your own apples early September to early November or until apples are picked. Directions: Highway 575 north to Ellijay, Georgia. Take Highway 52 east 9 miles and Hillcrest is on the right. Or: Take Highway 400 north o Dawsonville, Georgia. Go through Dawsonville on highway 52 west to highway 183. Follow highway 183 to highway 52 west. Turn left onto highway 52 west, Hillcrest is 10 miles on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Alternate Phone: 706-273-9494Fax: 706-273-3888U-pick apples available every day until they are gone; WEEKENDS: Apple Pickin Jubilee 9 am to 6 pm; WEEKDAYS: U-pick and limited activities; Two bag sizes are offered for u-pick- 1/2 peck and peck. Call for pricingYou Pick apples available September and October weekends only; 9 am to 6 pmBluegrass bands and clogging groups perform each afternoon at the "Apple Pickin' Jubilee". Food is available outside in the food court or inside the ice cream parlor. See more photos and descriptions on this page! (UPDATED: October 7, 2022 JBS) Comments from Blake: "If you haven't been to Hillcrest, then you are missing a Georgia institution! From the pig races, the moonshine museum, trike track, jumping pillows, apple picking, honeybee exhibition hive, live music on weekends, hayrides (both tractor and mule-drawn), this orchard has it all. They even have the only cow you and your children can milk in all of the Southeast! Going to Hillcrest is a must for my boys every Fall!"
  • Red Apple Barn - Uses natural growing practices, apples, pumpkins, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
    3379 Tails Creek Road, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: 706-635-5898. Email: apples@redapplebarn.com. Open: U-Pick Apples Saturdays are 10:30 am to 4 pm and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm. Directions: from Atlanta: Follow I-75 north to I-575 north. 575 turns into highway 515. Follow highway 515 to the first red light south of Ellijay at Long Horns. Turn left at the red light onto Howard Simmons Road. Go .6 miles and turn right on highway 5 north. Drive 1.7 miles to the red light and turn left on Ga- 282US-76 west. Go 3.2 miles and the Red Apple Barn will be on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Weekday Groups by Appt. School Field Trips Call for Weekdays. Friday 10:30-1:00; Market Hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Fall Festivals, Cabin Rentals, Places to Eat, Zip Lines, Parks, Biking, Hiking, Tubing, Whitewater Rafting, Outdoor activities in North Georgiafrom Atlanta: Follow I-75 north to I-575 north. 575 turns into highway 515. Follow highway 515 to the first red light south of Ellijay at Long Horns. Turn left at the red light onto Howard Simmons Road. Go .6 miles and turn right on highway 5 north. Drive 1.7 miles to the red light and turn left on Ga- 282/US-76 west. Go 3.2 miles and the will be on the left The Apple House carries a wide variety of different apple products, jams, jellies, syrups, ciders and baked goods. We are not renting out spaces for Weddings/Receptions.. at this time. We have expanded for more space to shop and 'social distancing'. We are not certified organic but we do use "organic" sprays. (UPDATED: August 28, 2020)

Rabun County

  • Hillside Orchard Farms, Inc - apples, blackberries, Honey (retail), Honey (wholesale), Sourwood honey), Wildflower honey, Strained honey, Tours, Honey from hives on the farm, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
    18 Sorghum Mill Drive, Lakemont, GA 30576. Phone: 706-782-2776. Email: Kiley@hillsideorchard.com. Open: Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 5:30, Sunday 10:30 to 5:30. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, AmEx.
    Hillside Orchard Farms, Inc Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 706-782-4995Fax: 706-782-7848blackberries July apples August SeptemberBLACKBERRY PICKING starts around June 30; and Every Day store is open till Blackberries are Gone. Call or check Facebook for price and daily availability. Pick your own apples inm September. Corn maze in September. VISITING THE ANIMALS: Does not cost anything to go see the animals. There are food machines that cost a quarter out at the barn or you can buy a bag of feed in the store for fifty cents. HAYRIDE - The hayride around the farm will be running starting the first weekend in October. Cost $2 per person to ride. This attraction does stop for a visit at the barnyard. THE TRAIN - The train runs every hour around the farm. Nice, easy ride. $4 per person. This ride is a continuous ride around the farmSpend a day at with us at the farm. Our retail store and farm is rapidly becoming a destination point for all. You can wonder out to the barnyard to feed our herd of nanny goats, say Hi to Festus our Donkey. Visit our Indoor gem mine and watch a show put on by the residents: "Miner Jim & Donkey", In the summer months we have u-pick blackberries for all to enjoy along with a pavilion and playground. Pick blackberries and then enjoy ice cream while the kids play. In the Fall, Many colors of apples and pumpkins mark the farm. In 2015 we introduced our u-pick Apple orchard to a great success. We have our yearly corn maze that opens in September, included in it a game telling more about an activity or a item on the farm. The Train and Hayride runs all day on their routes around the farm either to the apples or to the animals.
    Comments from a visitor on July 26, 2009: "I have to say that this blackberry crop is the most amazing I've ever seen. Thornless bushes w/ berries the size of jawbreakers! They're awesome this year. My wife and I went on a Saturday and there were only 3 or 4 others there picking. We had over 14 pounds in 25 minutes. It was so fun I took my children back a few days later and we got another 8 pounds. This is going to become a regular stop for us in mid-July each year. Staff was friendly; store was clean; bathrooms accessible and clean."

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

New!As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)