Ellijay’s Apple Orchards

Sourced from the

August through November is Apple Season in Ellijay, Georgia! Enjoy our many apple houses, where you can pick your own apples. In October visit the Georgia Apple Festival and Apple Arts on the Square.
“John W. Clayton is credited with introducing the first apples to Gilmer County in 1903. Over a hundred years later, Georgia’s Apple Capital produces over 250,000 bushels of apples annually in over 30 varieties.”

If there is a “taste” to the North Georgia Mountains, it has to be the tart, crisp bite of a locally grown apple. You may think peaches when you think Georgia, but here we speak the language of the apple. For generations, farmers have cultivated the land to grown the most delicious apples around. Dozens of varieties are harvested from late summer into early winter. Some are sold wholesale but most are sold direct to consumers as either fruit or in one of the many delectable treats, jams, or jellies available at one of the many apple houses dotting the countryside. 365 Atlanta Family a top family travel blog lists Ellijay apple houses in their “10 Best Places for Apple Picking in GA”

Take a Drive Down Apple Alley

Picturesque rolling hills and pastureland make highway 52 East out of Ellijay a beautiful drive any time of the year. In spring you will see the blooming of the apple blossoms, the year’s first sign of a new crop. In the fall you will find the hillside ablaze in color. The majority of Ellijay’s apple houses are along this stretch, thus the name “Apple Alley”- allowing you to visit several houses, each with their own signature treat. Everyone has their favorite!