North Georgia’s u-pick season opened on August 29 at B.J. Reece Orchards and September 1 at Hillcrest, runs seven days a week through September and October, and costs $7 to $48 a bag depending on size and orchard — $12 for a half peck at B.J. Reece, $48 for a half bushel — but no orchard here guarantees that the variety you drove up for will be pickable on the day you arrive. That last point is the whole game. U-pick in Gilmer County is a rolling harvest, not a fixed attraction.
Ellijay calls itself Georgia’s apple capital and the orchards cluster along Highway 52 east of town, close enough to visit two in a morning. Blue Ridge adds Mercier, the largest of them. Each publishes a different amount of information about what is actually ripe, and those differences matter more than drive time.
Below is what each orchard publishes on its own site as of mid-September 2026 — prices, hours, dog rules, terrain — and what it does not. Orchards whose sites would not load were dropped; we name them at the end.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When did 2026 u-pick start? | B.J. Reece August 29; Hillcrest September 1; Mercier lists apple u-pick across August, September and October. |
| What does picking cost? | Reece bags: $12 half peck, $24 peck, $48 half bushel. Red Apple Barn: $12.75 admission plus $7–$36 by bag size. |
| Who publishes a variety calendar? | Red Apple Barn posts dated ripening windows by variety; B.J. Reece runs a dated U-Pick calendar. Hillcrest lists varieties without dates. |
| Can we bring the dog? | B.J. Reece — yes, leashed, in the orchards only. Red Apple Barn — on the farm but not in the orchard or barn. Mercier — no. |
| Do we need a reservation? | No. Reece states there are no advance or online tickets, and Mercier sells u-pick admission on site, first come first served. |
| Is u-pick guaranteed? | No. Mercier posts “subject to availability & weather”; Reece warns availability can change the day of. |
| Stroller-friendly? | Barely. Reece states some terrain is difficult to navigate with strollers; Red Apple Barn notes its wagons have ramps. |
When does apple picking actually start in North Georgia?
Late August, and it ends in late October or early November depending on the variety. Red Apple Barn’s published ripening chart is the clearest picture anyone offers: Gala from August 15, Honeycrisp August 15 to September 15, Golden Delicious and September Wonder in the first half of September, Jonagold and Mutsu mid-September, Cameo late September, Fuji October 5–15, Pink Lady October 15–30, and Arkansas Black and Yates closing things out October 25–30. The barn attaches two warnings to that list: dates of ripening will vary with weather and crop conditions, and not all varieties are offered for u-pick.
A mid-September trip and a late-October trip are genuinely different outings: early season is sweet-crisp territory, late October the firm, tart, keeps-till-Christmas end of the range.
Mercier Orchards, Blue Ridge
The biggest name and the longest drive — 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, about 95 miles and close to two hours from downtown Atlanta. Mercier grows more than 40 apple varieties and lists apple u-pick across August, September and October, with u-pick hours of 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, marked “subject to availability & weather.” The market itself keeps longer hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
Two things to plan around. U-pick admission can only be bought on site — no online sale, no reservation, first come first served, which on an October Saturday is a real constraint. And Mercier publishes no u-pick price anywhere, so call ahead on 706-632-3411. The orchard provides containers and the visit includes a tractor ride out into the trees. When we checked, the pickable varieties listed were Cameo, Ambrosia, Crimson Crisp, Arkansas Black, Red Delicious and Topaz.
Pets are prohibited in the orchard. Service dogs covered by the ADA are allowed in the market only; emotional support animals are not. If you are making a weekend of it, Blue Ridge itself is worth the extra 20 minutes — see our guide to things to do in Blue Ridge, GA.
B.J. Reece Orchards, Ellijay
Reece publishes more useful operational detail than anyone else on this list. The 2026 u-pick season began August 29 and the orchards are open seven days a week through September and October: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 1–6 p.m., with the last u-pick tickets sold at 5 p.m. Bags are $12 for a half peck, $24 for a peck and $48 for a half bushel.
Farm activities are priced separately: $8 per person for weekday Farm Fun general admission, and on weekends $13 for Farm Fun, $18 for Super Farm Fun or $26 for the do-it-all Mega Farm admission. Children two and under are free, the Mega Slide has a 42-inch height minimum, and card transactions carry a 3% surcharge. There are no advance reservations, no online tickets and no discounts for u-pick; you buy at the gate.
Reece is the dog-friendliest orchard here: dogs are welcome in the orchards on a leash, though not in the market or the petting zoo. It also states plainly that some of the terrain is difficult to navigate with strollers and recommends comfortable footwear, and that it operates rain or shine. Handicap parking is available. Address: 9131 Highway 52 East, Ellijay.
Hillcrest Orchards, Ellijay
Hillcrest, at 9696 Highway 52 East, states that you-pick apple season began September 1, 2026, and posts daily hours of 9 a.m.–6 p.m. through September and October and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. in November, with admission ending an hour before closing. Its Apple Pickin’ Jubilee festival carries weekend admission of $22 per person for walking age and up, and $14 per person on weekdays — Monday to Friday in September and October, and every day in November.
One caution: Hillcrest’s own pages disagree on the festival’s run. Its festivals page gives August 31 to October 27, while its weekend page gives September 5 to November 1, 2026. Both are on the orchard’s site; neither is flagged as superseded. Call 706-273-3838 before planning around either date.
Admission covers a long list — petting farm, pedal carts, wagon rides, cow train, mini golf, duck and pig races, cow milking, an apple museum and a fairy tale trail. U-pick bags come in half-peck and one-peck sizes, bought after admission and filled through the day; Hillcrest does not publish bag prices. Varieties listed for picking are Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Gold Rush. The orchard publishes no dog policy, parking information or payment methods.
Red Apple Barn, Ellijay
The most transparent small orchard of the group, at 3379 Tailscreek Road. Its season runs from August through December 23, with store hours of 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1–5:30 p.m. Sunday. U-pick runs on a narrower schedule: Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 1–4 p.m., and Monday and Friday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
U-pick admission is $12.75 plus taxes and fees, free for children two and under, and includes a tractor ride, cider, a doughnut and orchard activities. Apples are extra by the bag: $7 a quarter peck, $12 a half peck, $22 a peck, $36 a half bushel. Park in the hayfield below the apple barn and pay at the U-Pick shed to get your access sticker.
The orchard sits on mountainsides and recommends closed-toe shoes; walking trails are an alternative to the tractor ride, and the barn states that all its wagons have ramps for visitors with accessibility needs — the only such note we found on any North Georgia orchard site. Dogs are welcome on the farm but not in the orchard or the apple barn, for food-safety reasons. To confirm picking before you drive, call 706-635-5898.
Panorama Orchards & Farm Market, Ellijay
Panorama’s site loads, but it is a market page rather than a visitor page. It states that the market sells more than 20 varieties of apples along with peaches and fall vegetables, and that it makes its own ice cream, fried pies, baked goods and fudge, with apples in fall and winter. It publishes no hours, no address, no prices and no mention of pick-your-own — so treat it as a cider-and-fried-pie stop on the way home, not a picking destination.
Hillside Orchard Farms, Lakemont
If you are coming up the eastern side of the mountains rather than I-575, Hillside is the Rabun County alternative. Its retail store at 18 Sorghum Mill Drive in Lakemont posts 2026 fall store hours of 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1–6 p.m. Sunday. The farm describes a u-pick apple orchard, a corn maze that opens in September, an indoor gem mine, a barnyard, a train and a hayride, plus farm tours.
What it does not publish is u-pick dates or prices, so call 706-782-2776 before you commit the drive. It pairs naturally with Tallulah Gorge and Black Rock Mountain, both covered in our North Georgia fall foliage guide.
How do the orchards compare?
| Orchard | Drive from Atlanta (approx.) | Cost | U-pick hours | Dogs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercier Orchards, Blue Ridge | ~1 hr 45 | Not published; on-site purchase only | Mon–Thu 10–4, Fri–Sun 9–5 | No pets in orchard | Widest variety range, bakery and winery |
| B.J. Reece Orchards, Ellijay | ~1 hr 30 | $12 half peck, $24 peck, $48 half bushel; farm fun $8–$26 | Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 1–6; last tickets 5 p.m. | Leashed, in orchards only | Bringing the dog; clearest information |
| Hillcrest Orchards, Ellijay | ~1 hr 30 | $14 weekday, $22 weekend admission; bag prices not published | Daily 9–6 Sept–Oct, 9–5 Nov | Not published | All-day festival with young kids |
| Red Apple Barn, Ellijay | ~1 hr 30 | $12.75 + tax admission; bags $7–$36 | Sat 10–5, Sun 1–4, Mon & Fri 11–3 | On farm, not in orchard | Accessibility ramps and a dated variety chart |
| Panorama Orchards, Ellijay | ~1 hr 30 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Market stop, not picking |
| Hillside Orchard Farms, Lakemont | ~1 hr 45 | Not published | Store Mon–Sat 9–6, Sun 1–6 | Not published | Rabun County and the Tallulah corridor |
How do you know which apples are pickable this week?
Check the orchard’s own calendar the morning you leave, and accept that it is a forecast. B.J. Reece runs a dated U-Pick calendar and tells visitors to click each event to see the varieties available, while warning that availability is “subject to change day of due to staffing, maintenance or other unforeseen events.” Red Apple Barn publishes fixed ripening windows with the caveat that dates will vary and that not every variety is offered for u-pick. Mercier lists the currently pickable varieties on its u-pick page and marks its hours subject to availability and weather.
The practical rule: pick an orchard, not a variety. Set on Honeycrisp? You need mid-August to mid-September and a phone call. Want a bag of apples and a doughnut? Any weekend from September through late October delivers.
What about the Georgia Apple Festival?
Different event, different logistics. The festival is a craft-and-food fair at the Ellijay Lions Club fairgrounds, not an orchard visit, and it draws traffic that will slow your drive along Highway 52 considerably on festival weekends. We cover the dates, parking and admission separately in our Georgia Apple Festival guide — read that one for the festival and this one for the picking. If you want both in a day, pick apples at opening time and hit the fairgrounds after lunch.
Where do you park, and can you push a stroller?
Only two orchards publish anything. Red Apple Barn directs visitors to a hayfield below the apple barn and requires an access sticker bought at the U-Pick shed; B.J. Reece notes handicap parking. Nobody publishes a parking fee.
On strollers, believe the orchards. Reece says some terrain is difficult for strollers. Red Apple Barn describes mountainside rows and recommends closed-toe shoes, but is the only one that mentions ramped wagons for visitors with accessibility needs. A carrier beats a stroller at every orchard here. Families who need level ground may prefer a pumpkin farm instead — our guide to pumpkin patches near Atlanta compares seven of them.
What should you do in your situation?
| If you… | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only have half a day | B.J. Reece, weekday morning | Open 9 a.m. seven days a week in Sept–Oct, no reservation needed, and $8 weekday farm admission |
| Have a toddler | Red Apple Barn on a Saturday | $12.75 admission includes the tractor ride, cider and a doughnut, and the wagons have ramps |
| Are bringing the dog | B.J. Reece, orchards only | The only orchard that welcomes leashed dogs among the trees; Mercier bans pets outright |
| Want a specific variety | Check Red Apple Barn’s ripening chart, then phone | It is the only dated variety-by-variety window published in the area |
| Are on a tight budget | Buy bags, skip the festival admission | A $12 half peck at Reece feeds a family; the weekend activity wristbands are what cost $13–$26 |
| Get rain | Go anyway to B.J. Reece | It states it runs u-pick and farm activities rain or shine; other orchards publish no weather policy |
| Want to avoid crowds | Any weekday, and skip Apple Festival weekends | Highway 52 backs up badly on festival weekends and u-pick admission is first come, first served at Mercier |
Which orchards did we leave out, and why?
Aaron’s Apple House and Aaron Family Orchards are long-standing Ellijay operations, but we could not verify a single fact from a source they control: the mackaaronsapplehouse.com certificate fails to validate, and Aaron Family Orchards has no working site. R&A Orchards’ domain did not resolve either. Rather than repeat hours from a directory listing, we left all three out — call them first.
Making a weekend of it? The orchards sit inside the same loop as the North Georgia wineries, and the same drive delivers the best of the leaf season. Later in the year the Highway 52 farms hand off to Georgia Christmas tree farms and the holiday train rides out of Blue Ridge.
FAQ
When is the best time to pick apples in North Georgia?
Mid-September to mid-October is the reliable window, when every orchard is open seven days and several varieties overlap. B.J. Reece began u-pick on August 29, 2026 and Hillcrest on September 1. Red Apple Barn’s chart runs Gala from mid-August through Arkansas Black and Yates in late October, so early and late trips yield very different apples.
How much does apple picking cost in Ellijay?
B.J. Reece charges $12 for a half peck, $24 for a peck and $48 for a half bushel, with farm activities priced separately from $8 to $26. Red Apple Barn charges $12.75 plus tax for u-pick admission, then $7 to $36 per bag. Hillcrest charges $14 on weekdays and $22 on weekends. Mercier publishes no u-pick price.
Mercier or B.J. Reece — which is better for u-pick?
Reece for planning, Mercier for scale. Reece publishes exact bag prices, daily hours, a dated variety calendar and a rain-or-shine promise, and lets leashed dogs into the orchards. Mercier grows more than 40 varieties and adds a bakery and winery, but sells u-pick admission on site only, first come first served, and publishes no price.
Do you need reservations to pick apples?
No. B.J. Reece states there are no advance reservations, no online tickets and no u-pick discounts — you buy at the gate on arrival. Mercier sells u-pick admission on site only, first come first served. Neither system helps on a peak October Saturday, so arrive near opening if you are driving a long way.
Can you bring dogs to North Georgia apple orchards?
B.J. Reece welcomes leashed dogs in the orchards but not in the market or petting zoo. Red Apple Barn allows dogs on the farm but excludes them from the orchard and apple barn under food-safety rules. Mercier prohibits pets in the orchard and allows ADA service dogs in the market only. Hillcrest publishes no policy.
Is apple picking stroller-friendly?
Not really. B.J. Reece states some terrain is difficult to navigate with strollers and recommends comfortable footwear. Red Apple Barn sits on mountainsides and advises closed-toe shoes, though its wagons have ramps for visitors with accessibility needs. A soft carrier or hiking pack is the better choice for children under three.
What happens if the variety we wanted is not ready?
You pick whatever is ripe that week, which is why the orchards hedge. Reece warns availability can change on the day due to staffing, maintenance or unforeseen events. Red Apple Barn notes that ripening dates vary and that not all varieties are offered for u-pick at all. Call the orchard the morning you travel.
Which orchard is best on a tight budget?
B.J. Reece, if you skip the activity wristbands. A $12 half peck plus free entry to the orchards is the cheapest way to come home with apples, and there is no charge for a reservation you do not need. The $13 to $26 weekend Farm Fun tickets are optional add-ons, not admission to the picking.
Can you visit an orchard and the Georgia Apple Festival the same day?
Yes, but pick first. The festival runs at the Ellijay Lions Club fairgrounds and pulls heavy traffic onto Highway 52, where most of the orchards sit. Arrive at an orchard near its 9 a.m. opening, then head to the fairgrounds after lunch. Our separate Georgia Apple Festival guide covers that event’s dates, parking and admission.
Are there apple orchards outside Ellijay and Blue Ridge?
Yes. Hillside Orchard Farms in Lakemont, Rabun County, publishes 2026 fall store hours of 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1–6 p.m. Sunday and describes a u-pick apple orchard, corn maze, gem mine and hayride, though it does not publish u-pick dates or prices. It suits a trip up US 441 rather than I-575.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- Mercier Orchards — U-Pick (hours, on-site-only admission, current varieties, pet policy)
- Mercier Orchards — Apple U-Pick (containers provided, tractor ride, availability caveat)
- Mercier Orchards — home page (market hours and address)
- B.J. Reece Orchards — Apple Picking Information (2026 season start, hours, dog policy, stroller terrain)
- B.J. Reece Orchards — Pricing (u-pick bag prices, farm admission tiers, card surcharge)
- B.J. Reece Orchards — home page (address, no-reservation policy, rain or shine)
- B.J. Reece Orchards — Apple Picking Calendar (dated variety availability)
- Hillcrest Orchards — Hours & Directions (daily hours by month, address)
- Hillcrest Orchards — Weekends ($22 admission, festival dates)
- Hillcrest Orchards — Weekdays ($14 admission, operating days)
- Hillcrest Orchards — Apple Pickin’ Jubilee (dates, u-pick bag sizes, varieties)
- Hillcrest Orchards — home page (2026 u-pick start date)
- Red Apple Barn — U-Pick Apples (admission, bag prices, hours, dogs, parking, ramps)
- Red Apple Barn — Picking Dates (variety ripening windows and caveats)
- Panorama Orchards & Farm Market (what the market sells; no hours or u-pick published)
- Hillside Orchard Farms (2026 fall store hours, addresses, on-site activities)
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
