Short answer
Ellijay is Georgia’s Apple Capital: two big U-pick orchards, a two-weekend Apple Festival every October, and a downtown square built around gold-rush-era Gilmer County history. It’s also the state’s self-declared Mountain Bike Capital, with the Cartecay River running tubers and kayakers through town every summer.
Ellijay sits about 78 miles north of Atlanta, roughly 1 hour 33 minutes free-flow via GA-515/GA-5 (Georgia drive times, OSRM routing, collected 17 September 2026). Most visitors build a day or weekend around one of three things: apple picking (September–October), the Georgia Apple Festival (first two weekends of October), or tubing the Cartecay River (Memorial Day–Labor Day). All three have different costs, hours and pet rules, covered below.
Apple orchards
Two U-pick orchards anchor the area. B.J. Reece Orchards and Hillcrest Orchards both run U-pick apples in season with admission plus per-bag pricing, and both add fall activities — corn mazes, hayrides, farm animals. Mercier Orchards, technically closer to Blue Ridge than Ellijay, is the region’s largest and best known, but does not allow pets on the property.
Admission across the area’s orchards runs roughly $12.75–$22.75 per person, with picked apples priced separately by the bag ($12–$24). Leashed dogs are generally welcome at Reece; Mercier bans pets outright. (Our North Georgia apple-picking guide, checked 2026.)
Georgia Apple Festival
The 55th annual Georgia Apple Festival runs two weekends, October 10–11 and October 17–18, 2026, at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds, 1729 South Main Street. Admission is $10 per person; children under 12 are free. Over 250 vendors sell handmade arts and crafts alongside live music, demos and festival food.
Pets are not allowed on festival grounds — only service animals, and even they cannot ride the free shuttle buses (a school-district allergy policy), so service-animal handlers should park at the Ellijay Lions Club lot within walking distance instead.
Paid parking with a free shuttle runs from several lots around town (Ellijay Elementary, downtown Ellijay on Hipp Street, Gilmer County Head Start, Mountain View Elementary, Gilmer High School, and the Larry Walker Education Center for accessible parking); lot fees vary by the community organization running each one and are not published centrally — cash is preferred. (Georgia Apple Festival and Gilmer County Chamber parking page, checked 22 September 2026.)
Tubing and kayaking the Cartecay River
Cartecay River Experience is the main outfitter, open Memorial Day through Labor Day: Saturdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday–Friday 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (weekends outside that range depend on weather). Two routes: the Adventure River Experience is about 3 miles with Class 1–2 whitewater (2.5–3 hours by tube, 1.5–2 hours by kayak); the Lazy River Experience is a calm 1.5-mile float (1–1.5 hours by tube).
Tubes rent for $15 cash / $18 card; kayaks $30 cash / $34 card, shuttle included. The outfitter takes no reservations — first come, first served — and by county ordinance no coolers or glass are allowed on the river (one 32-oz non-alcoholic drink in a small dry bag is permitted).
Both banks are privately owned, so you cannot get out before the marked take-out point. The outfitter’s site does not publish a pet policy. (Cartecay River Experience, checked 22 September 2026.)
Carters Lake and mountain biking
Carters Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir southwest of town, charges a $5-per-vehicle day-use fee at most of its developed day-use areas, for boating, fishing and swimming.
Gilmer County brands itself Georgia’s “Mountain Bike Capital,” with trail systems including the beginner-friendly Amadahy Trail; Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery in town rents equipment and doubles as a post-ride stop. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District; Gilmer County Chamber, checked 22 September 2026.)
Downtown Ellijay
The historic Gilmer County square anchors downtown, with shops, wineries and the Ellijay Farmers & Artisans Market at the courthouse parking lot. Downtown parking could not be confirmed as a single, simple policy — a mix of free street spaces and paid lots exists, and it has been a live issue locally (a change.org petition in late 2025 asked the city for more affordable options for downtown employees).
Budget for the possibility of a paid lot and check signage on arrival rather than assuming free parking the way you can in Dahlonega.
FAQ
When is the 2026 Georgia Apple Festival?
October 10–11 and October 17–18, 2026, at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. Admission is $10; children under 12 are free. (Georgia Apple Festival, checked 22 September 2026.)
Can I bring my dog to the Georgia Apple Festival?
No, only service animals, and even service animals cannot ride the free shuttle buses — handlers should park within walking distance at the Ellijay Lions Club lot instead. (Georgia Apple Festival, checked 22 September 2026.)
How much does tubing the Cartecay River cost?
$15 cash or $18 by card for a tube, $30 cash or $34 by card for a kayak, shuttle included, at Cartecay River Experience. It’s open Memorial Day through Labor Day and takes no reservations. (Cartecay River Experience, checked 22 September 2026.)
How far is Ellijay from Atlanta?
About 78 miles, roughly 1 hour 33 minutes free-flow with no traffic model applied. (Georgia drive times, OSRM routing, collected 17 September 2026.)
What does it cost to visit Carters Lake?
A $5 per-vehicle day-use fee applies at most developed day-use areas, per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Annual day-use passes are also sold at the fee machines. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, checked 22 September 2026.)
Is downtown Ellijay parking free?
Not reliably — unlike Dahlonega’s free downtown parking, Ellijay has a mix of free and paid spaces, and affordable downtown parking has been a live local issue. Check posted signage on arrival.
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
- Georgia Apple Festival — official festival site
- Gilmer County Chamber — festival admission and parking
- Cartecay River Experience — tubing/kayak rentals, hours, rules
- Gilmer County Chamber — outdoors, mountain biking
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District — Carters Lake day-use fees
- Georgia drive times — It’s Georgia, OSRM routing
- Apple picking in North Georgia — It’s Georgia, orchard prices and pet policies
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.
