Every fall, a field beside Amicalola Falls turns orange. Burt’s Pumpkin Farm in Dawsonville has been selling pumpkins in this spot for decades, and the hayride up the hill is a North Georgia autumn ritual. It is an easy add-on to an Ellijay apple trip: GA-52 runs east from Ellijay to Amicalola Falls.

2026 season

According to the farm’s website:

  • Opening day: Sept. 1, 2026.
  • Pumpkin patch and store: daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in September and October. In November the farm stays open through Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Hayrides: weekends only through Sept. 14, then daily starting Sept. 15. November hayride times were listed as to be determined.
  • Admission and parking: free.
  • Hayride tickets: $10 per person plus sales tax. Children under 2 ride free.
  • Pets and firearms: not allowed anywhere on the farm.

New for 2026, hayride guests pass through what the farm calls the World’s Largest Drive-Through Pumpkin, part of Autumn & Gordy’s Harvest House. Autumn and Gordy are the farm’s animated pumpkin characters, and they tell a story along the hayride route.

The hayride

The farm’s history page says that on a busy day ten tractors and wagons run through the fields. The ride ends on top of a hill with a view of Amicalola Falls and the thousands of pumpkins laid out in the farmyard below. On October weekends, arrive early to avoid long lines.

What you can buy

Burt’s grows more than 20 varieties of pumpkins, plus ornamental corn and winter squash. The farm sells everything directly; it does not offer wholesale pricing. There is also a bakery. The farm says its pumpkin pie, bread and pumpkin rolls are baked on site from family recipes.

A long family story

The farm’s history goes back to the 1800s, when family patriarch John Crane moved from South Carolina and bought land that included what is now Amicalola Falls State Park. According to the family, part of that land was later taken from Bartley Crane by the federal government because he failed to pay taxes on whiskey from his still. A country store followed, passed down through the generations.

Johnny and Kathy Burt started growing pumpkins in 1972 and sold them from a stand in their front yard at the entrance to Amicalola Falls for about twenty years. In 1991 they built a barn and pumpkin sheds on family land beside the falls, the farm’s current site, and Johnny added the hayride. The family now grows 50 to 70 acres of pumpkins a year.

Plan the day

Because pets are not allowed at Burt’s, leave the dog at home or plan around it. Our dogs guide has pet-friendly alternatives.

Phone: 706-265-3701. Email: burtspumpkinfarm@gmail.com.

Want a corn maze too? Our Ellijay pumpkin patches and corn mazes guide covers the farms on the Ellijay side.

Making a day of it? Our Dahlonega day trip from Atlanta pairs the gold mine and the square with stops on the way.

Sources and further reading

Facts in this article were checked against these sources on October 30, 2026. Hours, fees and seasons change, so confirm before you go.