Ellijay’s apple houses cluster along one road. Head east out of town on GA-52 and within a few miles the roadside turns into orchards, hand-painted signs and parking lots full of cars from all over the Southeast. It is an easy, low-stress road trip, and if you keep going, the same highway ends up at Amicalola Falls.

The stops below are listed in the order you reach them driving east from Ellijay, using their published street addresses. Hours change by season, so check each website before you go. Food is limited once you leave town, so eat first; our breakfast in Ellijay guide lists early options.

Stop 1: Cartecay River Experience (2400 GA-52 East)

Not an orchard, but the first notable stop and a good one in summer. Cartecay River Experience rents tubes and kayaks for floats on the Cartecay River, generally from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In 2026 tubes were $15 cash or $18 by card and kayaks $30 cash or $34 by card. See our Cartecay tubing guide for the two floats and the rules.

Stop 2: R&A Orchards (5505 GA-52 East)

R&A traces its roots to 1947 and grows fruit and vegetables on about 160 acres. Its market and bakery are open year-round (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.), with a café serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. U-pick runs on weekends in season, and kids can ride the tractor or the cow train. In late summer, the U-cut flower field is a nice bonus.

Stop 3: Aaron Family Orchards (8350 GA-52 East)

The Aaron family’s story starts in 1938, when Shafter Aaron and his four sons began selling apples for extra income. Today it is the first apple house on the main orchard stretch. Call (706) 669-7342 for seasonal hours.

Stop 4: Mack Aaron’s Apple House (8955 GA-52 East)

Mack and Joyce Aaron built this apple house in 1977 and opened it for the 1978 season. Their son Bill and daughter-in-law Gina have run it since 2008. It is open all year, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., which makes it a reliable stop even in the off-season.

Stop 5: B.J. Reece Orchards (9131 GA-52 East)

The big one. B.J. Reece offers U-pick seven days a week in September and October, with tickets sold at the gate and last tickets at 5 p.m. The year-round market and bakery is known for apple cider donuts and fried pies. Leashed dogs can join you in the orchard, but not in the market or petting zoo.

Budget at least an hour here, more with kids.

Stop 6: Reece’s Cider Company (9110 GA-52 East)

Across the highway from B.J. Reece, Reece’s Cider Company pours hard ciders made from its own estate-grown apples, with sixteen on tap when we last checked. Most weekends bring live music and food trucks. Tasting is 21 and over, so pick a driver. The tasting room generally opens at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Stop 7: Hillcrest Orchards (9696 GA-52 East)

The farthest east of the main group. Hillcrest has grown apples since 1946 and opens U-pick at the start of September. On weekends in September and October, its Apple Pickin’ Jubilee adds farm activities for a separate admission ($22 in 2026). U-pick is not included in that ticket.

Keep going: Amicalola Falls

Continue east on GA-52 and you reach Amicalola Falls State Park, home of a 729-foot waterfall and an accessible 0.3-mile trail to a viewing platform. It turns an apple run into a full day. Parking requires a Georgia State Parks ParkPass.

Other orchards off GA-52

A few well-known orchards sit on other roads:

  • Red Apple Barn, 3379 Tails Creek Road (GA-282), with detailed variety picking dates.
  • Penland’s Apple House, with stores on Talona Mountain Road off GA-515 and on Tails Creek Road.
  • Panorama Orchards & Farm Market, known for fried pies and ice cream.

All of them are covered in our orchards guide.

Drive tips

  • Go on a weekday or Friday in October if you can. Festival Saturdays bring long lines of traffic.
  • Turn carefully. Many apple houses have short driveways off a two-lane highway. Signal early.
  • Bring a cooler for apples and cider. See how to store a bushel.
  • Check what’s ripe on the apple picking calendar before you go.

Coming from Atlanta and heading on to Blue Ridge? Our Blue Ridge from Atlanta guide shows how to fit these stops into the drive.

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.