Apple Picking Near Atlanta: An Easy Fall Day Trip in the North Georgia Mountains

Apple Picking an Hour North of Atlanta YouTube Video

Fall Days in the North Georgia Mountains

When people picture Atlanta, they picture the metro. The highways, the skyline, the sprawl. All of that is real. But one of the nicest things about living here has nothing to do with the city itself. It is how close you are to the North Georgia mountains, and how beautiful those mountains are once fall arrives.

About an hour and a half north of downtown Atlanta, up in the foothills of the Appalachians, the apple orchards open for the season. Late August through the end of October, you can drive up, pick your own apples off the tree, and come home with a half bushel, and likely a bag of locally made treats you did not plan on buying. After a big move, it is the kind of Saturday that makes a new place feel like home sooner than you expected.

A Day at the Orchard

On a recent trip I drove up to B.J. Reece Orchards in Ellijay, about an hour from the Cobb and Cherokee county line. Their U-pick season runs seven days a week through September and October, and the varieties change as the season progresses. On my visit they had Rome Beauty, Rosalee, September Wonder, and Golden Delicious, to name a few.

But the apples are only part of the attraction. B.J. Reece is a full farm day experience. There is a petting zoo, pony rides, and an Apple Cannon that lets you launch a few apples across the field, along with wagon rides, a corn maze, and a farm slide. Inside the market you will find their fried pies, apple cider donuts, apple butter, local honey, and fresh seasonal produce.

I have been coming up to orchards like this one for years. Before my kids went off to college, we would drive up together and they would climb right into the trees to pick their own. This time it was just me and my husband, a quieter trip, but the drive was just as pretty, the apples were just as good, and we wandered across the street to Reece's Cider Co. for a nice glass of hard cider too!

More Than One Orchard, More Than Apples

B.J. Reece is one example, not the only one. There are several orchards across the Ellijay and Blue Ridge area, and each has its own mix of activities and its own varieties. Part of the fun is trying a few over a season and finding the one your family likes best.

And apple season is just the start. The corn mazes, the pumpkin farms, and the hayrides open around the same time and run right into fall. If you are new to the area, this is one of the easiest ways to spend a fall weekend, and it is right in your backyard.

Why This Matters When You Are Choosing Where to Live

When you are deciding where to land in metro Atlanta, it is worth thinking beyond the house and the commute, and looking at how close you will be to the things you love doing on a free Saturday. That is really the heart of how to choose where to live in metro Atlanta. Being an easy drive from the mountains is one of the quiet perks of living on the north side of the metro, and it is the kind of thing that makes a place begin to feel like home.

If you are working through where in metro Atlanta fits your life, that is exactly the kind of question I love helping people think through. Reach out any time.