Apple Picking at R & A Orchards: Perfect Ellijay Day Trip from Canton
Just 39 miles north of Canton, R & A Orchards in Ellijay offers apple picking, flower fields, wagon rides, and a farm market café for the perfect fall day trip.
An Easy Drive to Apple Country
When fall arrives in North Georgia, there's no better way to celebrate the season than heading up to Ellijay for a day of apple picking. R & A Orchards sits just 39 miles north of Canton—about a 45-minute drive along scenic Highway 5 that winds through Jasper and into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It's close enough for a spontaneous Saturday morning trip, yet feels like a complete escape into mountain orchard country.
What Makes R & A Orchards Special
This isn't just another roadside fruit stand. R & A Orchards is a 160-acre family farm that's been growing apples since 1947, now in its third generation of farming. Located at 5505 Highway 52 East in Ellijay, the orchard offers a full farm experience that goes well beyond picking fruit.
During September and October, the orchard runs U-pick apple excursions every weekend. For a small admission fee, you'll board a wagon that takes you through the orchards to the picking pavilion, where you can fill your bags with multiple apple varieties straight from the tree. The experience includes access to vibrant flower fields where you can cut your own bouquet of zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, and wildflowers—a bonus that makes the trip feel even more special.
More Than Just Apples
Even if you're not picking your own, the farm market, bakery, and café are open year-round, seven days a week. The market stocks more than 30 varieties of apples depending on the season, plus peaches, nectarines, and fresh vegetables. The bakery turns out homemade treats you won't find anywhere else: fried apple pies, apple butter, cider, jams, and jellies. The café serves lunch daily, with comfort-food favorites that make a perfect midday break.
If you're curious about what your home is worth here in Cherokee County, or if you're looking for more Canton guides to local favorites and seasonal activities, those resources can help you stay connected to everything our area has to offer.
Plan Your Visit
R & A Orchards' U-pick activities run on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last admission sold at 4 p.m. The market and bakery keep longer hours—8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily—and the café is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekends during apple season can get busy, especially when the leaves start turning, so arriving early in the day gives you the best selection and a more relaxed experience.
Ellijay is known as the Apple Capital of Georgia, and for good reason. The entire region celebrates apple harvest season, and R & A Orchards captures that agricultural heritage in a way that feels both authentic and welcoming. Whether you're taking the kids for their first apple-picking adventure or just looking for a beautiful fall drive with a delicious payoff, this is one of those trips that reminds you why living in Canton puts you right in the heart of North Georgia's best.
Days like this—winding through the mountains, picking fresh apples, coming home with a bag of fried pies and a bouquet of sunflowers—are part of what makes life in Canton and Cherokee County so good. If you've been thinking about making this area home, or if you're already here and ready for your next chapter, I'd love to help you find your dream home in a place where fall day trips like this are just part of the rhythm of the year. Whether you're buying or selling, let's talk about what's next for you in Canton.
Kate Valor is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Partners, proudly serving Canton, Cherokee County, and the North Georgia community.