Fall Things To Do Around North Georgia

The air grows cooler, the days grow shorter, and the leaves change colors as inviting, smoky aromas waft from the neighbor's chimneys. It's some people's favorite time of year. North Georgia probably isn't the first thing one thinks of when thinking of fall. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest, New England, maybe - those are the things people think of when they think of fall. However, just like New England, North Georgia has incredible sights and activities worthy of the beloved season.

North Georgia is a fall lover's dream, from farm-hopping to scenic day trips to family-friendly festivals and more. For visitors and locals alike, read on to find out how to celebrate the season synonymous with pumpkin spice everything. This is your go-to list for North Georgia fall things to do.
 

APPLE PICKING

Going apple picking in North Georgia should be a birthright. It's one of those fall activities that you can't miss. Below are a few apple orchards and one festival where the apple picking is ripened for the ready.

B.J. Reece Orchards

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The fall foliage at this Ellijay, Georgia, orchard is truly stunning. This family-owned and operated establishment has been around since the early 1960s. Their u-pick apple orchard is open from late August until the end of October.

Pet-friendly B.J. Reece grows twenty different varieties of apples, including Granny Smith and Fuji, on a 120-acre farm. It's also known for its fried apple pies to satisfy that sweet tooth!

B.J. Reece is open daily, but every Saturday and Sunday at the farm includes loads of additional family-fun activities; apple cannons, wagon rides, petting farm, scavenger hunts, cow milking, jumping pillow, cow train rides, pig races, pony rides, and ziplines. Oh my!
 

Hillcrest Orchards

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North Georgia's most popular U-pick orchard and farm market is a short one-and-a-half-hour drive from Atlanta, Georgia, or Chattanooga, Tennessee. For $10 per person, you'll have access to a petting farm, wagon rides, and more, including giant slides, a corn maze playground, and cow-milking. They're open daily.
 

Mercier Orchards

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Mercier Orchards is a 4th generation family & veteran-owned and operated institution founded in 1943. Stop at the market, visit the winery for some apple cider, or go fishing! These are just a few of the fun fall activities one can experience at Mercier Orchards, open daily, in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
 

Georgia Apple Festival

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The Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds presents the 50th annual Georgia Apple Festival. Two exciting weekends, October 9th & 10th and October 16th & 17th, bring hundreds of vendors offering food, art, crafts, and more to this North Georgia fall festival. In addition, a pre-festival parade will take place in downtown Ellijay at 6 pm on October 8th.
 

CORN MAZES AND PUMPKIN PATCHES

The fall season certainly has a variety of activities to enjoy, but what's a list of North Georgia fall things to do without a handful of farms offering corn mazes and pumpkin patches?
 

Copper Creek Farm

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Open through Saturday, November 6, 2021, the 8-acre corn maze is only a portion of the whole family fun at Copper Creek Farm in Calhoun, Georgia. Wagon hayrides, pig races, a pumpkin patch, and pony rides abound!

After a day's worth of activities, be sure to check out the general store for glazed pecans, almonds, peanut brittle, goat soap, local honey, and more. And don't forget to check out the fireworks on Saturdays and Sundays in October.
 

Burt's Farm

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This Dawsonville farm began in the front yard of Johnny And Kathy Burt's home in 1972, selling pumpkins. Their efforts turned into a fully-fledged pumpkin patch farm that's an annual tradition for residents of North Georgia. So take a hayride and shop at the country store in between finding the perfect pumpkin for your fall decor. Burt's Farm is open daily from 9 am - 10 pm through November 10th.
 

FAUSETT FARMS SUNFLOWERS

Open most of October, this family-owned farm, since 1858, is located south of Burt's Pumpkin Farm and Amicalola Falls in the North Georgia Mountains. Fausett Farms offers more than 13 acres of stunning sunflowers for a family-friendly experience. In addition to tall-stalked yellow blossoms, there are miles and miles of horse trails for visitors to bring their own horse and enjoy a relaxing day of riding.
 

BLUE RIDGE SCENIC RAILWAY

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Riders take a four-hour, 26-mile roundtrip rail adventure following the former Marietta and North Georgia Railroad line along the Toccoa River through the picturesque North Georgia countryside. The first leg of the journey brings passengers to the charming sister mountain towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. From there, the getaway will include a two-hour layover to enjoy some sightseeing. The final leg returns through the scenic forest, back to the historic depot in Blue Ridge.
 

AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK

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Home to the highest waterfall in Georgia, Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is a nature lover's bliss. The 829-acre Georgia state park located between Ellijay and Dahlonega in Dawsonville, Georgia, is a mere 8 miles from the Appalachian trail for some magnificent fall hiking. The name, Amicalola, derives from a Cherokee language word meaning "tumbling waters."
 

CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS

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The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests provide outdoor recreation opportunities for your next fall adventure. These lands are abundant in scenery, wildlife, history, and culture. Featuring about 867,000 acres across 26 counties, thousands of miles of clear-running waters, nearly 850 miles of hiking trails, and dozens of campgrounds and picnic areas, The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests should be a part of every outdoor enthusiast's weekend getaway.
 

CARTERS LAKE

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Carters Lake is located in the breathtaking foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Offering 60+ miles of undeveloped shoreline surrounding 3,200 acres of 450 foot deep sparkling waters, there are a variety of recreational activities to choose from. From camping to fishing to picnicking, boating, and hiking, a day or overnight trip to Carters Lake is easily one of North Georgia's fall things to do.
 

WINE TASTING

Whether you're a wine connoisseur or simply enjoy incredible views of fall foliage alongside a mountain backdrop, this section of North Georgia fall things to do is for you.
 

Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery

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This award-winning winery was featured in the 2021 issue of Southern Living and has often been compared to European-style Napa wineries. Part of its allure has to do with its beautiful mountainous location, making it a picture-perfect setting for North Georgia fall things to do.

The antique wine library and cellar displays are housed in a craftsman-style cottage featuring an array of 19th-century French wine artifacts. The tasting room is open Thursday - Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm.
 

Frogtown Cellars

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Situated at the base of the Appalachian Mountains, equal distance between Dahlonega and Cleveland, Georgia, Frogtown is a 57-acre wine estate with 40 acres of vineyards. Their tri-level gravity-flow winery is specially designed to produce unique wines made with Frogtown grapes. This award-winning winery's tasting room is open daily.
 

Three Sisters Vineyards and Winery

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This family farm winery is dedicated to providing a small-town experience that's not only a destination for wine enthusiasts and locals but also visitors to Northeast Georgia. The easygoing 184-acre vineyard offers a variety of tastings indoors and outside, one of the best spots in the house.

Don't miss the food truck and live local acoustic folk and bluegrass or jazz music on Saturday evenings in October. Open Thursday - Sunday, 11 am - 5 pm.
 

GOLD RUSH DAYS FESTIVAL

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On October 16th and 17th, Dahlonega, Georgia celebrates their 1828 gold discovery with their annual Gold Rush Days Festival. Fall colors peak as over 200 art and crafts exhibitors, live entertainment, and food vendors gather around the Historic District. You're sure to find fun for the whole family at this Georgia mountain fall festival!