Overview
Hillcrest Orchards is located a few miles southeast of Ellijay, the apple capitol of Georgia. This area has many apple orchards, but Hillcrest takes the apple picking experience to a whole new level. This place is for kids, make no mistake. Everything is geared to little guys having fun, and they do a pretty good job with it, but it's seasonal.

Amenities: There are many things for kids (and adventurous adults) to do at Hillcrest farms. There is a wagon ride through the orchard, abundant playgrounds, a petting farm, a moonshine museum, a big bouncy pillow thing, pedal cards, pony rides, concessions, a bakery, an ice-cream shop, and of course, lots of delicious apples.

Hillcrest Orchards is an autumn destination that will consume a good afternoon of your time. It's fun, and you won't regret the visit. While in the area, you must visit some of the shops in Ellijay. Blue Ridge is also very nearby and features a quaint downtown area, an awesome train experience, and Blue Ridge Lake. If you are looking for a good camping spot, Fort Mountain State Park is nearby as is Amicalola Falls State Park.   

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Adventure Journal
Entry Date: September 2014
We visited here last year around the same time (see below), and really enjoyed the place. Everyone seems to really like Honey Crisp apples, and Hillcrest Orchards has them (and they're awesome). Frankly though, the main attraction for us is the petting zoo. That's where we spent the majority of our time. We also listened to some of the music and watched clogging dancers too. But ultimately, it was about the critters. Had a blast!
The Richardson Tribe

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Adventure Journal
Entry Date: September 2013
It's the time of year that the apple trees begin to produce heavily in Ellijay, Georgia. The Richardson Tribe makes a tradition of visiting Ellijay at least once or twice every autumn. It's a pretty drive, and local apples are always better than those foreign jobs. This year we decided to make the visit more fun for the kids. We'd heard about Hillcrest Orchards from friends, and decided it was a place we needed to visit.

When we arrived, we paid the admission fee and began the adventure. There was a pair of musicians playing bluegrass music on the stage near the entrance, so we sat and listened to them for a while. They were exceptional. It didn't take long for the kids to notice the milking cow. Each took their turn milking before we boarded a covered wagon for a tour of the orchard.

The wagon ride was fun. We wound through the rows of trees, crossed a creek of sorts, and admired the north Georgia countryside. We ended-up at a miniature golf course, but the kids were eager to try out some of the things they'd seen on the ride. We rode back to the main play area, and the kids proceeded to have a blast. They raced each other in the pedal carts, checked-out every playground feature, and spent a lot of time in the petting farm. Most activities are free once you're in, but the petting zoo and bungee jump thing are additional.

One event we enjoyed (and participated in) is the pig race. Rebecca and I were "volunteered" to race two other couples around a track on a stick horse wearing pig noses and squealing. Then they turned the real pigs loose. It's pretty funny to watch, and the hosts get the kids involved in the whole process. I think our kids enjoyed seeing us race more than the actual pigs.

We went through the moonshine museum and did a few other fun things before ordering up a meal at in the concession area. We followed up our meal with some goodies from the ice cream shop before buying a big bag of apples and heading home. Altogether, we spent around four hours at Hillcrest Orchards, and didn't even take advantage of the "pick your own apples" part of the visit. We were too pooped to pick by then!

In summary, we really enjoyed our afternoon at Hillcrest Farms. There are a few minor maintenance issues with the playground and facilities, but it's easy to overlook those while you're having a blast
The Richardson Tribe

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