Hillcrest Orchards

Great family entertainment for a low price and PYO apples!

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Hillcrest Orchards website
9696 Highway 52 East, Ellijay, GA 30540.

Phone: 706-273-3838.

Open: Daily, 9 am -6 pm July-Dec. Call for times of special events. PYO only during the Apple Pickin Jubilee festival - see below and call ahead!)  New, starting in 2007:  All the other activities (except pick-your -own) are available every weekend in October (for the same $5.00 admission. ) So, if you want to pick, be sure to go on the special weekends and call to confirm.

Directions: Hwy. 52 East of Ellijay, 9 miles or take Hwy. 400 to Dawsonville, follow signs to Ellijay. 20 miles.

Produce: Apples, pies, doughnuts, ice cream, honey, crafts, bread, dried apples. Petting farm.  PYO only during the Apple Pickin Jubilee festival - call for the current dates and times!

Review

Especially during their Apple Pickin' Jubilee  weekends, is much more than an orchard or roadside stand, Hillcrest is an afternoon of family entertainment.  Starting inside with the shop, you can watch north Georgia's famous fried apple pies being made and find all kinds of treats, like apple bread!

Then head outside to the stage area for a show, a petting zoo, a goat ramp and goat jump, playground, festivals, tours, hayrides, pig races, often musical entertainment on their stage, haunted house and more.

Heck, it's worth the visit if only for the pig races!  Everyone quickly gathers way they announce the next races!  Place your bets and possibly win a prize, or lose your bacon!

The folks are friendly, the apple trees are low and easy to pick from, and there is so much to do, this is my pick for the orchard to go to for a day of family fun and entertainment! The only weak spot is the portapotties!  Go before you come!

Apple Pickin' Jubilee at Hillcrest Orchards 

September 15th & 16th, 22nd & 23rd, 29th & 30th, from 9 am to 6 pm
Admission $5.00 per person
Separate $3.00 admission to Petting Farm

Pick your own apples, wagon rides, playground, pig races, moonshine museum, entertainment, food, corn maze, petting farm and pony rides. They also have a "festival" on October weekends with the same activities as Apple Pickin' Jubilee except no apple picking, and the admission is $5.00 per person to that one.

Hillcrest's Apple Varieties

Below is a listing of the apple varieties that they typically carry, in order that they typically start to be harvested in Ellijay. Be sure to call a couple weeks before they are due to start harvesting, as the actual date varies from year to year! Ellijay apple orchards usually have apples for sale from August to late December.

Apple Variety	Photo	Usually start harvesting	Flavor	Best uses
Gala		August 1	Very sweet	Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies
Ginger Gold		Early	Sweet	Eating
Jonathon		August 15	Tart	Cooking
Red Delicious		August 15	Sweet	Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking
Golden Delicious		August 15	Sweet	Eating, good to blend with other apples in applesauce and cooking
Honey Crisp		August 20	Sweet, Crisp, Juicy	Eating, Applesauce, Apple Butter, Pies
Mutsu		September 1	Sweet / Tart	Cooking / Eating
Jonagold		September 1	Sweet / Tart	Cooking / Eating
Rome Beauty		September 15	Slightly Tart	Cooking / Eating
Stayman - Wine sap		September 15	Tart	Cooking / Eating
Fuji		October 10	Very sweet	Eating, applesauce, apple butter, pies, cooking
Granny Smith		October 15	Tart	Cooking / Eating
Yates	Got a  photo to share?	October 20	Sweet	Eating
Arkansas Black		October 20	Tart	Baking, Eating (very hard apple)
Pink Lady		October 20	Sweet	Eating

Also, see our pages on tips for picking apples at a farm, easy illustrated directions to make applesauce, apple butter, apple jelly and apple pie; the guide to apple festivals and our guide to apple varieties! NEW! Please write me, if you know of any to add!

Home Canning Kits This is the same type of  standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce!. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! Average Customer Review: Usually ships in 1-2 business days