Day Trippin’ to Ellijay gives you a chance to connect with Mother Nature near the flowing waters of the Cartecay, Ellijay, and Coosawattee Rivers. Visitors to this North Georgia mountain destination will find unique, locally-owned boutiques, antique shops, outdoor outfitters, lodging options and a revitalized downtown. They all come together to create a one-of-a-kind experience in “Georgia’s Apple Capital,” 80 miles north of Atlanta and 65 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the many hiking and biking trails alongside the areas local farms. Tube and fish the area’s three main rivers or spend the day kayaking, canoeing or boating Carter’s Lake.
Rejuvenate with a cup of java in a cozy coffee house or raise a glass at any of five nearby wineries. Take a bite out of apple country at a u-pick farm and make plans to attend annual events like the Georgia Apple Blossom Festival each May and the Georgia Apple Festival held each October.
Between trail explorations in “Georgia’s Mountain Biking Capital,” rejuvenate at Mulberry Gap–Adventure Basecamp, a second-generation family-owned mountain biking retreat.
The mountain retreat and alpaca farm Elatse’yi offers unique accommodations including vintage Airstreams and a geodesic dome; or choose from a variety of other equally welcoming options for R&R like riverfront cabins, including many that are pet-friendly.
Fast Facts and Trivia
Gilmer County and its surroundings are home to 11 mountain hiking trails, 59 mountain bike trails, several impressive waterfalls and some of the best trout waters in the Southeast.
- The area’s Engelheim Vineyards offers four varieties of wine.
- More than 100 miles of single-track mountain biking trails have earned Gilmer County the official designation as “Georgia’s Mountain Biking Capital” and there is no off season for mountain biking here.
- Gilmer County offers the opportunity to fish for fresh large troutin cool mountain rivers, or large Bass in challenging Carter’s Lake.
- Cartecay Vineyards has over 13 acres of vines and 6 different varieties.
- August through November is apple season in Gilmer County.
- Dig home grown taters and learn about the process of growing, sorting and weighing taters at The Tater Patch Farm, a local potato farm.
- John W. Clayton is credited with introducing the first apples to Gilmer County in 1903. Over 100 years later, “Georgia’s Apple Capital” produces over 250,000 bushels of apples annually in over 30 varieties.
- Chateau Meichtry Vineyard and Winery is family-owned and operated.
- Trip Advisor named Mountain Valley Farm the #1 attraction in Ellijay.
- The long history of the Muscogee Creek and Cherokee Indians all but ended with the removal of all Native Americans west of the Mississippi River in 1838. Migratory trails passed through Gilmer during the colonization of the territories and by the 1840s a solid base of pioneering farmers set up home in these rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- The mountainous terrain of the Ellijay area’s frontiers made it ideal for crops of sorghum, cotton, corn, and wheat.
- Gilmer enjoys a rich history with colorful characters, bearing the bloodlines of the Scotch Irish.
- Cooler temps and rain in the higher elevations of Gilmer were a draw during the hot months of summer. During the 19th century, it was thought that mountain air was healthier. Many hotels lined the downtown streets amid the numerous shops. After the wars and the great depression, they fell into disrepair.
- Called a modern-day “Mayberry” by travel writer William Schemmel in the 1990s, the city of Ellijay is a very neighborly community. Drive along the many backroads and travel back to a time of small town atmosphere and nostalgia.
Enjoy Day Trippin’ to Ellijay and bring back some trout for a good old fashioned fish fry!
