Hillcrest Orchards, entertainment farming and U-pick done right

When is an orchard not an orchard? When it turns into entertainment farming! Entertainment farming is a term that we learned during our visit to Hillcrest Orchardsin in Ellijay, GA. Hillcrest Orchards is a massive orchard in Ellijay that spans over 80 acres and presents families with hours of fun in a variety of ways. Going apple picking, on the surface doesn’t sound like fun. However, factor in that there’s a petting zoo, multiple playgrounds and much more you’ve got a destination that will easily entertain kids 9 and younger for many hours.

 

First and foremost, Hillcrest Orchards is an orchard. They have acres of apple trees, multiple varieties that were just waiting to be picked when we were there. It’s also important to note that you can’t pick apples there every day, even during apple season. Check their website or call them to see if picking is allowed on the day that you’re going.

Hillcrest Orchards used to only wholesale apples, so it was not open to the public. They ran into a rough patch with the business, added a family attraction or two and then opened it up as a U-Pick. That was done in the early 2000’s and since then they’ve added an attraction or two each year to become a sprawling playground, pig racing, corn maze, family fun attraction-with apple picking destination in north Georgia.

We knew that we couldn’t pick apples on the day that we went and were not disappointed at all. The entrance was $8* a person and as soon as you enter the farm you’ve got an idea of what the kids can do for the next couple of hours.

Our boys immediately ran to the tractors. They’re old tractors that at one time worked the fields, but now simply sit there for photos and pretend driving. Then our 7 year old saw the tricycle racing. It’s a small oval with about a dozen over sized tricycles that kids 9 and younger should be able to pedal with ease.

Both of them had heard about ‘the pillow’ when they were in the gift shop. It really is a pillow, albeit an air pillow as big as a swimming pool that the kids jump on. It’s a safe jump that doesn’t allow them to catch the same amount of air or height as a trampoline. This area was staffed by someone at the front to ensure that kids didn’t do flips or get too crazy around any smaller kids who might be around.

There is a small corn maze. The maze part is in theory only unless you’re 5 or younger as older kids will quickly cut through to the slides that are at the end of it. However, from there the kids will see the big slide and zip line. The big slide is a very clever use of a large irrigation pipe that kids can enter and slide out the other side. It sits beside a plastic curved slide that sits in the ground that is also fun, but odds are the kids will do the enclosed slide until you drag them away.

Down from that is the petting zoo with every creature you’d expect on a farm, but in baby form. Have you ever seen a pig race? It’s a fast event that’s has four swine’s running around the track once, then coming back for a very fast jump in the pool. There’s a tractor ride that takes you on a brief tour of the farm too.

When we were there the apple trees were packed with apples. I mention that because we actually went apple picking when we left Hillcrest and the trees where we went were sparsely populated with them. In hindsight we should’ve just gone on a day when they offered apple picking.

Entertainment farming. Three seasons out of the year Hillcrest Orchards is a farm that grows strawberries, apples and more. In the late 90’s they were strictly wholesaling the crops and not making ends meet. It was then that they decided to enter into a U-pick situation. Entertainment farming they called it and the results spawned a nine mile strip of orchards that followed their lead to an extent. There are a couple other U-pick operations on the road, but none that have so fully jumped into the family experience at Hillcrest Orchard.

The result for families is a can’t-miss experience during the fall months. It’s 90 minutes northwest of Atlanta in Ellijay and packs a legitimate day full of fun doing things that you previously thought would’ve taken 30 minutes. It’s for the kids you say, and it is. But adults will also have a kick of a time and wonder where the past four hours went when they visit Hillcrest Orchards.

*On weekends it’s $10, but check their website just to be sure .