The 20 Best Fall Activities in Georgia: Pumpkin Patches, Festivals, & More!

Fall means Halloween, Thanksgiving, and fall foliage! However, it also brings other exciting activities, like apple picking, corn mazes, and visiting pumpkin patches. In this article, I’ll share the best fall activities in Georgia so that you can make the most of the season.

You’ll learn where to see the best fall foliage in the state, where to buy the perfect pumpkin, and other ways to enjoy autumn that involve fun for the whole family! Keep reading for 20 things to do in the fall in Georgia, and let us know if you’re able to complete this entire bucket list. 

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission when you book an activity or reservation through these links at no extra cost to you.

Travel to Georgia’s Bavarian-style town.

Helen may be located in Northeast Georgia, but it’ll make you feel like you’ve been transported to Germany! As a nod to the town’s German ties, you can find pop-up celebrations for Helen Oktoberfest here from September 7 through October 29.

Enjoy live music, dancing, German food, and a wide selection of American and German beers. Admission fees vary based on the day of the week: $10 from Monday to Thursday, $12 on Fridays and Saturdays, and free on Sundays, with the opportunity to buy food and drinks if desired.

Moreover, if you’d like to have an outdoor weekend getaway in Georgia, Helen is also a great option! There are many stunning fall hikes to choose from, between Anna Ruby Falls, Unicoi State Park, Dukes Creek Falls Trail, and Raven Cliff Falls.

Read More: Christmas Towns in Georgia to Visit

Take a fall road trip through Georgia.

One of the best fall activities in Atlanta is to get out of the city and take a road trip! If you’re looking for one of the most beautiful drives in the state, check out Georgia State Route 197 (also called Scenic Highway 197).

Beginning in Clarkesville, this route then crosses the Soque River and passes through Batesville and the Chattahoochee National Forest. Interestingly enough, Route 197 was initially used by moonshiners during Prohibition!

Other contenders for stunning fall drives in Georgia include Dragon Eyes Drive through the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Lookout Mountain Parkway, which spans three states, and Coastal Highway Route 17.

Ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is a heritage railroad that takes passengers from Blue Ridge to McCaysville, Georgia. This enchanting ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains is approximately 26 miles roundtrip and takes a little over an hour in each direction.

If you choose the four-hour extended tour, you’ll also have two hours to explore and relax in McCaysville before making your return. While in town, make sure to check out “The Blue Line,” where you can stand with one foot in Georgia and the other in Tennessee!

Although the fall foliage train runs from September to November, you can see the most color in late October to November. You can book your tickets here at the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway’s official website.

If you want to experience peak foliage, we encourage you to book tickets early because they sell out quickly for the fall season! Additionally, note that the train has three different seating options: premier coach, closed coach, and open air. 

Attend a fall festival or fair.

Fall festivals in Georgia mean carnival rides, arts and crafts, food from local vendors, and so much more! In total, there are hundreds of state fairs during this season.

Some of the most popular options include the Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay,the Cumming Country Fair & Festival, the North Georgia State Fair in Marietta, and the Big Red Apple Festival in Cornelia. Outside of fall festivals and fairs, you can also find other special events.

For example, in early September, there’s the Yellow Daisy Festival–one of the foremost national arts and crafts exhibitions. Or, in October, you can attend the Stone Mountain Highland Games or the Gold Rush Days Festival in Dahlonega. Then, in November, there’s the famous Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival.

If you’d like to celebrate the fall in Atlanta, don’t miss Scarecrows in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Fall Fest in Candler Park, the Fall Festival on Ponce, and the Chastain Park Arts Festival. For a complete list of fairs and festivals in Georgia, click here.

Go leaf-peeping at your local Georgia park.

It takes longer for the leaves in Georgia to change color than in other states due to the generally warm weather. So, while fall technically begins in September, you won’t see the best fall color until late October and early November.

However, once the temperature drops, our state has some of the most splendid spots for fall foliage! For example, Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, offers unparalleled views of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

If you’re up for a more strenuous hike, the top of Yonah Mountain is another good option. Fort Mountain State Park in Chatsworth has a shorter trail around the park’s lake for a more leisurely trek. Pro tip: follow the Leaf Watch website, organized by Georgia State Parks, to track the exact timing of fall foliage in the state.

Additionally, this website provides current photos during the season from various parks to help you schedule your visits to coincide with prime leaf color. You’ll only have about a month to experience Georgia fall weather; so, you’ll definitely want to take advantage while you can!

Read More: 15 Beautiful Places to See Fall Foliage in Georgia

Take a stroll through Gibbs Gardens.

One of the most beautiful places to visit in the fall in Georgia is Gibbs Gardens, located in Ball Ground. This 300-acre estate is actually one of the most extensive residential estate gardens in the United States!

Some of the highlights within this space are the Manor House Gardens, the Japanese Gardens, and the Waterlily Gardens. During the fall, you won’t want to miss the Japanese Maples Colorfest, which runs from mid-October through mid-November. 

If you want to time your visit right to see the most fall color, make sure to check the Gibbs Gardens “Bloom Update.” They do a great job of providing up-to-date photos of what the gardens look like on different days.

Plus, they track peak bloom times for various plants and flowers. You can purchase tickets here when you’re ready to plan your visit!

Find the perfect pumpkin at a local patch.

Whether you’re looking to buy a pumpkin for Halloween or for some family fun, you’ll definitely want to check out some of Georgia’s best pumpkin patches. Here are ten of the top-rated pumpkin patches in the state for you to visit this fall: 

• Southern Belle Farm (McDonough)
• Washington Farms (Bogart)
• Burt’s Pumpkin Farm (Dawsonville)
• Jaemor Farms (Alto)
• The Kinsey Family Farm (Gainesville)
• Scottsdale Farms Garden Center (Milton)
• Big Springs Farms (Woodstock)
• Poppell Farms (Odum)
• Uncle Shuck’s Pumpkin Patch (Dawsonville)
• Yule Forest (Stockbridge)

Get lost inside a corn maze.

One of the best fall activities in Georgia for the whole family is to test your luck navigating a corn maze. Thanks to the state’s large agriculture industry, you can find entertaining corn mazes all over Georgia!

Plus, many of the family farms that house pumpkin patches in the autumn also have corn mazes, making these spots ideal for knocking out two fun fall activities. Here are ten places in Georgia to find the best corn mazes:

• Southern Belle Farm (McDonough)
• Washington Farms (Bogart)
• Jaemor Farms (Alto)
• Mitcham Farm (Oxford)
• Copper Creek Farm (Calhoun)
• Steed’s Dairy (Grovetown)
• Yahoo Farm (Jasper)
• Poppel Farms (Odum)
• Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze (Dawsonville)
• Buford Corn Maze (Buford)

Note that some of these locations even offer haunted corn maze experiences during Halloween. For example, Uncle Shuck’s and Copper Creek Farm host haunted corn maze trails every Friday and Saturday night in October. You can read more about other haunted corn mazes near Atlanta here.

Pick your own apples at an orchard.

Is it really fall if you haven’t gone apple picking yet? We think not! Now, it’s important to note that all the apple orchards in the state are located in North Georgia. So, you’ll likely want to reserve a full weekend to drive up and partake in all of the fall activities in this region! 

For example, you can stock by the pumpkin patches, pick apples, sip on apple cider, and hike in colorful fall foliage. Here are the Georgia apple orchards you don’t want to miss this fall:

• R&A Orchards (Elijay)
• B.J. Reece Orchards (Elijay)
• Mercier Orchards (Blue Ridge)
• Hillcrest Orchards (Elijay)
• Jaemor Farms (Alto)
• Red Apple Barn (Elijay)

Visit a sunflower farm.

If you’re like us, you may not have realized that it was even possible to see sunflowers in the fall! However, you can actually visit over 30 acres of these beautiful flowers at Fausett Farms in Dawsonville.

This sunflower farm opens during mid-September each year! Visitors are welcome seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and dogs are permitted as long as they’re on a leash.

Tucked away in the North Georgia mountains, this sunflower field is ideally located–just south of Burt’s Pumpkin Farm and Amicalola Falls. So, a visit to Fausett Farms easily fits into your weekend trip to the northern part of the state.

Hike at one of Georgia’s state parks.

Another fun activity in the autumn in Georgia is getting outside and hiking at some of the state’s magnificent parks. Late October through mid-November provide the perfect opportunity to exercise while watching the leaves change colors at your closest Georgia state park!

Here are the 17 best state parks in Georgia to see fall foliage:

• Fort Mountain State Park (Chatsworth)
• Tallulah Gorge State Park (Tallulah Falls)
• Vogel State Park (Blairsville)
• Cloudland Canyon State Park (Rising Fawn)
• Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge (Dawsonville)
• Black Rock Mountain State Park (Mountain City)
• F.D. Roosevelt State Park (Pine Mountain)
• Red Top Mountain State Park (Acworth)
• James H. Floyd State Park (Summerville)
• George L. Smith State Park (Twin City)
• Providence Canyon State Park (Lumpkin)
• Moccasin Creek State Park (Clarkesville)
• Victoria Bryant State Park (Royston)
• Smithgall Woods State Park (Helen)
• Don Carter State Park (Gainesville)
• Unicoi State Park & Lodge (Helen)
• Sweetwater Creek State Park (Lithia Springs)

Some of our favorite hiking trails during the autumn include the Tennessee Rock Trail at Black Rock Mountain State Park, Amicalola Falls, and the Stone Tower Loop at Fort Mountain State Park.

Go camping.

Georgia’s crisp fall temperatures mean it’s an ideal season to enjoy the outdoors. In our opinion, one of the best ways to do so is to plan a camping trip! In fact, you likely won’t even have to go far from home to find a perfect camping spot.

For example, Stone Mountain Park offers traditional tent sites, RV hookups, and yurts, where you can spend the evening under the stars. Other popular camping sites in Georgia in the fall include Chattahoochee Bend State Park, Cloudland Canyon State Park, Skidaway Island State Park, Stephen C. Foster State Park, and Vogel State Park.

Go glamping in a tent, yurt, or camper.

For those who aren’t fans of traditional camping, you’ll be happy to know that glamping is one of the top Atlanta fall activities. We highly recommend Timberline Glamping Company! This family-owned business offers safari tents and bell tents as accommodations in nine different locations in Georgia.

However, some of the most popular are Lake Lanier, Clarks Hill Lake, Amicalola Falls, and Unicoi State Park. Unlike a typical camping tent, you can expect comforts such as a hotel-quality bed, an air conditioner/heater, a mini-fridge, and even a coffee maker!

Other cool glamping spots in the state include the yurts at Cloudland Canyon, Fort Yargo, Sweetwater Creek, High Falls, and Tugaloo. There’s also North Georgia Glamping, where you can rent a Geodesic Dome or 1977 Airstream located just 20 minutes from downtown Ellijay.

Read More: The Best Places to Go Glamping in Georgia

Rent a cabin in the mountains.

There are many options for a cozy cabin in the North Georgia mountains, including staying in a state park and renting from Airbnb. In fact, almost 30 of Georgia’s state parks offer cabins of all shapes and sizes for rental.

For more unique places, check out the historic stone cottages at F.D. Roosevelt (Pine Mountain), the Barrel Cabins at Unicoi (Helen), and the deluxe cottages at Smithgall Woods State Park (Helen). Some of the best Airbnb cabin rentals in North Georgia in the fall are located in Blue Ridge, Helen, and Ellijay.

For example, this cozy cabin close to downtown Blue Ridge, this luxury log cabin in Helen, and this secluded cabin near Ellijay. These vacation rentals are the perfect way to escape for the weekend and relax!

Stay the night in a treehouse.

Look no further than Stay Dahlonega‘s luxury treehouses for a one-of-a-kind getaway to North Georgia. Their three designer treehouses, the Bed+Bough, the Daybreak, and Nature’s Hook provide guests with a private escape into nature while staying just down the road from Dahlonega’s most exciting attractions.

If you’re searching for treehouses in the Atlanta area, don’t miss Urban Glass Treehouse, Oasis Treehouse, and Treasure Hunt Tree House.

Read more: Treehouse Rentals in Georgia You’ll Want to Book ASAP

Retreat to a tiny home.

One of the most unique and charming ways to experience the fall season in Georgia is by renting a tiny home. Nestled amidst the stunning landscapes and cozy corners of the state, these miniature abodes offer an unforgettable escape from the ordinary.

Our favorite tiny homes can be found at the Huddle at Crooked Creek, situated within the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Situated just under 10 minutes from historic Dahlonega Square, you’ll have easy access to a myriad of fall activities, including river rafting, winery tours, and gold mining.

These charming dwellings feature a cozy king-size bed in the loft, a fully equipped kitchen, luxurious bathroom, and a Smart TV. Plus, guests have access to a large deck equipped with a sitting and dining area, a Blackstone Grill, and a pizza oven.

Visit one of Georgia’s vineyards.

Did you know that the state of Georgia has over 40 wineries? Although most of these vineyards are in the northern region, they’re all easily reachable from Atlanta! So, on your fall vacation in Georgia, why not go wine tasting while also experiencing the foliage at these stunning vineyards?

The top 5 you’ll want to visit this season are Yonah Mountain Vineyards (Cleveland), Kaya Vineyard and Winery (Dahlonega), Wolf Mountain Vineyards (Dahlonega), Crane Creek Vineyards (Young Harris), and Chateau Elan Winery & Resort (Braselton). 

Escape to Getaway Chattahoochee.

Getaway House offers tiny cabin rentals throughout the United States. Luckily, there’s a convenient Georgia location in Suches: Getaway Chattahoochee! There are two different cabin types at the Atlanta Outpost: one-bed cabins, featuring a queen bed, and two-bed cabins, including queen bunks.

These cabins are definitely a step up from regular camping. Each accommodation features a hot shower, shampoo and conditioner, a private toilet, a sink, AC and heating, a stove, chairs and picnic tables, a campfire grill grate, and a cell phone lockbox.

Getaway Chattahoochee is a great way to unplug and recharge during a weekend away from the city. Plus, this location is close to incredible hikes for outdoor lovers, like the Jarrard Gap Trail, Cooper Creek Trail, and sections of the Appalachian Trail.

Celebrate Halloween at a haunted house.

You can expect some pretty unique haunted houses in Georgia, especially as this location has become more and more of a hub for the film industry. So, if you’re visiting Georgia in October and love a scare, don’t miss the best haunted houses in the state.

Namely, Netherworld Haunted House (Stone Mountain), Paranoia Haunted House (Canton), Zombie Farms (Winterville), Folklore Haunted House (Acworth), and Terror Mills Haunted House (Jackson). If you’d like to participate in a Halloween event but aren’t into haunted houses, check out Fright Fest at Six Flags.

Book a ghost tour in Savannah.

Are you looking to celebrate Halloween by getting out of town to do something special? We recommend heading to Savannah, which is considered to be one of America’s Most Haunted Cities.

For a spooky introduction to this coastal city, book this History and Haunts Candlelit Ghost Walking Tour or this Savannah Dark History and Ghost Encounter Walking Tour. Moreover, Savannah hosts various fun and frightening events during the fall, like Markster Con’s Vampire Ball, Wag-O-Ween, and A Nightmare on Congress Street Halloween-Themed Bar Crawl.

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This article was initially published in October 2020 and has since been updated.