Planning a Blue Ridge Mountain getaway and need to weave in fun kid-friendly things to do in North Georgia? From toddlers to preteens, we have plenty of ideas to help make the most of your family trip. Whether your kids, grandkids, or kids at heart prefer outdoor adventures, shiny distractions, fun rides, hands-on activities, sugary treats, or animal encounters, there are so many options!
North Georgia even makes it easy to plan a kid-friendly stay — offering Blue Ridge cabin rentals with amenities like game rooms and big screen TVs to keep the kiddos entertained. Plus, you’ll have extras like a hot tub or jetted bathtub to help you relax and recharge between all the fun things to do in North Georgia with kids.
Family fun in Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Big Canoe, Helen, Dahlonega, and more mountain towns across Appalachia await!
Choo Choo on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
All aboard the Blue Ridge train — one of the top things to do in Blue Ridge, GA, with kids! Train rides in the North Georgia mountains are perfect for the whole family. The train doesn’t go too fast, and takes you through scenic forests, along the Toccoa River, and to the twin cities of McCaysville and Copperhill within 1 hour.
You’ll have a 2-hour layover, enough time to grab some food, shop, take a trip to the bathroom, and let the kids get out their wiggles at a local park. You can also snap a family photo on the state line! Then, you’ll head back to downtown Blue Ridge in an open or closed car, whichever works best for your group.
This Blue Ridge attraction also offers seasonal specials, like the Fireworks Special or Holiday Express.
Climb & Zipline at Blue Ridge Adventure Park
Fitting for active families and daredevil youngsters, the adventure park in Blue Ridge has 2 locations. One features their Challenge Course for climbers to tackle tight ropes, conquer obstacles, cross suspended bridges, and more — with 3 difficulty levels ranging from 15-50 feet in the air! The second offers ziplining across 165 acres of beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain landscapes, sky bridges, and canopy decks.
For the adventure course, children must be at least 10 years of age, and all participants must be able to stretch their arms above their head to reach a total distance of 70 inches from feet flat on the ground to the tip of their fingers. For zipline tours, children must be at least 6 years of age.
Reservations are required, which is ideal for planning family vacation itineraries. And there’s junior pricing, so you can save some cash too!
Mine Gems, Fish & Play Mini-Golf at Lilly Pad Village
Designed with kids in mind, Lilly Pad Village is a wonderful outdoor attraction in the Aska Adventure Area. With a quieter setting among the trees, this place is a top contender for more laid-back family fun.
Gem mining is an immersive experience where kids can safely dig and mine for treasures they get to keep! A lily pond with a dock offers catch-and-release fishing, a great way to introduce kids to the sport. You can even rent rods and reels there so there’s less to pack. There’s an unlimited-play, mini-golf course that winds through the woods. And you can bring lunch for outdoor dining at the picnic tables.
This fun family-friendly attraction in North Georgia is also pet friendly! Feel free to bring your fur babies along for outdoor activities together. And save money on your day out with code SAVE10 online!
Explore the Enchanting Chattahoochee National Forest
Towering trees, serene creeks, sparkling rivers, cascading waterfalls, and wandering wildlife invite you on outdoor adventures in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Filled with kid-friendly things to do in North Georgia, take your pick! There’s hiking (more on family trails below), mountain biking for older kids, horseback riding, riverside picnicking, and North Georgia geocaching…for starters.
Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails
- Amicalola Falls — leads to Georgia’s highest waterfall; offers an interactive Junior Ranger packet
- Appalachian Trail — parts of this historic trail are perfect for hiking with kids!
- Anna Ruby Falls — paved path with information plaques along a stream
- Long Branch Loop — relaxed 1-hour stroll through the woods; plenty of shade for summer hikes
Ride Tractors & Pick Apples at Mercier Orchards
Offering several fun activities for kids in North Georgia, Mercier Orchards is loaded with options for your family outing in Blue Ridge. Take tractor tours across the 300-acre farm with orchard and mountain views. Pick fruits and blossoms through the seasons, like sunflowers, strawberries, blueberries, veggies, and apples.
You can head inside the sprawling market and bakery for free samples, fresh apple cider donuts, and a shopping spree for homemade candies and Appalachian toys. They offer blossom tours in spring, seasonal live entertainment, and cookie decorating plus photos with Santa at Christmas! Plus, you can bring your fishing gear to catch and release at the beautiful pond for FREE during business hours.
Psst…most activities are free for kids 2 and under!
Tube or Kayak the Toccoa River with the Whole Family
Drift down the Toccoa River for lazy days with family and friends with Rolling Thunder tubing and kayaking. If you have kids (at least 5 years of age) who are too young for whitewater rafting, this is your ticket to water fun together! Opt for river tubing or kayaking and make splash-tastic memories.
A shuttle will take you from the parking area to the launch site for a 1.5-mile trip. For groups craving a day on the water, kayakers can choose the 6-mile excursion. Bonus: the Toccoa is known for a gentle flow downstream from the launch and take-out spots with this outfitter. And you can bring coolers with refreshments (no glass, please) by renting and securing another tube to yours.
Wind Your Way Through Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze
Every fall, Uncle Shuck’s creates a whopping 15-acre corn maze to explore! One of many fun family activities on the farm, your kiddos will have a blast on their own adventure. Have smaller children? There’s a shorter kiddy maze just for them.
Kids can bounce on the jumping pillow, play at Tire Mountain, and mine for gems. There’s a wagon ride, corn cannon, bonfires with marshmallows, plus festival food. And you can peruse the pumpkin patches for the perfect jack-o-lantern, made at your cozy cabin later.
Children 4 and under can explore for free, and regular admission is only $17 — for everything (minus the separate haunted maze)!
Eat Ice Cream & Fill Candy Bags at Sweet Shoppes
Of all the fun places to go with kids in the North Georgia mountains, you’ll impress with sugary delights at Appalachian ice cream shops, bakeries, and candy stores. Fill up on specialty flavors in waffle cones, frozen yogurts with endless toppings, and homemade sweets. When the sugar crash hits, whisk the little ones for naptime at your mountain cabin.
Top Places for Ice Cream & Candy
- Abby’s Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt in Ellijay
- Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen in Helen
- Hucks General Store in Blue Ridge
- Loaded Cow in Young Harris
- Moobears Ice Cream & Hot Dogs in Ellijay
- The Sweet Shoppe in Blue Ridge
- Paul Thomas Chocolates in Dahlonega
Play at Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park
Featuring roller coasters, kiddy rides, skill games, and a seasonal water park, Lake Winnie in Rossville offers one of the top things to do in Georgia with kids. Opening in 1925, this classic Blue Ridge Mountain attraction knows how to keep the whole family entertained for a full day of fun!
Rides for the kiddos include flying elephants, a choo-choo train, kiddie boats, a caterpillar roller coaster, and a jungle gym. Older kids will love the array of family rides and thrill rides — like soaring in a Ferris wheel, exploring Lake Winnepesaukah on paddle boats, and dropping 70 feet on the Cannonball roller coaster!
Hosting a birthday party? The Cake House, an outdoor pavilion decorated like a cake can be reserved for 2 hours — at no extra cost.
Pet & Feed Animals at Appalachian Farms & Zoos
If your child or grandchild loves animals, North Georgia offers several family-friendly farms and petting zoos to enjoy together. Get up close with llamas, rabbits, sheep, donkeys, and other farm animals. Learn about wild animals from around the world with your little ones — including tigers, monkeys, sloths, chimpanzees, and zebra. Plus, some places offer animal encounters, a real treat for kids!
Animal Attractions in North Georgia
- Hoove & Feathers Petting Farm in Morganton
- B.J. Reece Orchards Petting Zoo in Ellijay
- Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega
- Build an Ark Animal Rescue in Ellijay
- Project Chimps in Blue Ridge
Meet Bigfoot at the Blue Ridge Sasquatch Museum
Let your toddlers stomp all they want in the Bigfoot Museum in Blue Ridge! As one of the most unique things to do in Georgia with kids, this 4,000-square-foot museum is a neat place for your kids to explore. You can take as many photos as you like, check out evidence collections, and take home a Bigfoot souvenir.
This one-of-a-kind museum has the largest collection of footprint casts in the nation and features the only bigfoot research and tech vehicle on display in the world! It’s also a research and reporting center, so if you’ve met the big-footed man himself, let the staff know. And the gift shop can help get your family team geared up for an Appalachian quest!
Watch Family-Friendly Flicks at the Drive-in Theater
Watching movies is one of the best kid-friendly activities you can do just about anywhere…but a movie night at the Swan Drive-in in Blue Ridge is magical. Think it’s your typical drive-in movie theater? Think again. This hopping place screens first-run movies, so you can catch the latest release from the comfort of your own vehicle.
Plan the evening with blankets and popped trunks with treats and snacks — including funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos from the concession stand. You can also bring your own food and drinks, unlike most movie theaters. This North Georgia attraction is also pet friendly. And there are restrooms available on site.
Bonus: children 3 and under get in for free, and admission for children ages 4-11 is only $5!
Entertain & Nap at YOUR Blue Ridge Mountain Cabin
After long days of family fun in North Georgia, retreat to your inviting condo or cabin rental. At Georgia CFY, we have 160+ vacation rentals to choose from, currently ranging from 1-bedroom hideaways to 7-bedroom lodges. The comforts of home include fully equipped kitchens, washers and dryers, complimentary fast Wi-Fi, and keyless entry so you don’t have to stop at an office. Plus, you’ll have an array of cabin amenities to keep the kiddos entertained and help you take it easy for a while.
Top Kid-Friendly Amenities
- Mountain, river, wooded, or lake views
- Hot tub
- Home theater
- Game room
- Big screen TVs
- Bunk beds
- Firepits (supervised)
- Jetted bathtubs
- TVs in the bedrooms
- Resort extras — swimming pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, and more!
Plan YOUR kid-friendly vacation at a family-friendly cabin in North Georgia today!
