Most meals near the Cartecay River in Gilmer County, Georgia happen in downtown Ellijay or at the orchard markets on Highway 52 East. Beds right on the Cartecay are mostly private vacation rentals. We verified one cabin on the river, a bed and breakfast on the Ellijay River downtown, and state park cottages and campsites a drive away. We found no campground with its own website on the Cartecay.
We list only places whose own sites we could read, checked October 18, 2026. We don’t rate them, and we don’t print prices a place doesn’t publish.
Eat downtown
Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza opened in November 2018 at 2 River Street, on the corner of River and Main on the square. It’s open Monday to Thursday 11:30 to 8, Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 9 and Sunday 11:30 to 7, or until the dough runs out ((706) 707-4992). A short walk away, Buckley Downtown Table & Vine at 29 North Avenue pours Buckley Vineyards’ wines and cider with shareables and entrees. It’s open Thursday to Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the wine bar open until 9, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Reservations and walk-ins both work (706-851-2221).
A note on geography: River Street runs along the Ellijay River, not the Cartecay. The two rivers meet in town, where the Coosawattee begins. The things to do page has more on downtown.
Eat on the orchard road
Highway 52 East follows the Cartecay valley, and its apple houses feed people too. R & A Orchards at 5505 Hwy 52 E runs a market and bakery from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a cafe from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., all year. B.J. Reece Orchards at 9131 Highway 52 East keeps a farm market and bakery open year round, Monday to Saturday 9 to 6 and Sunday 1 to 6. It closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Easter.
Two more farm markets are on other roads. Panorama Orchards, three miles south of Ellijay on Highway 515, has a bakery and homemade ice cream. Red Apple Barn on Tails Creek Road opens its market from August through December 23, Monday to Saturday 9 to 6 and Sunday 1 to 5:30.
Cartecay River Brewing: call first
Cartecay River Brewing Co., a pet-friendly craft brewery named for the river, is at 26 River Terrace, #1A, in East Ellijay. Its website is live, but the footer reads 2020-2021 and the site shows two different sets of hours, so we can’t confirm whether it’s open or when. Call (706) 273-2728 before you drive over.
Food and drink
Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza
A wood-fired pizza restaurant opened in November 2018 at the corner of River and Main streets on the downtown square.
- Mon-Thu 11:30-8; Fri-Sat 11:30-9; Sun 11:30-7 (or until they run out of dough)
- 2 River Street, Ellijay, GA 30540
- (706) 707-4992
Source: Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza (own site), checked Oct 18, 2026
Food and drink
Buckley Downtown Table & Vine
Buckley Vineyards' downtown restaurant steps from the square, pouring the vineyard's wines and cider with chef-designed shareables and entrees; reservations or walk-ins.
- Thursday-Monday 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (wine bar till 9); closed Tuesday and Wednesday
- 29 North Ave, Ellijay, GA 30540
- 706-851-2221
Source: Buckley Downtown Table & Vine (own site), checked Oct 18, 2026
Food and drink Not yet confirmed
Cartecay River Brewing Co.
A pet-friendly craft brewery named for the Cartecay River. Its own site is live but shows a 2020-2021 footer and two different sets of hours, so operating status and hours are not confirmed.
- Posted hours conflict on its own site; call ahead
- 26 River Terrace, #1A, East Ellijay, GA 30540
- (706) 273-2728
Source: Cartecay River Brewing Co. (own site), checked Oct 18, 2026
Orchard
R & A Orchards
A family orchard on Hwy 52 East with a year-round market, bakery and cafe, plus fall U-pick apples and flowers.
- Market, bakery and cafe year-round; U-pick every weekend through October (2026)
- Market & bakery 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; cafe 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; U-pick weekends 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.)
- 5505 Hwy 52 E, Ellijay, GA 30536 (address from the Gilmer Chamber listing; the orchard's own site prints none)
- 706-273-3821
Source: R and A Orchards (own site, contact page), checked Oct 18, 2026
Orchard
Red Apple Barn
A family farm market and U-pick orchard on Tails Creek Road (Hwy 282) west of Ellijay. It is NOT on the Cartecay/Hwy 52 corridor.
- Market August through December 23; pumpkin patch weekends late September-October
- Farm market Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 1-5:30; apple picking Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4, Mon-Fri 11-3
- 3379 Tails Creek Road, Ellijay, GA 30540
- 706-635-5898
Source: Red Apple Barn (own site), checked Oct 18, 2026
Orchard
Panorama Orchards & Farm Market
A family fruit farm dating to the 1920s with a farm market, bakery and homemade ice cream. It is on Hwy 515 south of Ellijay, NOT on the Cartecay/Hwy 52 corridor.
- Apples all fall and into winter; peaches May to late August
- 63 Talona Mountain Road, Ellijay, GA 30536 (Gilmer Chamber listing; OSM says 63 Talona Spur; own site says three miles south of Ellijay on Hwy 515)
- 706-276-3813 (OSM tag only; not on own site)
Source: Panorama Orchards (own site, directions), checked Oct 18, 2026
Stay on the river, or near it
Waterwheel on the Cartecay is a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps six, booked through Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals (888-875-5669). Cartecay River Experience says the cabin sits on its Lazy River float route. We don’t publish its location, and the bank is for guests only. It isn’t a public way onto the river.
Downtown, the Ellijay River House at 128 River Street is an adults-only bed and breakfast with river decks ((706)-514-6471). Its river is the Ellijay. The owners write that it “flows right by our backyard,” and that guests may even greet local kayakers or tubers.
Lodging
Ellijay River House (bed and breakfast)
An adults-only downtown bed and breakfast with river decks. It sits on the ELLIJAY River (not the Cartecay), just upstream of where the two rivers meet.
- 128 River Street, Ellijay, GA 30540
- (706)-514-6471
Source: Ellijay River House (own site), checked Oct 18, 2026
Lodging
Waterwheel on the Cartecay (cabin rental)
A 2-bedroom cabin rental (sleeps 6) on the banks of the Cartecay, booked through Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals; Cartecay River Experience says it sits on its Lazy River route. Guests only; not a public access point.
- Ellijay, GA (street address not published)
- 888-875-5669 (Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals)
Source: Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals listing, checked Oct 18, 2026
State park cottages and campsites
Fort Mountain State Park, a scenic drive west on Highway 52 in Murray County, has cottages and campsites on its 4,058 acres. Reservations are at 800-864-7275, and parking takes a Georgia State Parks ParkPass. East on Highway 52, Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge takes lodge reservations at 706-344-1500, and every vehicle entering the park needs a $10 Georgia State Park Pass.
Booking a rental cabin in Gilmer County
Rentals of 30 days or less in unincorporated Gilmer County fall under Chapter 45 of the county code. The county does not treat a short-term rental as a commercial business; each unit needs a county host license instead. That gives guests a few things to look for, per the ordinance:
- The host license number has to appear in every ad for the rental, or the owner pays $250 per violation.
- Occupancy tops out at two people per bedroom plus two.
- Guests park only in the driveway or garage, not on the road or the grass.
- A responsible party has to answer complaints within four hours, and the county’s 24/7 complaint line is 762-543-5187.
Chapter 45 doesn’t cover rentals inside Ellijay or East Ellijay. The county also held a hearing on amendments on October 14, 2026, and we couldn’t confirm they had been adopted when we checked. For timing a trip, see plan your visit. For the river itself, start with tubing or fishing.
Questions people ask
Are there cabins on the Cartecay River?
Yes, as private vacation rentals. One we verified is Waterwheel on the Cartecay, a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps six, booked through Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals (888-875-5669). Its bank is for guests only, not a public access point.
Source: Morning Breeze Cabin Rentals, checked Oct 18, 2026
Is there camping on the Cartecay River?
We found no campground with its own website on the Cartecay. The nearest state park camping in our files is Fort Mountain State Park, a drive west on Highway 52, which has campsites and cottages (reservations 800-864-7275).
Source: Georgia State Parks, checked Oct 18, 2026
Is the Ellijay River House on the Cartecay River?
No. The Ellijay River House, an adults-only bed and breakfast at 128 River Street, sits on the Ellijay River, which its owners say flows right by the backyard. The Ellijay and Cartecay rivers meet in town.
Source: Ellijay River House, checked Oct 18, 2026
How many guests can a Gilmer County vacation rental hold?
Under Chapter 45, which covers unincorporated Gilmer County, maximum occupancy is two people per bedroom plus two. Rentals inside Ellijay and East Ellijay are not covered by that county ordinance.
Source: Gilmer County, checked Oct 18, 2026
Where can you eat in downtown Ellijay?
Two verified options on or near the square are Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza at 2 River Street and Buckley Downtown Table & Vine at 29 North Avenue. The pizza place is open daily from 11:30 a.m., closing between 7 and 9 p.m. depending on the day.
Source: Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza, checked Oct 18, 2026