Most Georgians may’ve never heard of The Rock, Georgia and if you have, glitz & glam might not be the first thing that comes to mind. As Confucius once said, “beauty lies everywhere, but not everyone see’s it” and The Rock Ranch is definitely a must see for every true southerner. Owned by Chick-Fil-A’s founder S. Truett Cathy and constructed in 1989, you immediately receive the above average service from the staff that the Chick-Fil-A team is known for. The Rock Ranch is located about an hour away from Atlanta and around 40 minutes from Macon it’s a perfect getaway for families and companies looking for a break.
With over 1,500 acre’s there’s an abundance of activities to dive into. Zip lining, hay rides, a petting zoo, Tiny Town (a play city for children), paddle boats, basketball courts and even a pumpkin cannon.
Here at GAFollowers we had the opportunity to visit The Rock Ranch thanks to manager Jeff Manley. Accommodated with 1 of their 5 farm stay’s (2-4 bedroom houses on the farm) we enjoyed relaxing and the backyard view that came along. In such a technology driven world, the houses DO NOT come with television or WiFi to encourage winding down, relaxing and bonding with family and friends.
I highly recommend everyone in Georgia to visit The Rock Ranch when you get a chance. It’s family friendly, it’s NOT expensive and the staff is absolutely amazing. If you’re looking for a place to relax and get away for a weekend but not go too far, this is the perfect paradise. Here are some great events coming up at The Rock Ranch this upcoming fall.
Twitter: @therockranch
Facebook: The Rock Ranch
September 27 – Hats off to Heroes
- Trucks, Helicopters, Bulldozers, Fire Trucks, EMS, Police, Sheriff, Forestry – Families will enjoy displays and equipment from these and more community heroes
- Public servants in law enforcement, fire, EMS and related fields will receive a free “bounce back” pass (up to 4 paying guests)with professional service badge or ID
- Teachers and Home School Educators will receive a free “bounce back” pass (up to 4 paying guests) per school ID or proof of homeschool status
- Military families are half-off with military ID (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
- The Rock Ranch annual corn maze opens. This year’s maze theme celebrates 75 Years of Wizard of Oz, the movie, and it features the likeness of Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion and The Tin Man (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
- Guest photos with costumed, real-life characters from Wizard of Oz (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
- Tree-top flights down the Cow-A-Bunga zip lines (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
- High-school cross country competition
- Families can watch their favorite college football team on big screens in the climate controlled comfort of Truett’s Barn (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
October 4 – Lumberjack Day
- Collegiate timbersports teams from UGA, University of Florida, Auburn, University of Tennessee and Clemson will compete in exciting events like pole chop, pole climb, two man cross-cut saw, log chopping, log rolling, log birling in the pond, knife and axe throwing
- Chainsaw carving exhibition with professional carvers
- Archery lessons for the kids
- Pick out a pumpkin to buy and take home (this week and every Saturday in the fall)
- Don’t forget your camera because it’s picture time in the Pumpkin Patch!
October 11 – Georgia’s Official Day of the Cowboy
- Cowboy stunt performers will rob the Tiny Town Bank, hold up the train, and engage in gun fights throughout the day
- Quick-draw demonstrations, shows by a roping and whip expert, a trick horse show, a real
- Watch an action packed authentic wild-west show with shooting and knife throwing
- Cowboy poetry, singing cowboys and story-telling
- Famous cowboy look-a-likes Hop-a-long Cassidy and The Lone Ranger
- Cowboy/girl costume contests for all ages, with prizes
- Displays by the Central Georgia Model Railroad Club
October 18 – The Rock Ranch Hot Air Balloon Rally
- Hot air balloons will participate in competition flights, and the Ferrell Gas “balloon glow” begin after dark (wind and weather permitting)
- For an additional fee ($5 child, $10 adult) individual balloon pilots will offer tethered rides (wind and weather permitting)
October 25 – The Rock Ranch “Not So Spooky” Halloween Fest
- From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., families can trick-or-treat for candy at stations around the ranch including Tiny Town, a 14-building children’s playhouse village
- Pets can trick-or-treat too! (Pets are only allowed on this Saturday and must be on a leash)
- Pumpkin carving and painting, a costume parade, and a costume contest (pets can dress up, too)
- A professional DJ will play music and emcee games and contests
- Tommy Johns, a professional magician, will entertain with magic shows and balloon twisting
- World Champion Frisbee Dog Shows
November 1 – Pumpkin Destruction Day (The Rock Ranch pioneered this event)
- A signature event allowing guests to destroy pumpkins in nearly every way imaginable:
- Pumpkin-bombing airplanes, monster trucks crushing pumpkins (and crushing cars), plus a pumpkin pie eating contest, pumpkin archery, reverse pumpkin darts and more
- Rides in a professional monster truck will be available for $5 per person
- The Rock Ranch last year kept more than 6,000 pumpkins out of landfills by using them for a fun and memorable activity and then composting them or feeding them to The Rock Ranch cows.
- Smash unsold pumpkins from The Rock Ranch
- Guests can bring their own pumpkin to recycle through fun methods such as: the pumpkin cannon, pumpkin bowling, the hammer smash and the 40 ft. lift crane pumpkin drop
November 8 – The Great Outdoor Adventure
- Meet members of the animal kingdom up close and personal
- Insect education lab, an observational bee hive, a Georgia wildlife education station, Birds-of-prey programs, and awesome reptile shows by Jason Clark of Animal Planet
- Canoe races, archery, a scavenger hunt and a laser-shoot hunting simulator
- Country Star Jimmy Wayne live in concert – promoting foster and adoptive parenting
November 15 – Farm Heritage Day featuring Bob and Larry of Veggie Tales
- A farm heritage themed day that will feature demonstrations about farming and agriculture and old fashioned skills such as blacksmithing, pottery, candle making, spinning wheel demonstrations, cow milking and performances of traditional southern gospel music
- Guest photos with Veggie Tales characters Bob and Larry
- Families can build and race cars made of vegetables
- Bring a blanket! After dark, enjoy a Veggie Tales movie on the big screen
