We were in Blue Ridge visiting an exhibit at the Blue Ridge Arts Association and stopped by The Lilly Pad right after. It was our kiddos' first time fishing and they had a great time. It's catch and release we only caught one, but it was still a fun experience and a great memory for the kids. Staff was great, especially Nikki. I love that you pay once and can come back all day! read more

A little smaller than it appeared online. Our kids enjoyed the gem mining but the medium bucket only took 2 kids about 15-20 minutes. A great set up and a good amount of gems but just not much dirt. read more

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Don't Go To Fish We went for the fishing. I know the owner has said in a previous post that it's called "fishing" not "catching", but 3 poles, a lot of money and 90 minutes was disappointing. Fish may have been too small. It's catch and release so we thought it would be full. They just left the worms on the hook and sometimes nibbled at them. No bites. Went down the street for gem mining so could not speak to that. read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

Disappointed in the price of fishing for what they had to offer. This is the only reason I rated a three star. My boys were excited to try to get some fish but for $70 bucks they were unsuccessful and we only saw one or two swimming around. Nikki was awesome and friendly. She went out of her way to help the boys. They enjoyed the gem mining and I really wish we would have done the mini golfing instead of fishing. Cute little idea and your staff are all friendly and patient! read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

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We stopped by several days during our visit. My son like to start his day gem mining. We had to the place to ourselves because they were all weekdays during the off season which was actually really nice. The owners are super friendly and very knowledgeable. My son enjoyed having them talk to him about the gems he was finding. They even brought him a bucket of warm water because his fingers were getting cold. We didn't do the mini golf this time but we usually do and enjoy it also. We also haven't tried the fishing just because we're staying on a creek for that. A great place, lots of fun, must try when visiting Blueridge! read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

It's a little janky but we made it work for about two hours last minute. They gave us hot dogs to use as bait because they didn't have live worms as advertised. We caught one catfish in about an hour with 2 hooks already in his mouth. I get the feeling there were about 3 fish in the whole pond. Not the "guaranteed catch place" like it seemed, so when we got down to it instead of paying $70 for all four of us to fish, we opted for one pole and that was the right call. Please note: It doesn't open untill later in the afternoon and is located on the owners private residence. The putt-putt course was extremely bare-bones. I can't say I'd recommend this place even tho the staff was friendly enough. read more

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According to the website..."The Lilly Pad Village opened in 2007 with a mission to provide a family friendly, fun environment for guests of all ages." Mission accomplished. Our group of four adults and a seven year old enjoyed spending a couple of hours at the Lily Pad Village. We started off by mining for gems. This is a great way to introduce young ones to the concept of gem/rock collecting. They didn't rush us and the guys really enjoyed the experience. My 61 year old hubby enjoyed it as much as our great nephew!! I had fun watching their smiles as they discovered new gems and tried to identify them. Next we found a shaded picnic table and enjoyed a leisurely picnic while watching the people fishing at the pond. Afterwards the other three people in our group played a round of putt putt golf while the hubby and I just sat and people watched. It was a fun couple of hours. read more

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Very friendly owners, but this has to be the worst mini golf course in existence. It's nine holes, only two obstacles in the entire course (both are rocks) and all greens slope to the walls, leaving the ball wedged in a crack between the wall and the green, completely unhittable. The 9th hole is just a straight shot, but the person installing the PVC for that final hole was missing his saw that day, so it looks like he used a hammer. Maybe the toothy edge counts as an obstacle? You get "unlimited play" for your entry fee, but you've discovered everything this course has to offer after that 9-hole round. It's a shame because the couple who runs it are really kind and good with kids, but 10 year olds are going to be bored with this course and younger kids are only going to be frustrated with 40 shots over bumpy greens to dribble away from the hole and trickle over to a corner once again. Stick to the gem mining! That's much more enjoyable. read more

We had so much fun at Lilly Pad Village! We came on a Sunday morning and played putt putt and mined for gems. The mini golf course was in the woods and quite difficult to get the ball in the hole due to the sloping terrain. However, that just made it more fun for our family. If you're a serious mini golfer then you might find that frustrating, but we were there for the fun and had a great time. The owner was super kind and knowledgeable. He pointed out a lot of the gem stones when we were mining, shined flash lights through them to show our daughter how the light made them glow, and made sure she got a few of her favorite gems. We'll definitely be back! read more

Super great staff, owner is amazingly nice. Gem mining was fun, fishing was relaxing and mini golf was entertaining. If I'm In the area again we will go back. read more

We come to the Lilly Pad Village every visit to the Aska Adventure area. They offer fishing, putt-putt and gem mining. We come for the fishing. They rent poles and have bait so you don't have to bring your own. It's a small pond with chairs, offering a leisurely way to spend some hours fishing. The staff who own/run the Lilly Pad Village are always friendly and helpful, glad to have you - unlike so many tourist spots. While not a large complex, the activities serve a purpose - spend quality time together in the beautiful north GA mountains. read more

Amazing!!! Perfect for young families! We got there right when they opened and they were so kind and really helped my kids and explained all the stones. We did all the things! Putt putt, fishing and mine! Would for sure return! My kids loved it!!! Get there right when they open and you will be the only ones there and get individualized top notch service! read more

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We took our 9, 6 and 3 year old kids here to do gem mining and putt putt one afternoon and we had so much fun! The gem mining was definitely a highlight and the kids really enjoyed finding the gems and seeing which ones they found. There were plenty of big gems in the bucket to be found! And the owners are very kind and welcoming - we enjoyed talking to them and all of the staff were very nice and helped the kids with their activities! a very enjoyable experience and would definitely recommend! read more

The Lilly Pad Village was the perfect place for us to visit with kids because there was something to do for each of them ... we brought 7 kids with us, ages range from 5 - 14 years old. Located just miles from our cabin, this beautiful and serene spot had so much to offer. We spent several hours on the property just fishing, gem mining and walking around. Very casual and relaxing. The owner, Geza, is beyond friendly and he made us feel so welcomed. Will definitely go back again! read more

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Brought the grandchildren- such a fun way to spend several hours! The gems were a BIG HIT! I think they enjoyed the worms as much as fishing! Will come back again. read more

They were awesome! We brought our own fishing poles and bait. We had a great time! They allow you to fish for the day. We will be back! read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

Had a phenomenal time! The kiddo loved the gem mining, and we had some fun on the small, yet quaint mini golf course. Lucy, their dog was very kind and kept us company while we did the gem mining. 100% recommend for families, the staff were amazing and the atmosphere welcoming. read more

The worst mini golf course I've ever seen. Misleading. Only 9 holes and the ball will not stop rolling until it is against a wall

The Lilly Pad Village was a great way to spend the afternoon with our kids, ages 12, 9, & 6. We played mini golf and mined for gems. The kids had a blast and the owners were so kind. They gave the kids polished gems to take home as souvenirs and even snuck a few extra stones into their buckets when they weren't looking. This was a fun family outing and we'd definitely recommend it. read more

We headed here on what we expected to be a nice, clear day. Unfortunately, mother nature decided to rain and bring colder weather in, but since we had promised our son a trip to do some gem mining, we had no choice. Thankfully, the gem mining is under a covered area. I have to say that from start to finish, the people that run this place really do try to ensure that you are having a good time. We went up to the gem mining spot, and he immediately turned on a large heater for us. He then filled the water in the trough, and of course it was absolutely frigid. He then pumped in some nice, hot water to warm it all up for us. We were shown how to sift for rocks in our dirt, and we were off to the races. Our 4 year old loved the idea of dirt and rocks, and had a blast looking for hidden gems. When he wasn't looking, the guy there would sneak in another fun rock or two to add to the collection. The whole thing can take as short or as long as you want it to. Overall, a fun experience. The mini golf might be fun on a sunny day, and a Yelp check in gets you a discount on that. If we end up back in the area, we'd come back. If there is one point of constructive criticism, it would be to possibly lower the prices just a bit, they were a little higher than expected. read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Our gems after cleaning them up. - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

We had such a good time here today. Our visit was brief. We purchased the $15 bucket for my daughter to gem mine. It was so neat! The lady and the young boy assigned to assist were very knowledgeable. My daughter absolutely loved it! She got so many gems. It was an hour well spent. read more

The Lilly Pad Village - Hiking Near Me - Blue Ridge, Georgia

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We drove by two other mining places and this was by far the best! It was a great experience and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

We picked this place over the other here in blue ridge, you can park right beside whichever activity you want to do (golf,mining,fishing) before the mining we walked around and you could see the fish in their fishing hole! Everyone was super nice, we each got the single bucket and took us an hour to pan through everything, it was a great experience because the dirt took a while to pan through, and was completely filled with gems, we all took home a bunch of big sized gems. would highly recommend taking kids here! read more

The people at Lilly Pad Village always make our family vacation in Blue Ridge, GA extra special. The kids love the gem mining, putt putt and fishing. It was our third trip and we highly recommend them! read more

This place was a fantastic kid-friendly attraction! Staff were exceptionally friendly, generous, warm and welcoming! My young children both under 5, enjoyed the experience and loved exploring the grounds! Beautiful spot and such a fun outdoor activity! Thank you! read more

If you are looking for an authentic mining experience I do not recommend this place. After stating multiple times to an employee we are sharing a bucket she was still persistent about moving a member of our group. This same employee confessed aloud that they had mixed the rocks into the mud themselves. Hence, this is not a true authentic mining experience and employees are choosing what gems customers are so called mining. The experience all together was not worth it. Very unwelcoming, especially when the first sentence from the person in charge was "Put the backs of the two teenagers facing away if they will not smile" while the entire group is just simply waiting on instructions. If he would like to complain about smiles to people maybe he should speak to his employees who walked around with stank faces the entire experience. Driving the extra 20 miles for Consolidated Gold Mine is well worth it. read more

We decided to try this spot out to entertain our kids for a little. It was pouring rain but the area for mining is covered and they had space heaters for a very small chill in the air. The kids had a blast as they each had a gallon bucket to mine through. The owner is very personable and has a laser focus on every customer she takes care of. We will definitely be back when I can do some fishing in their stocked pond! Great spot and fabulous people! read more

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Very nice quaint spot in a beautiful location next to the river. Super friendly ladies there to help with the kiddos read more

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While you do get to collect enough gem stones to fill the bucket you purchase, it is mostly quartz and jasper. Much better chance of finding unique and precious gems at other locations. This place is quantity over quality. read more

Great place for kids and adults of all ages! The little ones did gem mining, older kids did mini golf and adults enjoyed fishing!

Blue Ridge is a beautiful and amazing place with hundreds of things to do. For adults. Most of these amazing things involve dangerous hiking or impossible patience. Traveling with toddlers, I had one objective: WEAR THEM OUT. Lily Pad Village is a great place to do this. (Although we saw plenty of adults without kiddos there.) We took our almost-two-year old twins here, and loved it! My first impression was that the owners really do care about whether you're having a good time. We tried all 3 of the activities. They didn't quite "get" the gem mining, but since then we've inspected the gems and named them: this one is Green Calcite, this one is Quartz, this one is Ruby, etc. They are totally digging their gems. They definitely didn't "get" mini golf, but we had fun nonetheless. Love the way it's carved into the slope of a hill, and thankfully well shaded. Lastly, we tried to fish with them. Other folks caught fish, but our little midgets managed to 1) squeeze all of the worms and 2) fall in the pond. Yay! Can't make better memories than that! read more

We had a blast!!! The staff here are the nicest people. They were super helpful and knowledgeable, and kept my kids and us engaged and entertained. They went out of their way for us. We could have spent all day there. We will definitely be going back. Thank you Lily Pad Staff, we enjoyed every moment! read more

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Five stars for making my 5 year old so happy playing golf and mining for gems. She didn't have the patience for fishing, but loved everything else. The customer service is terrific! Well worth a couple of hours enjoying Lucy, the pond, and other amenities. Snacks available plus picnic area. We will be back! read more

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We visited here one afternoon while staying in North GA, and what a fun afternoon it was! We did the gem mining and mini golf, and I think we all had smiles on our faces the whole time. I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for a few hours of fun. read more

Our family really enjoyed Lilly Pad. We have a 7 year-old, twin 5 year-olds, and a 2-year old. We are in Blue Ridge from Pennsylvania. This is the perfect spot to fish with little kids. It is a small pond with bass, catfish, and brim. Our kids caught 3 fish off worms, then 3-4 off hot dogs. When my kids fish nested a pole, they would let you swap out poles. They also give you a glove and pliers if you catch a catfish. The Hungarian gentleman who ran Lilly Pad was outstanding. He was so sweet to our kids during the gem mining. Our family loved the gem mining. What a great activity. The other family with 4 kids at the gem mining was really enjoying it as well. Lilly Pad was a great way to kill 4 hours. We highly recommend for families with little kids. read more

Just went here today for my nieces 2nd birthday and I'm pretty sure all the adults had more fun then her mining for the gems. All of us were collectively ohhing and ahhing at all our cool finds. We also went fishing on the pond in the front and had fun just chilling in the shade. Definitely worth a visit! read more

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We visited The Lilly Pad Village and had a pleasant time overall. The owners were very friendly, helpful and accommodating. We purchased a package deal which included mini-golf (9 holes), fishing in the pond and gem mining. We had a two year old and a teenager with us and all activities were enjoyable for everyone. They also sold ice cream in the shop which provided us with a nice break. read more

There were 3 different groups there for an hour without as much as a bite. Not sure this is really a stocked pond. Very much a small shanty on a pond, I'd pass. read more

Took the boys (8&11 yrs old) Gem mining and to play mini golf. They had a blast! Staff was very knowledgeable and were very helpful! We will definitely return. read more

We had a good time here. Mining for gems is always fun, although the experience is a bit messier than some other places we have been due to the dirt used. Kind of like a clay that has many stones that crumble. Nonetheless, it was fun and we did a round of the mini golf and it is all shaded and within the trees with a natural environment. Would recommend spending an hour and a half or so here. read more