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If you asked the kids what the NUMBER ONE highlight of our recent Georgia road trip was, they would waste no time telling you all about Goats on the Roof Georgia! For me, I would have to say it was our whitewater rafting adventure just across the state line in northwestern South Carolina, but I have to admit that I loved Goats on the Roof too! It is probably THE best road trip pit stop if you are traveling with kids from Atlanta, up Highway 441 / US 23, to the Blue Ridge or the Great Smoky Mountains in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, or South Carolina. It’s not far from the popular town of Helen, Georgia too so if you are heading up there in 2023 (I sure wish I was) consider a pit stop here.

UPDATE: It has been reported that as of mid 2024, Goats of the Roof Georgia is closed. There is no word yet on it when it will reopen.

A road trip through Georgia

We visited Goats on the Roof while driving across the state of Georgia on our road trip from Dothan, Alabama to Long Creek, South Carolina. As I mentioned in my recent post about Wildwater Ltd, this is the first time that I actually sat down, did some research, and created an itinerary and it was pivotal in making this road trip the success that it was! I will be sharing the full itinerary soon but today wanted to share one of our favorite stops with you – Goats on the Roof, in Tiger, Georgia.

I actually came across this place while browsing the map feature on RoadsideAmerica.com and was thrilled to see that it was literally on our route. Goats on the Roof is located directly on Highway 441 / US 23, in northeastern Georgia, along the route that we were taking to get to Wildwater Chattooga. We had driven this road before when we went to Gatlinburg a couple of years ago and I believe that this is a pretty popular route for anyone traveling from Atlanta, or anywhere south Atlanta, up into the Blue Ridge or the Great Smoky Mountains. This includes areas like Bryson City, Tennesee, Pigeon Forge, Tennesee, as well as Asheville, North Carolina, and Johnson City, Tennessee.

So, with Goats on the Roof being located just 1 hour and 45 minutes northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, it makes a really great road trip stop while traveling north or south! Our only regret is not budgeting enough time because no one was ready to leave when I had to shuttle them back to the car so that we could get to our zip line tour in time.

Goats on the Roof Georgia

This fun little road trip stop is located in the very northeast corner of Georgia and not far from both the South Carolina and Tennessee borders. It’s hard to miss, being located literally on the side of the road, but somehow we don’t remember seeing it on our trip a few years ago!

They do also have a location up in Pigeon Forge as well but our visit was to their original location in Tiger, Georgia. So, make sure to double-check this map above to make sure that it is indeed on your route.

Goats on the Roof history

Now, Goats on the Roof is not the first company to put goats literally on the roof and market themselves to tourists. Over 40 years ago up in Door County, Wisconsin (another place on our bucket list), the Johnson family behind Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant started letting their goats graze on the sod roof above their restaurant. Locals and visitors alike sure got a kick out of the live goats roaming and crowds continued to gather as the word spread. I am not sure what the full story here is, but Goats on the Roof acknowledges on their website, that they have a licensing agreement with Al Johnson’s that allows them to carry on this concept (having live goats) down in our neck of the woods.

If you have a chance make sure to hop on over to their website to read The Legend of the Goats. This is a fun little story that a local Rabun County, Georgia man concocted to explain just why the goats are up on the roof. Abby and Jake sure got a kick out of that and I am sure your children of all ages will too!

What is there to do at Goats on the Roof, Tiger Georgia?

Well, you can feed goats for one, and not just by hand! They have created some extra fun ways for you to get the food up to the goats hanging out on the roof. They have cup and pulley systems and even have a bike that you can peddle to move a cup of food up a conveyor belt and straight to the goats. So much fun!

You can of course feed them the old fashion way too. There are always a number of them hanging out in the goat pen. Food is available for purchase and I suggest getting the large bag since refills are more economical that way.

You can also enjoy some gem mining. My kids are very into gems and crystals these days and Matt has always been a big fan. Inside Billy Bobs Rock and Candy Store, you can purchase bags of pay dirt that are laden with treasures. They also have souvenirs available for purchase and Abby bought a bag of gems, but there were so many in their large bag of mining dirt that we may have been better off just getting two of those. And don’t forget to check out the sweet shoppe candy section!

Is there food at Goats on The Roof?

This was my number one question because I wanted this to be a road trip stop where we could have lunch. I was so happy to see that there is a Game Time by Coach Joe food truck set up right there in front with plenty of tables to eat at. And the food was really good! They have everything from seafood to chili dogs and are known for their lemonade. I had the fried fish that was a feature that day and Matt got the Low Country Boil – which is always a good idea! You can view the whole menu here and there is something for everyone

TIP: Order your food upon arrival, especially if it’s busy that day. The food didn’t take a super long time but it is cooked to order in a food truck, so give yourselves plenty of time.

In addition to the food truck, they have candy and snacks (like boiled peanuts) inside the gift shop and also have a huge selection of homemade fudge and awarded winning homemade nitro ice cream. Save room for this! We were so full from lunch that we didn’t get a chance to try their ice cream but loved watching them make it by hand. We did grab some of their fudge to go and enjoyed it all weekend!

How much time should you plan to spend at Goats on the Roof?

So, I had budgeted one hour for Goats on the Roof but we clearly could have used two or even a little longer to fully enjoy this roadside attracation. I hated that I had to rush everyone along but we had to get to ziplining by a scheduled time that afternoon. So, whether you are making an itinerary or just winging it, leave yourself two hours if you plan to eat, mine, feed goats, and shop. And it’s one of the last stops before heading up into the mountains so truly a great stop to do all of that.

Planning your visit to Goats on the Roof Georgia

Goats on the Roof Tiger, GA is open every day except Tuesday, Wednesday, and some holidays. No need to buy tickets or stress in advance. Just show up and enjoy!

Current Hours

Monday: 10am – 5:30pm

Tuesday: closed

Wednesday: closed

Thursday: 10am – 5:30pm

Friday: 10am – 5:30pm

Saturday: 10am – 6pm

Sunday: 10am – 6pm

They are also closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

Goats on the Roof Georiga Cost

There is no admission cost for visiting Goats on the Roof. Parking is also free. So, you can spend as much money or as little as you would like. We spent around $8 on goat food, $50 for lunch, $15 on treats, $10 on souvenirs, and around $10 on mining. They also have really cute t-shirts for sale and the prices are very reasonable!

You can visit the Goats on the Roof website for more information.

Looking for more fun things to do in Georgia?

I have a whole section of my blog dedicated to our adventures in Georgia as well as many other adventures in the southeastern United States and beyond. I hope you enjoy reading these blog posts as much as I enjoy writing them. I always love receiving comments on posts so if you found this blog helpful, let me know!