The leaves are finally starting to change color here in the MOV. Apples are being picked, pumpkins are transforming into pies and mums are adorning the front porches of many. Fall is in the air! October offers a variety of festivals and tours to attend. One tour you don’t want to miss is the 28th annual Fall Foliage Tour sponsored by the Little Muskingum Watershed Association. The tour will be held this weekend on Saturday, October 14 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Sunday, October 15 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

This self-guided driving tour takes you out State Route 26 in Washington County, Ohio. If you’re a stickler for cruising around and admiring the fall foliage, this is the tour for you. Not only can you take in the beauty of the leaves, but you also have the opportunity to view four covered bridges (Hills, Hune, Rinard and Knowlton), experience a cow milking demonstration at Bohlen’s Dairy Farm, pick your own apples at Hidden Hills Orchard and much more. The 16 stop tour begins at the Washington County Home on County House Lane in Marietta, Ohio and ends at the VFD in New Matamoras, Ohio.

Where you want to stop and what you want to see is totally up to you! There are tons of backroads that branch off of SR 26 and offer beautiful scenery as well. Pleasant Ridge Rd, right out of Marietta, offers stunning hilltop views and can take you back onto SR 26, onto Moss Run. Cow Run in Sitka will lead you to County Road 9, where you can traverse into Newport, Ohio via Newells Run Rd. Or stay on SR 26 until you arrive in Rinard Mills, and take a right onto Rinard Mills Rd for more glorious hilltop scenery. The possibilities are endless! The MOV offers an abundance of off-the-beaten paths to drive along and admire the beauty of this area.

Throughout your journey, make sure to stop at the watershed located on SR 26 north at the 22 mile marker. Here there will be food, activities, and entertainment. Grab yourself some soup beans and cornbread, chicken and noodles and other tasty fares. View an antique engine and equipment show, take the kids to the farm petting zoo or treat yourself to the country store and craft show. Music will be provided by the Buckeye Travelers. Hay rides, tractor pulls and much more will be taking place as well.

Be sure to pick up a pamphlet outlining the tour at the Washington County Home. Tour stop markers will be numbered and displayed at each location. Get outside, support the Little Muskingum Watershed Association and enjoy the beauty that southeastern Ohio has to offer!
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