The change in temperature brings shades of colors that make you feel comfort, warmth, and peacefulness.

The weather change also has you crave pumpkin spice, apple cider and hot cocoa.

Although no predictive tool is 100 percent accurate, reports share that you have a pretty good shot at seeing the leaves at their most brilliant reds, oranges and yellows the last week of October. This is the expected peak fall foliage for Southern Ohioans.

Belmont County offers tons of opportunities to enjoy the fall foliage and the cravings that come with the season. You can travel by car on one of our scenic byways, or you have the option to hike, run, kayak, or bike through our beautiful landscape.

However you plan to see the colors of fall, there is no shortage of scenery to enjoy. While enjoying this, the area has so many spots that also offer the taste of fall.

The county has three scenic byways that each offer beautiful autumn scenery. The Drovers’ Trail Scenic Byway has you traveling Ohio 800 between Hendrysburg and Barnesville and Ohio 147 from Barnesville to Bellaire. The trail has you traveling the foothills of the county.

Travel along U.S. 40, also known as the Historic National Road, and enjoy the quaint communities dressed for the season.

Your drive could include stops at the Fat Apple in Bridgeport, Ebbert Farm Market or Flat Iron Coffee Shop located inside Three Labs Salvage, just to name a few. These and other stops will be sure to cure the cravings that come with the season.

Also, traveling the Ohio River Scenic Byway, you will find the colors of the season reflecting along the riverbank and in the hillside of the route.

Other scenic routes include U.S. 250 from Bridgeport to Adena, County Road 148 from Powhatan Point to Barnesville along the Captina Creek and Ohio/Belmont County 26 from Morristown south to Wayne Township.

All of these drives offer magical views of the season.

With the area’s amazing trails, Belmont County serves as a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of fall.

Barkcamp State Park, Piedmont Lake, Dysart Woods and Zion Christian Retreat all offer hiking trails that will surround you with the beauty of fall. If biking through the season, be sure to pedal the St. Clairsville Bike Trail and the Back Road Biking Loop.

Egypt Valley is another beautiful place for back road biking and hiking. Just another way to enjoy the colorful scenery.

I have found that more people enjoy the start of autumn than any other season. They are anxious to dress for the season and taste the flavors that come with it.

Most have replaced their tank tops with sweatshirts, hoodies and sweaters.

And most have changed their order from wine slushies and margaritas to pumpkin spice anything!

With all of this change, there is still so much for families to enjoy in Belmont County.

The Ohio Pioneers Exhibit is on display at the Belmont County Heritage Museum until the end of October. Guest speakers will be presenting on Saturdays throughout the month. For more information call the museum at 740-298-7020.

Zion Retreat will host its first-ever Apple Cider Festival. There will be apple picking, apple pressing, hayrides, and more. Each family will leave with a half-gallon of freshly pressed apple cider. For more information about this event call 740-968-0955.

Also, Friends of Barkcamp will have their fourth annual Halloween Campout on from 5-10 p.m. Oct. 9 with trick-or-treating in the barn area and throughout the campground from 5-6:30 p.m., costume judging at 6:30 p.m., haunted trail from 8:30-10 p.m., and judging for best decorated campsite at 7:20 p.m.

Roasted marshmallows will be available and hot dogs will be $1 each. Call the park office for more information about this event.

And, sponsored by the Belmont County Tourism Council, the annual Rubberneck Tour — a free, do-it-yourself driving tour — will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 10.

This year’s tour has seven stops including the Great Western One-Room School, which is celebrating its 150-year anniversary.

To find out more about this event and other events in Belmont County, go to visitbelmontcounty.com or call 740-695-4359.

Get out and enjoy Belmont County. Enjoy the change. Enjoy the colors of fall!

Barb Ballint, executive director of the Belmont County Tourism, provides information about the tourism office, local attractions, upcoming events, online resources and other local finds in Belmont County. Each month she shares information about the travel and tourism industry and its impact on our local economy.