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The rolling hills, picturesque farmland and majestic forests of Belmont County are especially beautiful in the fall. Smell the fresh air and feel the crisp leaves under your feet as you enjoy these 30 great things to do this fall in Belmont County.
1. Take a hike - Belmont County has some of the most beautiful trails in the area. Hike the scenic, woodsy trails at Barkcamp State Park, Zion Retreat & RV Park, Dysart Woods, Newlin Falls Nature Trail, and Raven Rocks. Or take a more leisurely stroll on the National Road Bikeway in St. Clairsville, Epworth Park in Bethesda, Schuler Park in Flushing, or Barnesville Memorial Park in Barnesville. Either way you'll see wildlife and peaceful lakes and ponds. Click here for more information about hiking in Belmont County.
2. Take a drive on our 3 scenic byways - Belmont is the only county in Ohio with three scenic byways - Drovers Trail, Ohio River and Historic Route 40. Jump in the car and spend the day exploring the Drovers Trail on State Route 800 between Hendrysburg and Barnesville and State Route 147 from Barnesville to Bellaire. Historic National Road begins at Bridgeport and runs 28.5 miles to the western edge of the county at Fairview. Sights along the way include the Blaine S Bridge, old segments of the National Road, downtown St. Clairsville, historic Morristown, and Hendrysburg (the birthplace of William Boyd who played cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy). Click here for a virtual tour of Route 40. The Ohio River Scenic Byway encompasses the entire length of the Ohio River. In Belmont County it follows State Route 7 through the historic cities and towns of Martins Ferry, Bridgeport, Bellaire, Shadyside, and Powhatan Point. Click here for more information.
3. Enjoy some farm-fresh fall produce - Ebbert Farm Market is a third generation family farm, located between State Route 40 and Interstate 70 near St. Clairsville, Ohio, between Exits 218 and 220. This year marks the 100th for the business which is once again offering fall necessities such as pumpkins, gourds, and cornstalks. Click here for a recent news story. The Ohio Valley Farmers Market is held from June-October on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. in the Ohio Valley Mall parking lot in St. Clairsville and Saturday from 9-noon on 32nd St. in Bellaire. You can find everything from locally produced foods to handmade craft items.
4. Pick a perfect pumpkin - Schumachers Pumpkin Patch and Duvall’s Produce Wagon are both located on SR 800 near Barnesville. The late Martin Schumacher was one of the founders of what became the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. In addition to pumpkins, you can buy homemade horseradish here. Duvall's has pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, mums, straw bales, and Indian corn. They are open Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 am- 6:00 pm. They have others seasonal, farm grown produce as well. Yensen Landscape and Supply, LLC operates a pumpkin patch at the Martins Ferry Gazebo, corner of 5th and Hanover Streets. The Pumpkin Patch is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. They sell pumpkins, mums, corn stalks, fall decorations, Ohio State University decorations and some perennial flowers.
5. Attend an auction - Captina Produce Auction near Barnesville sells fresh, local grown produce weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 10 a.m. In the fall you can find pumpkins and gourds, mums, and even fall decor. (Cash and check payment only).
6. Pedal the bike trails of Belmont County - Take a ride on the Ohio Valley Trail Association's Back Road Biking Loop through Barnesville and Hendrysburg, the National Road Bikeway in St. Clairsville or hit the gravel road through Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. Click here for more information.
7. Explore Cemeteries- Some of the oldest in Ohio are located here in Belmont County. The Belmont County GIS Department has developed a new cemetery locator app showing all the county's cemeteries. The St. Clairsville Public Library also has resources for those doing genealogy research. You can learn more about both, take a walk in Union Cemetery and hear spooky local legends on Oct. 10 at 12:30 p.m. at the Belmont County Heritage Museum's Spooky Tales of Local History event.
8. See the sites of local legends - Visit landmarks well known for local legends such as Egypt Valley - the site of the murder of Louiza Fox and Lady Bend Hill - where the ghost of a headless female rider has been seen. Read more about both tales here. The purportedly haunted Bellaire House (Bellaire House Tours, LLC , 1699 Belmont St. in Bellaire) sits atop a so-called cursed coal mine. Some call it America's most haunted home and if you are brave enough, you can stay overnight there and conduct your own investigation.
9. Watch a live paranormal investigation - The Valley of Darkness Paranormal Chronicles goes live every Sunday at the most haunted locations in Belmont County, telling the history of why it could be haunted. Past investigations include the grave site of Louiza Fox.
10. Get scared at a haunted trail - The Haunting at LAYC, 65900 Girl Scout Rd., St. Clairsville, is one of two haunted trails. Admission is $12 (cash only) and dates are to be determined. Fearfield Outdoor Haunted Trail is located at 71331 Center St. in St. Clairsville and offers a "unique, scary, gut-wrenching, heart-pounding experience". It is open every Friday and Saturday in September and October from 7-11 p.m. Admission is $13.
11. Tour Longhorn livestock - Climb aboard the blue bus and take a tour of Dickinson Cattle Ranch near Barnesville where you can hand-feed genuine Texas Longhorn cattle. The tour includes lots of local history information. Be sure to stop at the Head to Tails store and take home a souvenir or some healthy Longhorn beef. Longhorns Head to Tail Tour is located one mile south and 1.2 miles west of I-70, Exit 202. Bus tours are available for groups of 10 or more paying age guests by appointment by calling 740-758-5050. Smaller groups can be worked in with other groups. Many species of birds can also be viewed at Dickinson.
12. Peep some leaves - Belmont County has some of the best places to view fall foliage such as Dysart Woods, Drovers Trail Scenic Byway, Epworth Park, Barnesville Memorial Park, Zion Retreat & RV Park, Piedmont Lake, and Barkcamp State Park. Whether you're walking, biking, boating or driving, you'll find a scenic view! Click here for more information. Get fall color updates from ODNR by clicking here.
13. Taste the flavors of fall - Treat yourself to a fall beverage at Belmont Brewerks in Martins Ferry where they have handcrafted, fall inspired cocktails and pumpkin spice lattes! At the Main Street Barrel House in Barnesville they have boozy shakes including a pumpkin spice version. Sip a glass (or two, we won't judge) of wine at Vino di Piccin, a family-run winery and tasting house in Lansing. They have an outdoor fire pit that is perfect for autumn evenings with friends. Click here for more pubs and grills options.
14. Camp at one of our parks - Nothing says fall like a gooey S'mores around a campfire! Belmont County has three great choices for tent, cabin, or RV camping - Barkcamp State Park in Belmont; Zion Retreat and RV Park in Flushing; and Piedmont Lake in Piedmont.
15. Explore our GeoTour - Belmont County Tourism's Explore More GeoTour takes you to 25 unique places throughout the county. Once you fill in the codes found at each stop, you earn a free t-shirt. Download the guide book here.
16. Brush up on your history -Learn about the history of Belmont County by visiting one of our nine museums dedicated to local history. Historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interests are stored and exhibited at the museums in Belmont County. Glassware, community artifacts, and Underground Railroad information are just a few items that you at the Belmont County Heritage Museum, Sedgwick House Museum, Underground Railroad Museum, Watt Center For History & The Arts, Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum; Imperial Glass Museum,Great Western Schoolhouse, Stillwater Meetinghouse Museum, and the Tri-State Military Veterans Museum. Learn about people such as inventor Elisha Gray; Federal Judge Isaac Parker; actor William Boyd; abolitionist Benjamin Lundy; the pioneering Zane family, and many more. Click here for more information about locations, admission, and hours.
17. Explore the Painted Barns of BC - Spend a day driving to each of these 12 beautifully painted barns or take the virtual tour here.
18. Snap a fall photo at the Schaeffer-Campbell covered bridge - Located on the campus of Ohio University Eastern, this covered bridge is a popular place for pictures. It is especially lovely in the fall. Click here for more information.
19. Explore the mysterious caves/rocks at Raven Rocks - Originally known as the First Ravine of the Raven Rocks by the early pioneers, it was named after the many ravens that used to nest in the overhanging ledges of the unusual, yet astonishing rock formation. Indians of the Ohio and Captina Creek Valley had left evidence of repeated visits here for over a period of 200 years, where they had set up camp and hunted in the fall and winter months. Today, you can explore the beauty of this area either on your own or with occasional hikes organized by the Friends of Captina Creek. The address for the Raven Rocks parking area and trail head is 54167 Crum Rd., Beallsville.
20. Flock like birds of a feather and explore the Captina Creek Birding Trail -The Captina Creek Birding Trail is a do-it-yourself driving tour with signage at five stops within the Captina Creek Watershed. Click here to download the brochure. There is also an Aquatic Trail. Directions to each of the stops are available here. The guide can be downloaded here.
21. Take a motorcycle ride along County Road 26 - Take in the breath-taking scenery while riding the twists and turns of this road that is considered one of the best in the country for motorcycle riding. Click here for more information.
22. Channel your inner Lumber Jack at Route 40 LumberJaxe - Belmont County's first axe-throwing and game venue is located at 41761 National Rd. You can join friends for an evening of fun, book a party there or have the mobile axe throwing trailer brought to you. They have darts, corn hole, pool and foosball tables, and other games, live entertainment, and food trucks, too. They recently added an escape room for more fun. Click here for more entertainment options.
23. Discover the picturesque views of the Blaine 1828 "S" Bridge and Great Stone Viaduct - These two iconic structures are a must-see in Belmont County. The Blaine S Bridge was built in 1828 and restored and rededicated in 2005. It is the largest and last remaining structure of its kind on the entire 6 state Historic National Road system. The Great Stone Viaduct in Bellaire was completed in 1871 and was part of the longest railroad bridge in America. It was featured in the 2010 film Unstoppable starring Denzel Washington. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society is currently working to construct walkways and observation posts on abandoned portions of the viaduct. Click here to learn more about these and other Belmont County landmarks.
24. Experience Food Truck Fundays - The St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors this event on Main Street in St. Clairsville in front of the Belmont County Courthouse on Fridays and Saturdays through October. Sidewalk sales and other events are also included on certain days. The food truck schedule for October is: Oct. 2- Tacomiendo; Oct. 3- Ig's Pigs BBQ; Oct. 9- Ig's Pigs; Oct. 10- Le Macaron; Oct. 16- Mason Dixon BBQ; Oct. 17- Tacomiendo; Oct. 23- Ig's Pigs; Oct. 24- TP's Pasta Bowl; Oct. 30- TP's Pasta Bowl; Oct. 31- Tacomiendo.
25. Explore quaint waterfalls at Newlin Falls Nature Trail - Located in the northeast corner of St. Clairsville Memorial Park, the Nature Trail is an approximately 1 mile long, wide, hilly, mulch-lined trail. Features of the trail include two small waterfalls, a new bridge, and plenty of wildlife. and plenty of wildlife.
26. Escape the "Cabin in the Woods" on time at Escape Zone Ohio - Located in Bellaire, this escape room experience has you locked in a room with up to 9 other participants. With only 60 minutes to complete your task of searching for clues and solving puzzles, you must use the elements of the room to escape. Teamwork is essential for your success! Come with friends, family, and coworkers and have a great time. Watch this video to learn more.
27. Get away and enjoy the colors of fall at Zion Retreat & RV Park - Unplug and reconnect with your loved ones at this family-friendly oasis located in Flushing on 1,300 acres. Park your RV or rent a luxury or rustic cabin. Enjoy nature trails, swimming beach (including water trampoline and Corcl boats), Aqua zip, paddle boarding, kayaking, and row boating, fishing, picnicking, a playground, sand volleyball, cornhole, geocaching, and ladder golf. You can also rent an enclosed pavilion with a beautiful lake view. Bird watching is also popular here.
28. Ride horseback on the trails at Barkcamp State Park - Barkcamp is one of the few state parks in Ohio with bridle trails and a dedicated camping area. The 24-mile trail meanders along the entire lake shore affording a pleasant day's ride.
29. Tee off at one of our golf courses - Belmont County has three great golf courses. Belmont Hills Country Club in St. Clairsville offers challenging rolling hills. Horseshoe Bend Golf Course in Armstrong Mills appeals to all skill levels and budgets. Clair Mar Golf Course is a 9-hole golf course located in Powhatan Point, Ohio. The course sits along side the beautiful Captina Creek watershed and offers a fun and quick game of golf.
30. Learn the life of the Quakers - The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) have a rich history in Belmont County. They were very involved in the abolitionist movement. There were 120 miles of the Underground Railroad in Belmont County. Learn more about the Quakers by visiting the Barnesville's Olney Friends School and Stillwater Meeting House, and the Concord Hicksite Friends Meeting House in Colerain (the first Quaker Meeting House in the Northwestern Territory). For more info about these and other historical sites in Belmont County click here.
How many things can you check off this fall to-do list? For more info, to request a visitor's guide, or sign up for our newsletter go to visitbelmontcounty.com.