Fall is a beautiful time in Warren County.

It’s also a boost to tourism in the region.

And the Warren County Visitors Bureau is looking to tap into that with a “Warren County Leaf Peeping Guide.”

“The last couple of years, we have done ‘Peak Week,’ where we highlighted a place or theme each day that is particularly pretty in the fall,” Casey Ferry, WCVB executive director, said. “Last year, we also did some videos driving some of the roads which was even more popular.”

It’s great that people were engaging with photos and videos of fall in Warren County.

But what about getting people out there to experience it first hand?

“This project began with the simple idea of creating marked maps to get people out exploring,” Ferry said.

It’s a project that grew from a simple concept into something much more detailed.

“This grew to using Google Maps that can be followed in real time, to having a downloadable version because, as we all know, there are pockets of no cell service, to adding photos from each loop to give the idea what you may encounter, mileage, estimated time, and points of interest along the way,” she said.

Each route comes with a map, points of interest, a distance as well as estimated drive time.

Ferry said that she and Administrative Assistant Lisa Card started by “taking a paper map and putting circles on locations that we really wanted to hit….”

Some of the places and corresponding routes are obvious – Rimrock, Tidioute Overlook, Rt. 59.

But that list also included places like Fox Hill, Bear Lake and Mickle Hill and “other places that are off the beaten path for most and are breathtaking.

“Then we began literally connecting the dots,” she said. “We also made a point to include every municipality and even marked points of interest like local diners and shops to encourage supporting locals all around the county.”

Because the roads are all over and cell service can be limited, Ferry said they’re encouraging people to take a navigator with them and drive with caution.

The effort aims to capitalize on what is already a busy tourism season.

“We get a lot of tourists coming through this time of year,” Ferry explained. “Some are driving Route 6 for the view, and some are just coming here to see what we have.”

The number of visitors at the Visitors Bureau building crests this time of year. October is typically the busiest month. It’s no secret that the leaves are why.

“By having pre-designed routes, people can explore with purpose,” she said. “Having multiple routes provides options of varying length, locations, and environment. We’re hoping that tourists drive one or two and decide to stick around for more.”

There’s also value in the project for residents, who may go someplace in the county they haven’t been before or stop by a new restaurant or shop on the way.

“So often, we get stuck in our own routine and forget to explore the beauty beyond our usual roads,” Ferry said.

The response to the new maps has been positive so far.

“There’s been a good bit of buzz about it on our social media, and people have come in asking about it,” she said. “Our website traffic exploded when this was released, and we want to keep driving people to our website which we have been slowly but surely improving on its own rite with new sections, photos, things to do, etc. I think people will be pleasantly surprised with what we’ve been up to.”

Ferry said this is currently a digital campaign.

“My dream would be for this to grow into a nice big, printed map brochure, but that will have to wait for next year, at least,” she said. “I do realize that there are some people who aren’t into technology like it’s set up currently, so we do have a few mini printed versions that only contain the ‘Road Trip’ section.

“We are encouraging people to give the digital version a try because 11 routes take a lot of paper and ink, and the printed version isn’t as ‘pretty,’ for now and the digital version is much more extensive, providing a better experience.”