A celebration of literacy and the great outdoors has come to Belmont County.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has partnered with the Ohio governor’s Imagination Library to bring a Storybook Trail to Barkcamp State Park.

The initiative to build Storybook Trails through Ohio began in 2019 with the goal of promoting childhood literacy and outdoor activity.

This trail features 16 panels with pages from ‘When the Storm Comes’ by Linda Ashman.

“It not only lets people get out in nature, which we have lots of beautiful recreation options here in the county, but it also promotes literacy,” Belmont County Tourism Director Jackee Pugh said. “It’s a fun free activity that families can do where they can go out and hike through nature and then read a book as they’re doing it.

There are currently 12 state park Storybook Trails throughout Ohio, each a half-mile long. More are planned to be built throughout the summer.