This month, Ohio shows its true colors: red, yellow, orange and purple.

To celebrate our state’s remarkable autumn palette, Ohio Magazine decided to look for walking and hiking trails that offer great views — ones that are accessible to a wide range of leaf peepers. We turned to longtime contributor Randy Edwards, an expert on Ohio’s natural areas, who found vistas that he categorizes as “Stroller Strolls,” “Brisk Autumn Walks” or “Rugged Foliage Forays.”

Anyone will find a great outing here. One that surprised us is the view from the top of the Perry International Victory and Peace Monument at Put-in-Bay, which can be accessed by a combination of stairs and elevator. The Lake Erie Islands have stands of hardwoods that are transformed in fall, and on a clear day the view of multicolored isles dotting blue water is stunning.

Both stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, the wooden boardwalk at Lake Vesuvius in the Wayne National Forest provides views of multicolored trees reflected on the 132-acre man-made lake (not to mention a spot for anglers to drop a line). At the other end of the foliage-viewing spectrum is Buzzardroost Rock in the Edge of Appalachia Preserve at the southern edge of the state. This strenuous climb rewards hikers with a scene of Appalachian foothill forests in all their fall finery.

Fall truly is a glorious season in Ohio, but for many of us the trees that enthrall us in early October pose an unwelcome chore once their leaves descend to the ground. Not so for contributing editor Ron Rollins. He makes a convincing case for the sensory joys of leaf raking in this month’s My Ohio (see page 88): the aroma, the chilly air and the satisfying order of neat piles once the work is done.

To each his or her own fall experience. We’re just glad that we live in a climate that provides yearly opportunities for leaf appreciation.  

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Another fall celebration at Ohio Magazine is the presentation of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Ohio SPJ Awards. At this year’s awards luncheon in Cincinnati late last month, Ohio Magazine’s Art Director Lesley Blake (left) was named Best Graphic Designer in Ohio for her work in 2011. Lesley also won a second place award for Best Design/Navigation of our website, ohiomagazine.com.

For the second year in a row, Senior Editor Linda Feagler was honored with the Best Arts Reporting award for her body of work. Linda also swept the Best Arts Profile category, winning first and second place for articles on mystery authors Carrie Bebris and Lisa Black. See Linda’s article on the Bouchercon mystery writers’ conference, as well as Lesley’s designs, in this issue.