As the weather gets warmer, the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau is encouraging people to visit local trails. The newest trail the bureau is promoting hits many sweet spots throughout the county, where travelers can also cool off on their journeys.

The Sweet Tooth Trail covers sweet shops in Butler County, where visitors can get a punch on a special card that the tourism bureau will reward with a “special surprise” upon completion.

Tourism bureau president Jack Cohen said the success of the organization's beer trail led to the creation of a similar initiative, but one that could be enjoyed by all ages.

“It's perfect timing for candy shops and bakeries and ice cream shops,” Cohen said. “Talking about local businesses again, this is a great way of getting people out to them now.”

The Sweet Tooth Trail includes 16 ice cream shops, bakeries, donut shops and candy shops that people can visit for a punch on their card. Each participating business provides the punch cards, and they are also available at the tourism bureau, 310 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople.

“They're all spread around the whole county, which gets people to go to different areas they maybe have never been to,” Cohen said.

While the special surprise for filling out the punch card remains a secret, Cohen said the biggest reward for people will probably be discovering a sweet shop they have not visited before.

There are 16 shops participating in the program from Cranberry Township to Portersville.

“We told everybody,” Cohen said. “They know and they're ready. I think we're going to have that for some time.”

Participating shops include: Peter's Chocolate Shoppe in Butler; Nothing Bundt Cakes, NatuRoll Creamery, Peace Love & Little Donuts and Cranberry Dairy Queen in Cranberry Township; Valencia Donut Company in Valencia; P&B's Sweets & Eats and Wondereusz's Candy & More in Evans City; The Two Fraus Bakery and Tin Man Sweets Bake Shop in Harmony; Mainstreet Bake Shop and Speckled Hen Chocolate Company in Saxonburg; IceBox Creamery, The Meadows Original Frozen Custard and Baldinger's Candy in Zelienople; and The Snowman in Portersville.