Art Charlton, Director, Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership
Art Charlton, director of Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership, spoke with Invest: about attracting tourists to the county’s rural, outdoor attractions. “The focus in 2026 will be on the World Cup games at the stadiums, and we want to let people know that if they want to get away for a little bit, Warren County is the perfect spot.”
What recent market changes over the past 12 months have most influenced the tourism sector in Warren County?
Gas prices have risen, but we’re a gas tank away from most of the state, if not less. We’re in a good position for people to take a day or weekend trip. International travel is down, encouraging more local tourism. People can come here to get away somewhere nearby.
Could you share an overview of Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership and its role in promoting the region?
The program is part of the Warren County Public Information Department and is fully within the county government, reporting to the commissioners. As a county office, as opposed to a chamber of commerce, we are not a fee- or member-based organization. We promote any and all businesses and attractions within the county. You don’t need to be a member to receive our services. We have a dedicated county tourism website, explorewarren.org, and we also have a dedicated site for our parks and recreation, warrenparks.com. We promote commercial entities like The Land of Make Believe, one of our largest tourist attractions, and nonprofits like the New York Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society, which runs the Delaware River Railroad Excursions. We highlight restaurants, public and private campgrounds, golf courses, unique shops, and other small businesses. We send an email newsletter that highlights our many events on the calendar. We focus on agriculture, agritourism, and farm markets. Sunflower tourism – visiting a sunflower field for the beautiful photo opportunities – is a popular source of seasonal tourism. Apple picking season is almost here, and we have a number of pick-your-own orchards. The harvest festival season is also approaching, with farms open every weekend in the fall for pumpkin patch visits, corn mazes and more. We have three hot air balloon festivals, two on weekends in June and September, and one that is part of the week-long Warren County Farmers’ Fair in late July into August. We’ve also added the Area 57 Festival, which highlights drones, robotics, and battlebots at the Warren County Technical School. We have a unique attraction called the Lakota Wolf Preserve, a nonprofit dedicated to the care of, and education about, wolves, bobcats, foxes, and lynx. They have been open since 1998 and are available for tours. Visitors can learn about wolves and why they are important to the overall ecology where they live. A writer from Ireland was here doing a story about New Jersey and picked Lakota Wolf Preserve to include in his article, contributing to our global outreach.
Another big focus is our local wineries and breweries.
Can you share examples of strategic collaborations with local wineries, historical sites, and event organizers?
We have the Warren County Grains & Grapes Trail that co-promotes the wineries and breweries in Warren County. It’s been some 40 years since wineries were allowed to operate in New Jersey, and we had some of the first wineries in the state.
Of course, we work with the state and have a full-page advertisement in the New Jersey Travel Guide for marketing and promotion. We also collaborate with historical societies and museums on the annual Explore Warren History Trail, a self-guided tour of historic sites throughout the county each November. We are happy to help sponsor the annual Warren County Farmers’ Fair, as well as the business improvement districts in Hackettstown and Washington, supporting all the events that they organize.
What are the core challenges, such as infrastructure limits, digital visibility, and regional competition, and how are you addressing them?
There are two main challenges we face. The first is that we don’t have a lot in the way of lodging. A few decades ago, we had several larger hotels that eventually went away. We don’t have much hotel or motel capacity. We are seeing more development in Airbnb and rental spaces, which we promote in the lodging section of our website. The other challenge is transportation. There is an NJ Transit line that ends in Hackettstown, but that’s more of a commuter line. There is some bus service, but it is not robust. Most people will have to travel by car or motorcycle. Most of our tourism is rural, in parks and trails. The Appalachian Trail, one of the most famous hiking trails in the country, runs through New Jersey, starting at the Delaware Water Gap in Warren County. The lack of transportation is a detriment, but it isn’t unusual in an area for people coming to get away from urban density and enjoy the outdoors.
What is your outlook for Warren County tourism and regional economic growth over the next 3 to 5 years?
The focus in 2026 will be on the World Cup games at the stadiums, and we want to let people know that if they want to get away for a little bit, Warren County is the perfect spot. We’re only an hour’s drive from the Meadowlands stadiums. We are in the middle of Warren County’s Bicentennial and hosted a free celebration with two music stages with local bands. We are continuing our bicentennial celebration into the United States’ 250th celebration to link Warren County’s history with the rest of colonial America. We are looking to host history talks and tavern talks at historic sites and local wineries.
