Yankee Magazine’s October issue, which is on newsstands now, features a seven-page article showing all that the Oxford Hills have to offer in fall.

A separate article on the magazine’s Web site lays out a 116-mile fall foliage driving tour through the region.

Titled “An Oxford Hills Odyssey,” the article by Edgar Allen Beem calls the area’s villages “the greatest treasures” in a part of Maine that is famous for its minerals and gems.

“There are not a lot of secret spots left in Maine, but the Oxford Hills, a region of lakes and ponds, orchards and country roads, is little known,” Beem writes.

The article leads off with a colorful two-page photo shot from the top of Beech Hill in Waterford, where Paul and Marica Hersey operate Beech Hill Farm & Bison Ranch.

It describes Waterford village as “one of the prettiest villages in Maine,” with its centerpiece Lake House inn and restaurant. The Fryeburg Fair gets a good deal of attention and several photos, and Perham’s of West Paris is mentioned at length.

The online driving tour article, “Maine Writ Large in the Oxford Hills,” features much more detail, based on an actual 116-mile drive by author Wayne Curtis.

“Fortunate quirks of geography have saved both the region of western Maine from Bethel to Fryeburg and the area from the New Hampshire border to the Waterfords from condo developers and the tourism industry,” Curtis writes. “Rolling hills, granite balds, cold and deep lakes, and unassuming villages give the Oxford Hills a magical, remote feel.”

The Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce is understandably pleased with all the attention from the nationally distributed New England magazine.

The chamber’s e-mail newsletter, compiled by Bruce Little, said the coverage dovetails nicely with an ad campaign on behalf of the region by the Maine Lakes and Mountains Tourism Council, using money from a tourism grant.

Little said Ken Phillips, communications manager for Yankee Magazine, said in an e-mail to the chamber that “We have also been mentioning the beauty of the Oxford Hills in some of our broadcast interviews on the fall foliage season. Our travel and features editor, Mel Allen, is a huge fan of the area. I hope to have the opportunity to take his advice and visit soon.”

The online story may be found on the Internet by going to www.YankeeMagazine.com and clicking on “Driving Tours for Fall.” The Oxford Hills story is at the top of the list.