Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Ohio
Fast Facts
▪️ What the Park Protects: Waterfalls | Forests | Scenic railroad | Ohio & Erie Canal | Historical structures
▪️ Year Established: 2000
▪️ Visitors in 2021: 2,575,275
▪️ Size: 51 sq. miles
▪️ Fun Fact: When it became a national park, hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated material was removed from the Krejci Dump within Cuyahoga Valley’s borders, restoring the dump as a wetland
Tips & Recommendations
Cuyahoga Valley’s forests, rivers, waterfalls, rocks, and canal offer plentiful opportunity to hike, bike, and take in the scenery. During my visit to the park with Maria, we hit most of the park’s key activities. Below, I break down the highlights…
Notice: Click on an activity’s name for more information. All hikes, campgrounds, roads, and activities are accessible with RVs, campers, and large vehicles unless otherwise noted.
Must-Do Hikes
🥾 Brandywine Gorge Trail (1.4 miles, 160 feet elev. gain): This trail takes visitors past the park’s most iconic and photogenic feature: Brandywine Falls. It’s possible to lengthen this trail through several extensions in the area, the most popular of which has hikers starting at Stanford Trailhead, which adds about 2.4 miles.
🥾 Ledges Trail (2.3 miles, 209 feet elev. gain): This trail guides hikers through some impressive rock formations – for which the trail is named – as well as an overlook of the surrounding forest.
🥾 Blue Hen Falls (2.4 miles, 508 feet elev. gain): This trail provides access to a beautiful and isolated waterfall for which the trail is named. Visitors can start from either the Boston Visitor Center or Boston Trailhead – the listed distance assumes the latter.
Must-Do Activities
🚴 Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail: 20 miles of this historic trail run through Cuyahoga Valley. The trail is accessible from a handful of trailheads, allowing visitors to pick and choose which parts of the trail they want to bike (or hike) along. If you have your own bicycle, remember to bring it. If not, the park offers bicycle rental services.
🚂 Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad: Generally following the canal, many visitors use this beautiful locomotive as their “return ticket” for activities being done on the Towpath Trail. Hikers, bikers, and kayakers commonly use in the train. Alternatively, you can simply ride the train through the park and enjoy the views.
Canoeing/Kayaking: The Cuyahoga River runs through the park, offering plentiful opportunity for paddling. Since the river is not maintained for recreational use, visitors must bring their own gear and maintain their own safety.
Nearby Activities
🏙️ Cleveland: Located within 30 minutes of the park, Cleveland provides plenty of things to do for those looking for an experience in a big city.
🌳 Cleveland Metroparks: 18 reservations are included as part of this urban park network. Opportunities to hike, camp, bike, kayak, and see Lake Erie are all part of the Cleveland Metroparks.
General Tips
📅 When to Visit: Cuyahoga Valley offers plenty to do year-round, but October provides the best opportunity to view fall colors that enhance the park’s beauty.
⌚ How Long to Visit: The average visitor can find satisfaction with Cuyahoga Valley in only 2-3 days.
🚗 How to Visit: The park is easy to access by car from anywhere in the Midwest or the East Coast. If visiting from further away, you may consider flying into Cleveland.
🛏️ Where to Stay: The park itself offers lodging at the Stanford House or Inn at Brandywine Falls. Camping is not available in the park, but opportunities for nearby camping can be found on the NPS website.
🧳 What to Bring: Due to its accessibility, Cuyahoga Valley doesn’t require the same level of packing or preparation that other national parks require. Bring your usual hiking gear and – if you have them – recreational equipment like a tent, bike, kayak, or canoe.
Do’s & Don’ts
✅ DO bring bug spray if visiting during the summer months.
❌ DON’T plan on camping in the park. Cuyahoga Valley does not offer camping within its borders. Instead, look to the nearby Metroparks for camping.
Cuyahoga Valley Review
Natural Beauty
Cuyahoga Valley feels more like a state park than a national park, thanks to the presence of roads, interstates, towns, and other infrastructure within its borders. This makes the park easy to explore, but takes away from the natural beauty.
Things to Do
The park offers a great variety of activities, but the average visitors will only be able to keep themselves busy for a couple of days. However, locals will likely find greater pleasure in the park’s offerings, like its many hiking & biking trails and birdwatching.
Accessibility
The infrastructure that makes the park feel less like a “national park” also makes it incredibly easy to access and explore. Paved roads take visitors just about everywhere and there are plenty of activities for those with disabilities.
Wildlife
While the park offers solid birding opportunities – and you may see an occasional deer or squirrel – those from the Midwest won’t find much in Cuyahoga Valley that they couldn’t find in their own backyards.
Escapism
Due to the high volume of visitors and its close proximity to society, it’s hard to get an “escapist” feel at Cuyahoga Valley. But, there are some spots that are quiet and peaceful.
Personal Experience
My visit to Cuyahoga Valley with Maria was pleasant and we enjoyed a variety of activities in the park. But – overall – it wasn’t particularly memorable.
Gallery
Here are some of the coolest things I saw at Cuyahoga Valley…