Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park

With summer just around the corner and the weather finally nice enough for hiking, camping, kayaking and all those other fun outdoors-y activities, I figured I’d write up a post on my trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park back in March.

Park History

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in Ohio (am I the only one who only just realized Ohio had a national park?) and is so-called for the 100-mile river of the same name that runs through the park. It was designated a national park in 2000. The park had good signage and new facilities with really helpful rangers. It is also a free park, meaning no park pass required!

Parking was plentiful, even with the trails still decently busy, despite the weather. I’m a big believer in spreading out travel, because tourism demand can really strain the environment, but I will say the views were not as impressive as maybe they are in high summer. It snowed while I was there which was pretty magical, but right now I’m thinking April is probably the earliest I will do a National Park again.

Getting There

This park is very conveniently located about 17 miles from Cleveland, which is also the nearest airport. I always drive (when I can) and the ride from Eastern PA was very easy (a little under 6 hours).

Trails at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

As usual, leave no trace and always grab a map/picture of the trail before beginning.

Brandywine Falls is a must see. There is a 1.6 mile loop hike that’s not too challenging or you can just do the boardwalk to the falls. There is an upper and lower viewing desk, with roughly 80 steps to the lower deck. Similar to New River Gorge. It was absolutely stunning.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a through path with a bunch of different scenic perspectives. I parked by the “start” at the Boston Mill Visitor Center path but there are multiple entrances throughout the park. This is great if you’re looking for something more chill, as it is sometimes paved and mostly level.

For anyone looking for a one and done, I would recommend checking out the Everett Covered Bridge. There is a trail that goes along with it, but the bridge is right off the parking lot if you just want to check that out (that’s what I did).

Accommodation

There are a number of hotels surrounding the park. The Inn at Brandywine Falls is renown and historic (and mere steps away from the Brandywine Falls mentioned above) but is/recently went through a change of ownership, so I’m not sure what the vibe is there. I always prefer booking my hotel by my last hike so when I’m done hiking for the day, I don’t have to spend any extra time driving. I stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites and it was fine for the price.

To be honest, this was my least favorite park I’ve been to so far. I’ve done Acadia, Shenandoah, and New River Gorge. Part of it I’m sure was the fact that I went in March so there wasn’t much flora or foliage, even though it did snow when I went, which was pretty cool. The hikes and scenery were beautiful but not awe inspiring the way the other parks have been. It’s still a national park, still spectacular, I’m glad I did it, but it was going against some tough competition. Stay tuned for Congaree National Park next and happy hiking!