Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio is located in an urban area basically between Cleveland and Akron. The park was created to protect the scenic landscape of the Cuyahoga River Valley. It was designed as a national recreation area in 1976 and received a national park status in the year 2000. Having federal protection helped clean the Cuyahoga River, which was so polluted that it caught on fire multiple times. The 1969 the river fire sparked outrage and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act. Below I describe 6 beautiful things to see in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which can be done in a day.
6 beautiful things to see in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Learn about the Ohio and Erie Canal
Our first stop in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park was at the Canal Exploration Center. Here we learned about the canal that connected the Ohio River with Lake Erie. Mind you, it is not the Erie Canal that was dug out to connect the Hudson River with Lake Erie in 1825. The Ohio & Erie Canal played an important role in connecting Ohio to the eastern United States via a water route. You can explore and learn a great deal at this stop.
Admire the Brandywine Falls
One of the 6 beautiful things to see in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is without question Brandywine Falls. A short trail takes you to an overlook where you can admire the 60 foot high waterfall. This is the most popular attraction in the park, so be prepared for company.
Hike the Ledges trail
The Ledges Trail is a nice 1.8 mile loop that takes you into a canyon of moss-covered walls of stone. I enjoyed hiking down into the rocky canyon but because it was incredibly humid, we didn’t do the whole loop. I’d recommend doing this hike in the fall when the trees turn color and the humidity goes down.
Check out the covered bridge
When I see covered bridges, I always think of the movie “Bridges of Madison County”. So, when I learned that there was a covered bridge in the park, I knew I wanted to see it. The bridge is really cute and it’s definitely worth a stop. It’s virtually right by the parking lot, so it’s convenient as well.
Stop by the visitor center in Boston Mill
Boston Mill is another interesting stop. You can explore the visitor center, stroll around the community or possibly catch the park train. When we visited, the train wasn’t running from the Boston Mill station but it might at other times of the year. It’s kind of a cool sight to have the visitor center looking like a train station.
Learn about the CCC work
As you travel through the park, you can learn about the work the Civilian Conservation Corps did in the park in the 1930s. Signs chronicling the impact of the CCC are posted around the park, something I am always interested in learning more about.
