The cool thing about where I reside is that I live about 15 minutes from CVNP which is awesome because it’s a National Park! There’s already 1/63 accomplished! Throughout the years I have run, walked, biked numerous trails throughout the park. There are trails I don’t really like and some I love and here is the article that will provide you with the many trails you can hike, bike, run, etc. But first, let me provide you with some history of the park/facts (skip if you don’t care):
- Only National Park in OH
- Designated in 2000
- In Summit County
- Former inhabitants of Cuyahoga Valley were Indians
- Has about 100 waterfalls-most famous is Brandywine Falls
- Has living history park Hale Farm and Village (highly recommend)
- Overall, read https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm for more info!!
Now, onto some trails!!
The Ledges Trail
Probably the most popular and to me, the most adventurous. You can start by parking at Ledges Trailhead and start your hike by stopping by the overlook. Truly a stunning scene, especially during sunset or sunrise or even the fall season, the continuous span of trees against a clear blue sky will take your breath away. Instagram-worthy photos await you as you can stand on the ledges, put a hammock on the trees, or even sit on the edge of the cliff rocks.
As you sit on the rocks-or stand-take in the breeze and just relax. Then go take your hike. You thought standing on rocks on a ledge was interesting-in this hike not only will you be traversing through hundreds of rocks on the ground but alongside them (rather called ledges). They are your walls on this journey. I know they’ll look tempting to climb. I know you’re inner adventurer will want to come out. But you can’t climb the ledges, I know, very sad. Preservation reasons. Oh, you’ll also be ascending and descending stone stairs.
My good friend Sophia and I did this hike in the fall and the scenery that morning with the red, orange, and yellow leaves and crisp air made us wish the hike didn’t end.
I’m not going to walkthrough the whole hike because I want you to navigate and experience it for yourself but I highly recommend this hike (’tis a must do) especially during a nice summer or fall day and in the morning maybe with a cup of Joe. Maybe not, just don’t fall and waste that cup of Joe. Now, that’ll be sad.
The Brandywine Loop
Mmm, the infamous waterfall that has made onlookers oo and aa for many years. Rightfully so as it is the tallest waterfall in NE OH and to me one of the most beautiful. It isn’t like it’s one single stream. They call it a bridal veil fall due to the many streams flowing down and the fact they aren’t very full streams as you can see the rocks they are cascading down.
Sophia, as hiking is our thing, and I did the loop. Now, we could have just walked from our cars straight to the deck to see the falls but we decided even though it was sprinkling out, wet, and muddy that we weren’t going to be lazy. We were going to do the loop. We did it in the morning so the crowds wouldn’t be bad so we would have room on the platform to stare in awe at the waterfall. It’s about a 1.5 mile hike for the loop with the waterfall at the finish to accomplish you on your such hard work.
Please do this during a sunny day instead of sprinkling to get a better view unless you want amazing memories of slipping and sliding on the trail laughing at yourself and with your best friend.
Blue Hen Falls
Now, this trail is probably the lesser known one. When Sophia mentioned it to me I had never heard of it until then. You know when she mentioned it and when we did it-the winter. Not to mention it was snowing, wet, and muddy. I will never complain about hiking especially with Sophia as we always create great memories for each hike rain or sunshine.
This one is a hilly one-both to and fro. There is a 580 foot elevation increase. Do this on a dry day so you don’t slip up and down like we did haha (but we had lots of fun)! There is also a 100 foot staircase. Yay! But the waterfall is well worth it. It’s not very high and there are 2 steady, small streams a flowin’. To me, it was quaint and peaceful. Somewhat hidden. It was truly lovely.
Towpath
Towpath is the most common and you’ll hear that word a lot when you’re in CVNP. During my cross country days and even when I was training for the Akron Half Marathon I used these trails. 20/100 of those miles are in CVNP. Where I ran was near Szalay’s Farm (very good BTW). I would run the trail that goes past Lock 32 (there are numerous locks you will encounter) and run the trail along the farm fields. Usually I ran 2 miles down and back but you can keep going and going and going. I passed lots of couples, bikers, and families. The towpath almost always has a good crowd. Not as scenic as the others but good for exercise.
Trust me, there are more than the 4 trails listed but these are the most popular. If I encounter a new one I will for sure update as I want to give you the best advice on the trails of this vast and amazing (and sometimes underrated National Park).
Salt Run
This 3.8 mile loop is one Sophia and I did…in the dead of heat. We wanted to do a new hike and she recommended this one. It starts off in a huge field near a white shed looking building. Soon, you go off into the woods and continue from there. Sophia and I use the AllTrails app to navigate our way.
The hike was 95% woodsy and somewhat hilly. We were breathing heavy at some points (was it because we were out of shape…I don’t know). About 10-15 hikers passed us during our 1.5 hour endeavor.
Overall, a moderately difficult hike but manageable! Bring your bug repellant lol.
Bonus Info
Even though this article is about the trails, I also wanted to share some other info. CVNP has a train YES A TRAIN that you can ride. AKA the Scenic Railroad-this ride weaves through the many offerings and sites of CVNP. Sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery as you chug along CVNP. This is also great for kids! There is an events for children every winter where the train embodies the Polar Express. I personally never did it but all I’ve heard is great things.
Going on this train ride does come at an additional cost ranging from $13-28 (per https://www.cvsr.org/national-park-scenic/).
Another piece of info I will share is the restaurant there the ‘Winking Lizard Tavern.’ Although this tavern holds multiple locations it is very popular for CVNP travelers. My family and I have gone here for years and have had a pleasant experience each time. They also have free popcorn! I would say the genre of their food is bar food. Every one of my dishes has been good. I recommend the following:
- Mac and Cheese Wedges (good appetizer)
- Lizard Freckles (fried pickles)
- Soft Bavarian Pretzel Sticks
- Cajun Chicken Sandwich
- Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza (I ate the whole damn thing in one sitting it was that tasty)
- Traditional Wings (we got the spicy sesame)
- The side of fries isn’t bad either
Website (in case you like to look at menu’s like I do and pre-plan my meal lol): https://www.winkinglizard.com/
I hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you have any questions about the park do not hesitate to contact by email or social media. JSYK this article will be updated each time I collect new info or photos.
Happy trails!!
