Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio Niagara66 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

National Park · Ohio · National Park Service

Cuyahoga Valley National Park sits a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, though the National Park Service notes it can feel far removed from either city. The park protects the winding Cuyahoga River along with the forests, rolling hills, and farmland around it, and it carries layers of regional history — canals, railroads, mills, and farms — alongside its wetlands and waterfalls. It suits visitors looking for a mix of easy walking, cultural sites, and river scenery close to two major metro areas rather than a remote backcountry destination.

The park's activity list is broad: hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, fishing, and picnicking in warmer months, with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow play in winter. Its topic list spans African American Heritage, Native American Heritage, Women's History, Industry, and Music, indicating the range of stories told across its sites, alongside its natural themes of forests, watersheds, and wildlife.

Plan your visit

Trails

5 named routes 10.97 mi of walkable ways mapped within 2 km

  • 6.28 Buckeye Trail
  • 0.88 Stanford Trail
  • 0.66 Valley Trail
  • 0.56 Blue Hen Falls Spur
  • 0.32 Clayton-Stanford Trail

Know before you go

Phone
4407173890
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

On the ground

The Towpath Trail follows the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal, letting visitors trace the same corridor once used to move goods through the valley. Elsewhere, the Buckeye Trail runs 6.28 miles through the park, the longest of its named routes, while the Stanford Trail leads toward the Blue Hen Falls Spur, connecting hikers to one of the park's waterfalls.

Brandywine Falls is among the park's named waterfalls. Along with the Ledges, Octagon, Kendall Lake, and Kendall Hills areas, access to Brandywine Falls closes from dusk until the following morning's opening, a schedule set to protect these smaller, sensitive sites even though the park itself otherwise stays open around the clock.

Photos

Practical notes

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is open every day, 24 hours a day, except that Brandywine Falls, Ledges, Octagon, Kendall Lake, and Kendall Hills close from dusk until morning opening. A good starting point is the Boston Mill Visitor Center at 6947 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio. The park is reachable by car from all directions, by air through Cleveland Hopkins International Airport or Akron-Canton Regional Airport, by bus routes stopping near the park, or by Amtrak into downtown Cleveland. The park can be reached by phone at 4407173890.

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Sources: National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons / editorial, OpenStreetMap contributors, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12