.png)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Our Hometown Park
- findusintheparks
- May 11, 2022
- 4 min read
Dakota and I feel very lucky to live only 30 minutes away from Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). It's great to get that national park feeling, without having to drive hours, or catch a flight to visit a park. We’ve been to CVNP countless times, and each time we visit we continue to find something new to experience. CVNP is extremely accessible, which is part of why it was established.
CVNP is a newer national park that was established in 2000. One of the main driving forces behind establishing CVNP as a park was to eliminate the urban sprawl that Northern-Ohio was experiencing in the 1960’s. CVNP was first a National Recreation Area, before it was a national park. CVNP protects the Ohio & Erie Canal, which was created in the 1800’s to connect the Ohio River to Lake Erie, which opened this area to much more travel, trade, etc. than before. This area that the park protects is also a national heritage area. Along the canal, is what us locals refer to as the Towpath Trail. This is a flat, wheelchair accessible trail that spans the entire length of the park, which is 20 miles. Many choose to hike or bike this trail. Dakota and I recently decided that we are going to attempt to either walk or bike the entire trail sometime in the near future.
The Boston Mills Visitor Center is a great place to begin when visiting CVNP. You can get your park map, speak to a park ranger, and there are multiple trails that leave from this area as well. Be cautious on very nice weekends, the parking lot can get especially busy.
More recently Dakota and I went to Beaver Marsh, which is a very popular area in the park. It is located on the Towpath Trail, easily accessible from the Ida Trailhead (once on the trail, turn left to go North). Beaver Marsh is a raised boardwalk that many photographers flock to, to take pictures of red-winged black birds, the Great Blue Heron, painted turtles, and you guessed it, beavers. Beaver Marsh used to be an old salvage yard, but there were many restorative efforts that happened to make it what we know it is today. When we went, we easily saw close to 100 tiny painted turtles, some snapping turtles, lots of birds, geese and their babies, but unfortunately no beavers. We walked from the Ida Trailhead to the Everett Trailhead and back, which turned out to be roughly three miles. Because the path is completely flat, it is an easy three miles. You can tell this is our new favorite by all the pictures. When I went to take a picture of the Ira Trailhead sign, I was walking in the grass alongside the road, when I was greeted by a not-so-friendly snake. I wish I could have seen my face! Just a reminder to always watch your surroundings.
Another one of our favorite places to go to in CVNP is the Ledges Trail. This was our first experience of the park, and we loved it. This trail is relatively short depending on if you complete the entire loop (halfway through is the Ledges Overlook; from here you can complete the loop or cut across the lawn back to the parking lot), and it is relatively easy as well. This loop is a total of 1.8 miles. It offers great scenery, the smell of pine trees, and a nice hike into a different area of the park.
Another favorite of ours is Brandywine Falls. This part of the park can get busy - but for good reason. The falls are gorgeous, and you have a few different viewpoints to see them as well. Now when I say busy, I don't mean the grocery store on Sunday. Once Dakota and I were waiting in line for a parking spot, and this person in their car goes past the entire line (opposite of the one-way direction), and attempts to hit their car into another car just to get their parking spot. Dakota and I ultimately decided to leave that day, because we don't take waterfalls as seriously as others... There is also the Brandywine Gorge Loop that leaves from the parking lot. This is a 1.5-mile moderate hike. Sturdy shoes are recommended, and there is a 160-foot elevation change. Dakota and I really enjoyed this hike as it was relatively quiet (most people just go to the falls), and very scenic. However, if you are planning to visit Brandywine before September 30th, 2022, the parking lot and part of the trail will be closed for safety repairs.
We have also visited the Everett Covered Bridge. It used to provide safe crossing over Furnace Run, but it is now a popular photography destination that also has a few trails that leave from this area. Dakota and I have yet to experience these trails.
I always thought one of the downsides of this park is that you are constantly going in and out of different towns to get to different places in the park. However, now that I think about it more, it is the sole reason this park is so accessible, and it is something to be thankful of. A lot of people enjoy parks because it is so far away from society, however I think CVNP gets overlooked for this very reason. You can still ‘get away’ in CVNP, you just have to try a little harder…
Dakota and I are grateful to live this close to a park. Whenever we want to get away, take a hike, etc., this is the first place we think of. There are a lot of other things you can do in CVNP that we haven't mentioned, like paddling the canal, taking the scenic railroad through the park (Sneak Peak: more on that soon!), birding, backpacking, and horseback riding!
There is something out there for everyone, and that’s where we’ll be. If
you can’t find us at home, you can find us in the parks (Probably at CVNP!)
With safe travels and love,
Dakota & Kayla
All information presented in this blog has been taken directly from the National Park’s website. All opinions are my own and I do not receive any payment for them. This information and more can be found in the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
Comments