Cuyahoga Valley National Park Guide
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in Ohio just 30 minutes outside of Cleveland. This park offers many great hikes, and a bike trail that follows the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. In this Cuyahoga Valley guide, we will also recommend kid friendly and dog friendly activities!
Boston Mill Visitor Center
We always visit the visitor centers whenever we go to a National Park, but this one felt different. Although it was very small, it was very updated on the inside and there were multiple park rangers going over the map of the park and recommending trails and parking for the day. They were very helpful to us, and of course we bought a magnet while we were there.
Hikes
Brandywine Falls
A beautiful 65-foot waterfall with many different ways to view the falls. Parking is very limited so try to get there in the early morning or late afternoon. To get to the main views of the falls, start at the trailhead and follow the boardwalk to the upper viewing deck. The upper viewing deck is wheel-chair accessible! To get to a lower viewing deck, you will go down about 80 stairs. To get to other views of the falls, hike the Brandywine Gorge Loop.
Brandywine Gorge Loop
This 1.5 mile hike has a 160 foot elevation change. To take this loop, take a left onto the loop just before the boardwalk. This hike takes you down into the creek, and back up over the falls. This is a great way to see another angle of Brandywine Falls!
Beaver Marsh
This is a great area to see wildlife! Depending on the season, you will see many birds, bees buzzing around flowers, frogs on open lily pads, etc. You can access this hike on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. We parked at the Ira Trailhead and accessed the hike that way. This hike was flat and contained sections of gravel and boardwalk over the marshes. While on this trail, we saw many people with dogs, and many bicyclists.
The Ledges
This is a 1.8 mile loop that goes through many rock formations. It is unpaved with some elevation gain and is not wheelchair accessible.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a historic train that takes you through the scenic part of the park. On this train ride, you can learn about the history of the park, get some food and beverages, and cool off in the air conditioning. This would be a great activity for the whole family, including children! The train ride is around 2 hours long and ticket costs range from $18-38 for adults and $13- 33 for kids. We boarded at the Akron Northside station. There was ample parking and benches to sit on while we waited for the train to arrive. You can read more about them and purchase tickets here!
Junior Ranger Program
On one of the days we visited, the Junior Ranger program was in full swing! You can pick up a Junior Ranger Handbook and Activity Card at the Boston Mill Visitor Center. Once completed, kids can earn a Junior Ranger Badge! They have a large amount of activities for children during the summer. Check their calendar for their upcoming ranger talks and junior ranger program activities!
Other Things to do
- Explore Akron. Only a 20 minute drive from the park, or 10 minutes from the train station, this city has many things to do. There are many breweries and restaurants in the area to check out. Traveling with kids? Visit the Akron Zoo, the Children’s Museum, or Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders.
- Explore Kent. Just a 25 minute drive from the park, this small town is another option to stop for food, and they often have events on their main street. We stopped there to check out the Harry Potter festival happening and got some Mexican food for lunch!
- Hike to Blue Hen Falls from Boston. This is a longer and hillier hike that is best done on dry days. It is a 3 mile loop with a waterfall at the end.