A train from the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad arrives at the station in Peninsula, Ohio. (Credit: Ken Drenten)
By Ken Drenten
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is Ohio’s only national park — an unlikely one at that — but it’s full of surprises.
Unlikely because it’s nestled between the metropolitan areas of Cleveland and Akron-Canton with the Cuyahoga River running through it. The 32,500-acre area seems a strange place for a national park. Yet it is a place of waterfalls and forests; gorges, ledges and other unique geological features; rolling hills, lush valleys, meadows and marshes; farmlands of corn, soybeans and livestock; the historic Ohio & Erie Canal and quaint villages. Winding through it all is the Cuyahoga River.
The park was designated a national recreation area in 1974 and a national park in 2000. A unique aspect of CVNP is its connection with Cleveland Metroparks on its northern end and Summit Metroparks on its southern end. Both metropark systems blend seamlessly with the national park.
Click on the video link to view scenes from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. If the video does not work in the email, please use this link — https://youtube.com/shorts/s3oNCCzJpa8?feature=share
One of the most-visited sites in the park is Brandywine Falls, a dramatic 65-foot waterfall on Brandywine Creek that is accessible by boardwalk and steps. Blue Hen Falls, a 15-foot waterfall, can be accessed by a more challenging trail with steep and rocky stretches. Other waterfalls nearby include Bridal Veil Falls and Great Falls of Tinker’s Creek.
At the park, visitors can ride bicycles or walk along the Towpath Trail, hike on 125 miles of hiking trails, canoe or kayak on the river, take a train ride and more. There are also two ski resorts in or near the park, Brandywine Ski Resort and Boston Mills Ski Resort.
A good place to start exploring the national park is at the Boston Mill Visitor Center, 6947 Riverview Road, Boston, Ohio. This is the main visitor center with restrooms, books, park guides, souvenirs, and staff to provide information and resources.
Other visitor centers are the Canal Exploration Center and Hunt House, both open seasonally. Visitors can view demonstrations of how canal locks worked at the Canal Exploration Center.
A popular mode of transportation in the park is the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which has depots at Akron Northside, Peninsula, Brecksville and Rockside. Visitors can take trips of various lengths through the park in renovated railroad cars from June through October.
The park is also near or adjacent to other features, including Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Hale Farm & Village, Everett Covered Bridge, Squire Rich Historical Museum, Alexander’s Mill, and Brandywine, Sleepy Hollow and Shawnee Hills golf courses.
Sprinkled throughout the park are villages such as Boston, Peninsula and others, offering restaurants, art galleries and studios, bookstores, taverns, antique shops, farm markets and more.
There is no camping permitted within the national park, although a number of private campgrounds are located nearby. West Branch State Park is the nearest state park campground, about 25 miles away near Ravenna.
Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.
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