Cascades Park is not your typical neighborhood patch of Earth; yes it has a baseball diamond &…read moreshelter house, but if offers so much more. In very congested surroundings, this cute little park offers an educational experience as well as pleasurable. Here you will find tree plaques throughout the trail that inform you about the local species. There is also a number of exercise stations, generous playground, a small fraction of ledges hugging a tiny stream and an adorable butterfly garden! With two trails to choose from, you think it would be impossible to get lost. However, the old carved map is slightly misleading. Whichever trail you decide to explore you'll begin at the same starting point ;straight ahead you'll see a tiny wooden bridge- this path leads you wandering around...you cannot distinct between path & surroundings as nothing is marked. If you avoid this & veer to the right, one trail loops around the park while the other eventually takes you through a series of backyards & a golf course. Each trail is made up of twisting roots & tiny gravel so if you have a decent stroller (avoid the trail with a street name & take the loop only) you should be able to enjoy the park without any hiccups.

Literally the biggest playground slides I've ever seen. My 4 year old looooves this place, and…read morethere's also a small play area good for toddlers. We love the wooded walking trail, too.

Once, Horseshoe Pond belonged to a man who built a fine home on its shores. Now, decades later, it…read morebelongs to me. Oh, and you, too. It belongs to everyone, now that it is a part of the Cuyahoga National Park. What a glorious setting: sitting high above the valley, above the quarries where the canal stones were hewn, nearly two centuries ago. Surrounded by trees, but with a few large, grassy areas carved out it is perfect for hiking, picnics, bird-watching, fishing. Barred owls sit in the pines, small-mouth bass and bluegill rise to a #18 Parachute Adams and a hiking trail connects you with the rest of the park. I can stand at the south-east edge, casting into the algae-covered waters, and imagine I am high in the Rockies, or perhaps at a private preserve in Scotland. Yet another fine and free benefit afforded by this, our great democracy.

Gorgeous waterfall within Cuyahoga Valley Nat.Park, second most photographed (after Brandywine)…read morecan be reached by steep Buckeye Trail from Boston Mill Visitor Center. Pictured in a late summer..

One of my bucket list falls has finally been checked off -- Blue Hen Falls! It's quite a hike but,…read morepersonally, worthwhile for a nature lover like myself. It's not a huge fall but, definitely a beautiful, scenic view and easy to miss. GPS will definitely guide you directly to the fall but, it guides you right above the fall.

Brandywine Falls located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of my favorite places to hike…read more The Brandywine Falls area is easy to access, the main parking lot is located on Brandywine Road and is next to the falls themselves. There is a bathroom and water fountain here, so it is a nice stop on the bike and hike trail which passes by the falls. The falls is the tallest, one of the largest and most visited falls in Ohio, it is also one of the highlights of the National Park. The park has created a boardwalk that allows you to go into the gorge and get some great views of the falls. The boardwalk does have some steep stairs and you should be careful on your way down and back up. The falls is very picturesque and will give you different looks depending on the amount of water in the stream, the time of the year and the time of day. While the falls are great I really enjoy the hikes that are available in connection with the falls. The hikes take you down the gorge and there is a bridge that allows you to cross the stream and come back up the other side. The South side hike is a bit away from the stream and is mainly through the woods on hard dirt trails; there is a bit of ups and downs including some stairs and stream crossings on bridges. The North side trail is along the river and gorge and is steeper and can be a bit of a scramble. The total loop is about 1 1/2 miles with a nice bit of vertical for its length. You can also do longer hikes to the Stanford House or the Boston Mills visitor center. One of the things I enjoy is seeing the falls and the gorge in different seasons. During the summer the lot is usually full during most of the day, the gorge offers a rather cool and shady area when the day is hot. Fall has the changing leaves and cooler temperatures. Winter creates a whole different look. Finally, spring gives you the rushing stream and the transition from winter to summer. If you haven't been to Brandywine Falls you need to plan a visit, if you haven't been there recently it is well worth a return visit.

Fun part of Cuyahoga Valley, apparently it's one of the main draws for this national park…read more There are a few trails, including a loop around the falls that's under two miles, with a little bit of an incline but still not overly challenging. There's also a bike trail leading out from the trailhead to other parts of the valley. The falls were there. I suppose for this region they're a sight to behold, but if you've been to other waterfalls in pretty much any other part of the country/world, these won't be too impressive. Pleasant enough area for a shorter hike and cool geology.

This spot in the CVNP is super delightful and peaceful. I haven't yet hiked the trail that goes…read morearound the lake but have heard it's lovely. There is a shelter area if you're looking to have a covered picnic as well.

During our recent visit to Cuyahoga Falls National Park my wife and I happened upon this shelter…read moreand lake while searching for the Ledges Trailhead. The well maintained shelter and bath house were constructed in the 1930's by the local CCC Corp. The lake was also developed at that time to offer the local population an accessible recreational area during the Great Depression. Currently, the lake is stocked with several local species of catfish, blue gill and bass. What a peaceful, zen atmosphere! Fall is definitely the time of year to visit with the display of Nature's Colors.

We stopped here to do some work on photo development at one of their picnic benches. It was a nice…read morequiet spot with some trails.

The Ledges Trail is one of the best trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and one of the most…read morefrequently recommended trails in the area. You can access the trail from the Ledges Shelter House parking lot in the center of the trail; there is the Octogon Parking Lot that is on the lower level of the trail, and if you want a bit longer hike you can park at the Happy Days parking lot or the Kendell Lakes parking area. The Ledges Trail mainly is 2 circles, 1 on the top of the plateau, 1 surrounding the bottom of the plateau with a number of ways to connect from one loop to the other. The top loop is a bit easier with better overviews, while the lower loop lets you experience the interesting geography and more of the forest. Doing the double loop and the connectors will give you a very nice and interesting hike. If you want to add a bit more length and vertical parking at the Happy Days lot will give you a bit more; parking at the Kendell Lakes lot is an even longer and more ambitious hike. The East side of the Lower loop is a bit easier, although there are a couple of interesting places including the Icebox Cave (which you cannot enter to protect the bats) and a small stage like ledge. The West side of the lower loop has the much more spectacular ledges with almost vertical rock faces. The trail can be a bit challenging with rocks, roots, a winding path and multiple ways to go. On the upper loop there is a very nice overlook on top of a large rock ledge. The upper plateau also has a large field in the middle and the Ledges Shelter House which makes for a wonderful picnic area. On the West side of the lower loop there are also 2 smaller loops that let you get some more forest hiking, the Forest Point Trail and the Pine Grove Trail. There is also a bathroom and smaller picnic area by the Octagon building. Given the variety of terrain and attractions on and around the Ledges Trail and the assortment of trails which connect to it, this is one of my favorite areas in the National Park. There are plenty of ways to make a hike more or less challenging. Very interesting and very scenic. If you have never visited it should be on your list for a try; if it has been a while since you were there last it is always changing depending on the season, the weather and even how you hike the trail. Not the longest trail, but certainly one of the best.

Really beautiful trail! So happy they had CVNP open during the government shut down. The shelter…read morehouse bathroom was so clean too! We explored the loop & few off shoots. Fall color was beautiful

Towpath trail is for hiking AND bicycles! Started at Rockside and rode to Indigo Lake stop. Very…read morescenic, mostly flat to slightly uphill. Trail isn't fully paved, it's a fine gravel, but very nice on a hybrid bike. Well maintained and easy signs. If you take the train back with you bike, try to time your departure since waits are long between train loops.

Walking path near the Cleveland script sign that's is moderately easy and takes you down by the…read morelake. Scenery isn't the greatest as lots of warehouses around and it does not appear as anybody takes care of the landscape there. But it was a peaceful and relaxing walk.