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.

Stopped here to eat my subway. It had a nice size parking…read morelot and I saw a few picnic tables. It wasn't that busy when I stopped, but the area is very nice and I can see it being very busy on the weekend.

This is a nice area. We opted for the Rock Creek Trail through the woods, meandering alongside the…read morecreek of its name. It's an enjoyable place to walk. There is a lodge near the parking lot, which looks like a great event space. A good-sized paved parking lot is available.

You say you want your fishing easy? Don't want to walk far for your bluegill outing? Prefer to be…read moreout in the open, rather than bushwhacking the wilderness? Coonrad, then, is your lake. You could have your rod in your hand (ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo), stumble out of your vehicle, fall down face-first and your lure or fly or worm would plop into the lake. It is that close to parking. While some would find that a nice feature, the trade-off is that you'll be right next to Riverview and the buzzing traffic heading north and south through the park. They'll look at you, some quizzically, standing at the base of the driveway to the park security headquarters, casting into the tiny pond. They will also make a mental note to come back with the old Zebco and haul out some panfish. Take four or five minutes and catch a tiny fish, kiss its slimy nose, and release it back into the pond. Life is, indeed, good.

Blue hen falls I…read morestarted at the Boston visitor center. It's a great starting point for hiking. They have restrooms and a visitor center. I popped in before the hike to talk to a ranger about some possible options. I wanted to do the blue hen falls trail which is located across the street. The trail is 1.5 miles each way and ends at the falls. There is some elevation and stairs but I beautiful waterfall to view. Since I wanted to extend my hike a little longer I continued on the buckeye trail and was along the river part of the hike. I see a hawk fly low in the tree and several birds and frogs along the adventure.

Cuyahoga Valley wasn't so much a National Park as it was a collection of overgrown back yards that…read moreyou had to drive between. The layout of the "park" makes it feel like a constellation of loosely connected pockets of nature in an otherwise developed suburb. I visited the major sites, including Brandywine Falls, Beaver Marsh, and the Ledges. They were fine, some decent hikes and views of different natural formations. Did I feel like I was seeing something truly unique, a natural wonder? No. Of the 20+ parks I've been to, Cuyahoga Valley struck me as the most ordinary and least cohesive experience thus far.

Visited Burning River with my kids to go kayaking down the Cuyahoga River. Upon arrival, they were…read moreonly offering one of the three trips, which was the 2.5 hour excursion. We were short on time, but we did it anyway. We decided to paddle the entire time to speed it up. The driver who took us up stream was friendly and he chatted with us during the drive. Then he put our kayaks in the water and helped us board them. After paddling the entire time, it took us less than 1.5 hours to complete the trip. My daughter was happy because she had plans that evening. The river was scenic, there weren't a lot of people on it, and I'd definitely do this again. There were some shallow areas in the river where my kayak touched the bottom, but I was able to paddle out of it. Good times!

What a fun time! They do all the work getting kayaks in and out of the water- can't beat these…read moreprices either. Wonderful trip! And thanks to the young woman who helped us check in, you were very friendly

Stopped in to buy some tick spray and instead of just telling me it's upstairs, buddy walked me up…read moreand showed me where it was. He also gave me a quick rundown on how to use it and the history of said product. If only all workers could be so helpful. Didn't know this place was even here till recently. I'll be back when up that way. Reminds me of the stores you see in various mountain towns. People want to complain about the price of the clothes obviously don't know what they're looking at. It's about the same price online for those top-tier brands. Check em out!

The selection of quality outdoor gear is spot on! My family and I loved this place! Even if it's…read moreoff your planned path, head that way anyway.

Good luck finding this pond. I'll help, if I can. From Oak Hill Road, you can only head east on…read moreScobie Road. About a quarter mile down, on the left, is a tiny pull-out, just enough for two cars, with an even tinier sign that reads "Goosefeather Pond." You'll drive right by it, I know. I have, and I already KNOW where it is. If you get to the "Giant Field of Antennae" you'll know you've gone too far. (With all those towers, I can't help but sing the Tom Waits song, "What's He Building In There?" I'm pretty sure he bought the thousand-pack of "No Trespassing" signs. Sheesh, we get it. Stay out. Okay, okay.) Walk about a hundred yards straight south from the "parking area" and you'll see Goosefeather. The dam is at the opposite end, and that's the deeper end. Very quiet, private, serene. A private residence is just to the west; they have a short bit of frontage on the pond, too. Stay clear of their property, if in fact it IS their property... Look for the trail to the east of the little parking lot; I made the mistake of heading right toward the lake and discovered the swamp instead. The fishing is un-spectacular with all the usual suspects: bluegills, perch, bluegill, sunfish and bluegill. There may be bass; I'll have to go back and check. One of the park service's finest was carefully manicuring the lawn by the dam, just in case anyone else can find this place. Aside from sitting on the grass or fishing, there really isn't much more this spot has to offer. Bird-watching, I suppose. Navel-gazing. Woogling, if you're careful.

We rented a pontoon at Dusty's we had an awesome time. Nathan was great help and the boat was…read morefantastic. Would definitely recommend

Dusty's Landing is a fantastic place to spend the day out on the water with family or friends it's…read morevery quiet and relaxing and enjoyable on a great sunny day and there's actually bars that serve food and you can dock your boat or pontoon and have a little lunch and a cocktail and then get back out on the lake and continue just relaxing or fishing or just enjoying the water and beautiful home surrounding the lake