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.

Small but beautiful national park to visit, good for a half day trip…read more I went to the Boston Mills visitor center first and a very friendly volunteer ranger gave me the rundown of the park, trails, scenery. I hiked the Brandywine Falls trail and the trail was paved and nicely maintained with steps leading down to the falls. Short 15 min 1 mile loop worth doing. Overall, the park is small but beautiful and there is no entrance fee and plenty of parking. Can be done in as little as 2 hours.

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.

I love visiting this part of the CVNP. The parking lot here is usually pretty full, but I can…read moreusually find a place to park. There are bathrooms located here as well. This waterfall is impressive for being in Ohio and it attracts many people to it. If you are able to do stairs, I recommend checking it out. It's a short walk from the parking lot. The entrance is easily seen from the parking lot. The ramp/stairs (wood) can be slippery due to the weather, so be careful. The rock formation hangs slightly over as well. You are also able to hike the border too. It's a very nice area. I definitely recommend checking it out just be mindful and keep it clean. Respect the area.

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.

The Kendall Lake and Shelter is a peaceful space in the Cuyahoga Valley National Forest. The…read morecurrent shelter houses well-maintained bathrooms and a covered area of picnic tables. The shelter was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1935 as a bathhouse for the lake that was also created by the Corp. The lake is stocked with bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. There is a large paved parking area.

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.

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

We had heard a lot about the Ledges Trail leading up to our visit, so we were very much looking…read moreforward to it. It delivered! As promised by the name, there are a number of ledges that create some recesses, caves, balancing rocks, and a great overlook area - though it can be hard to see through the tree canopy if the leaves are still up. We saw some fun plant life that was neat to see too.

Beautiful area to walk your dog roller blade biking enjoy the paved path or dirt path and there…read moreare some good restaurants too There is also the train something for everyone!

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.

Well, I can't say the long 45 minute drive was successful; unless you live within walking distance…read moreit's not worth exploring at all. It is basically a large field wedged in between two cookie cutter developments. And since most of the half million dollar houses in these plastic little neighborhoods don't actually have yards this is one big community plot. If you have small children then this park does have a great playground and a large shelter house that would be a secluded location for a large event. However, the lone baseball diamond & might as well be non existent trail are just sad.