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.

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.

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.

This is a great place to go if you just want to go for a hike swim or just plain relaxread more

The boat house with different watercraft rentals. A great way to get some sun and exercise. The…read morerentals are only during the warmer part of the season.

I figured I would start off my staycation with a nice day of kayaking so I figured a nice paddle…read morefrom Kent to Cuyahoga Falls would be fun. I went online to Paddletheriver.com to book the trip with Burning River Adventures, making the reservation was easy, you can even do the waiver online to make the trip easier. Since I have my own kayak booking the 6 mile trip only cost $15. I arrived at the Waterworks Park in Cuyahoga Falls without much trouble, it is a couple of miles from the downtown exit of Route 8. Burning River does not have a permanent building at the park, but they do meet you at the boat ramp location with a van with trailer and a mobile office. Check in was easy and the driver helped me to load my kayak on the trailer, he also pointed out where to park and the bathroom nearby. When the other groups who were going had arrived we got the safety talk and advise on how to paddle the section of river we would be covering. We then loaded up the van and headed out. We got to the Middlebury Road river access point which is the put in for the 4 mile trip that the rest of the guests were taking. Not only did the driver get everything unloaded, but he got into the river and all of the people loaded into their kayaks and going on the river; this was very helpful as the put in seemed a bit steep. I did note that they put GPS trackers on the rental kayaks so they would know when they were coming to the takeout location and could help them out. After that we drove the rest of the way to the Kramer Field river access location in Kent; I was hoping we were going a bit further up river to the John Brown Tannery Park location, but the difference is only about 1/4 mile. The put in here is very narrow and steep so I was glad to have help getting my kayak to the river. Once to the river I had time to get myself all setup and launch right under the bridge. From Kent downriver to Cuyahoga Falls in an interesting run, there are nice mellow stretches with some occasional rapids. The river mostly stays in a shallow ravine with plenty of woods and vegetation. The feel is that you are in the wild even though you are actually passing through some fairly populous cities. You do pass a number of houses that back up to the river, but they are few and far between. The river overall is a great paddle, with nothing too challenging; with the water levels pretty high from recent rain there was one small section of whitewater just as I was coming into Newton Falls that did give me a pretty sizeable spash. During the trip I saw a number of Blue Herons, some turtles, deer and a falcon. The bridge at Newton Falls is being rebuilt, but it is easy to still go underneath. Arriving into Waterworks Park you still have about 1/2 mile until you get to the takeout ramp. Luckily the driver was there to help me get out of the kayak and then get the kayak up to my car. I would recommend Burning River Adventures as a great outfitter if you are looking to get out and have some fun paddling on the Cuyahoga River. The run from Kent to Cuyahoga Falls is a nice section of the river. Burning River uses very nice sit on top kayaks which are easy to get on and off. The staff is friendly and knowledgably, plus they do a good job of getting newer kayakers on the river in a safe manner. For those who have their own kayak the cost is very reasonable to get a shuttle up river and your car is located at the takeout which is very convenient. Get out there and enjoy yourself. We are lucky enough to have some great recreational opportunities in this area and the Cuyahoga River has opened up a lot of places to access the river.

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!

Having done another hike at Hinckley Reservation I realized I had not posted a review for one of…read morethe gems of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Hinckley offers as diverse a range of activities and some of the best view as any other park in the area. Most people know Hinckley from the annual Buzzard festival, the nice lake and the awesome ledges, but that is just scratching the surface. With the newly renovated dam and the lake refilled Hinckley Reservation is once again at its peak. I have often hiked at Hinckley, my most recent hike started at the Top of the Ledges picnic area, went down through the Ledges, along the North side of the Hinckley Lake Loop, on the Bridal Trails and then the Buckeye Trail back through the Ledges. If you are looking for some interesting hiking the Bridal Trails provide some nice variety from open fields, stream crossings, hills and narrow winding trails. Whipp's Ledges are some of the most impressive you will see; they provide multiple routes and views, plus there is actual rock climbing allowed. Less well known are Worden's Ledges on the other side of the park which while smaller still are lots of fun and they have some interesting carvings that are well worth visiting. The Lake provides the opportunity for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. There is a nice boathouse where you can rent a boat at reasonable rate, and while not terribly challenging, the lake is picturesque and getting out on the water is always a great time. Although I have never taken advantage at the bottom of the dam there is a nice beach and swimming area. Hinckley Reservation is a wonderful asset and a great way to get outside and enjoy yourself. This is a large park with plenty to do and see. Never been disappointed with a visit here.

I love that this park is never boring. I start my visit at the park store. The employees are…read moreexceptionally nice, I think they love when people stop by and say hello. They had so many t-shirts and sweatshirts with the Cleveland Metro Park logos and scenery. I bought one months ago in pink with a squirrel on it. I also like their selection of plush toys, kids gifts, socks, etc. Please go in and have a cup of coffee and support the park. The trail is definitely an adventure as you walk around the park, and now IT's FULL OF WATER AGAIN!! As you walk look at the color of the trees, the trees that are barely hanging on, and the trees that became part of the waterscape! Beauty! As you get to the beach are and new dam you can appreciate all of the work put into getting this back and better than it was. So get your FITBIT, Apple Watch or any pedometer type technology and start steppin'. Say hello to my friends at the store. Let them know Cee Cee sent you! Lol

Spillaway This park…read morehad a great natural swimming area. The lake overflows like a waterfall into a swimming area. There is a beach area and life guards. Then the swimming area overflows into a stream. The kids love walking through th me stream looking for crayfish and other animals. There is a bathroom and changing area. Plus a little snack area with ice cream and other snack items. Great family fun!

This park has so much beauty everywhere you look. I appreciate nature and coming here throughout…read moreall of the different seasons. It's so refreshing to see so many people walking. There was this little girl with rosiest cheeks I've ever seen laughing as she walked with her family. She and her siblings were laughing and running with her siblings. This made me smile as I thought those are great parents taking their kids for w walk in this winter wonderland. It was in the 20's but it felt great. I'm so thankful for all of our parks in Ohio. The waterfall looks so pretty. The trails are not difficult to do. There are your slight inclines, with snow and ice it can be a little slippery just slow down or make sure you have proper footwear. People on the trail are pretty friendly and will say hello as they are walking by. You got this!!

What a cool park with a scenic railway that comes through the area - waterfalls, woodlands and all…read morethe things you would expect for a national park to have - plus it's close to the city(ites) of Akron and Cleveland! I have driven through several times as I work in the area. It's a beautiful site and so refreshing to drink in the natural beauty and enjoy a fresh relief from work!

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.