GOhio! Adventures Around Columbus

Cuyahoga Valley National Park was first designated as a National Recreation Area in 1974 and later upgraded to a national park in 2000, reflecting its significance as a natural and cultural resource in Ohio.

The park preserves the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal, constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, which was vital for transportation and commerce, connecting the Great Lakes to the Ohio River and spurring economic growth in the region.

Before European settlement, the area was inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Erie and Iroquois, who used the Cuyahoga River for transportation and resources, with archaeological evidence of their presence dating back thousands of years.

In the 19th century, the valley was home to farms and small villages, with remnants like the Stanford House and Hale Farm showcasing rural life, while early industrial activities, such as milling, utilized the river’s power.

The park’s creation was driven by local grassroots movements in the 1960s and 1970s to protect the valley from urban sprawl and pollution, particularly after the infamous 1969 Cuyahoga River fire, which highlighted environmental concerns and spurred cleanup efforts.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park spans over 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, making it one of the few national parks in the Midwest.

It’s home to diverse ecosystems, with over 900 plant species, 200 bird species, and animals like beavers, otters, and white-tailed deer, supported by wetlands, forests, and meadows.

The park features a historic scenic railroad that offers rides through the valley, providing a unique way to experience the park’s landscapes and history.

It offers over 125 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, including the popular Towpath Trail, as well as winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Maps of the Park

Here is a map (as a web page) of the entire Park. Here is the same map separated out as a JPG.

Here is a collection of maps (as a web page) of all the hiking trails at the Park.

From the aforementioned collection of maps, here is a JPG of the trails in the northern half of the Park. And here is a JPG of the trails in the southern half of the Park.

Finally, also from the aforementioned collection of maps, here is a JPG of the Brandywine Falls area trails. And here is a JPG of the Ledges area trails.

Summary

For this event, we will hike about 5 total miles and explore two of the most popular areas of Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Brandywine Falls and The Ledges area.

Brandywine Falls is a very impressive waterfall that always draws a big crowd. Not in terms of volume, but in terms of speed and power, Brandywine reminds me of Niagara Falls. It's hard to not want to look at the Falls for a long time when you see them. We'll hike about a mile and a half here.

We'll start, though, at the Ledges area, which includes the Ledges, Haskell Run, Forest Point, and Pine Grove Trails. The highlight here is the Ledges Overlook; however, the stone steps and the Ice Box Cave are also popular. You will see all of these on the three and a half miles we hike here.

We are unlikely to hike the Pine Grove Trail (in the interest of time), but I will show you the trailhead and tell you what to watch for should you ever decide to hike it yourself. Were we to hike the Pine Grove, our 5-mile hike would become a 7-mile hike and probably 30-45 minutes longer. I won't deny it's a pretty trail, though, and it does have a mini-overlook of its own.

The strenuousness of this hike?

This will be a little bit of a challenging hike. It's generally not wet or muddy (though there can be spots), but it's got some elevation changes and semi-steep grades. Now, the grades tend not to be that long, but this is definitely a more challenging hike than, say, Highbanks or Deer Creek.

The trails are also rocky in spots. I don't think the rocks provide the greatest part of the challenge, though, and the rocks are generally not slick. They are an extra challenge that you have to negotiate, however.

I still recommend good hiking shoes and a change of socks.

Why should I drive all the way to Cleveland?

If you've ever hiked with me at one of Ohio's state parks, you've heard me inveigh against the bad signage therein. But Ohio's only national park takes "bad signage" to truly atrocious levels. It's literally the worst trail signage I've ever encountered in my life.

I've spent a lot of time at Cuyahoga Valley figuring out where everything goes so you don't have to. Come on out and let me show you around the Park so you don't get lost!

Godawful signage aside, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is actually a beautiful place, and we are lucky to have it so close to us and right here in Ohio. The hiking is great, the sights are incredible, and the diversity is impressive. You can't not ever go if you live this close to it!

After the hike(s)

Once we've finished at Brandywine, we'll head to the nearby (about 10 minutes away) village of Peninsula for drinks and food at Fisher's Cafe & Pub. If the weather cooperates, Fisher's has a nice patio.

GPS

Your GPS will work fine to get you anywhere in the Park, and you won't have a problem with your cell service. You can literally type "Ledges", "Brandywine Falls", and "Fisher's Cafe & Pub" directly into Google Maps, and it will work just fine.

Here are waypoints, though, that you can use for this event:

1. Ledges Trailhead (6FFQ+FW, Peninsula, OH 44264)
2. Brandywine Falls (8176 Brandywine Rd, Northfield, OH 44067)
3. Fisher's Cafe & Pub (1607 Main Street St, OH-303, Peninsula, OH 44264)

Restrooms and water fountains

Both the Ledges and Brandywine trailheads have restrooms. However, only Brandywine has a water fountain.

Carpooling?

For those who want to carpool or otherwise follow me up, we'll meet at the Polaris Target located at 1485 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus, OH 43240 at 10:35 a.m. and head out no later than 10:45 a.m.

However, you have to let me know that you want to do this. Otherwise, I'll just drive directly to the Park. Please note, I won't ride with you, nor will I let you ride with me. So if you want to catch a ride with someone, you should post in the comments below that this is what you want. You may also wish to offer to pay for gas for whomever you ride with, but that's between you and them. Waiting until the last minute to work out these arrangements, though, probably severely decreases your chances of snagging a ride. So I would recommend starting the process early.

Coffee and conversation at The Roosevelt Coffeehouse, located at Olentangy River Brewing.

They will also have a Venezuelan food truck that always gets good reviews.

We will meet next to the restrooms at the Big Meadows Picnic Area. They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates 40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W (near the playground and the zip line).

We'll hike about 5 miles at Highbanks Metro Park on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to Olentangy River Brewing for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday food truck is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews).

The actual address of the brewery is 303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035. If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon.

How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:

If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park).

Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.

Let's play various and sundry board games at Crooked Can Brewing! The brewery has extensive food options, a good amount of space, and a large (free) parking lot.

The games I bring come from the following list, but feel free to bring some of your own as well!

1. Bang!
2. Chinatown
3. Codenames
4. Coup
5. Deception
6. Family Feud
7. Just One
8. Mafia
9. Mexican Train Dominoes
10. Playing cards
11. The Resistance (Hidden Agenda)
12. Secret Hitler
13. Sequence
14. Settlers of Catan
15. So Clover!
16. Splendor: Marvel
17. Telestrations
18. Ticket to Ride
19. Tsuro
20. Ultimate Werewolf
21. Uno
22. Wits & Wagers
23. Yahtzee