Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Home to the Best Waterfalls in Ohio!
With its stunning landscapes and beautiful water features, Ohio’s one and only National Park . Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the place to be. Once you are here, you’ll find yourself roaming the tapestry of stunning waterfalls at each turn.
Getting to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in northern Ohio. You’ll find it in the outskirts of Akron, just about thirty minutes away from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Because of its urban setting, this place is a haven for road trippers. Plus, this little beauty’s entrance fee is free!
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Trails
The park can be enjoyed for several days on a long jaunt as well as a short, road trip destination. The thick forests and rocky cliff sides are beautiful backdrops for an afternoon hike. This aside, the biggest showstoppers is the waterfalls. Something one should definitely enjoy.
Top Waterfall Hike
Brandywine Gorge Trail to Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Gorge Trail and Brandywine Falls, the best and arguably the most beautiful hike and waterfall in Ohio. It’s easily accessible and has multiple viewpoints. It’s followed by a boardwalk past the rocky cliff sides for several tenths of a mile and overlooks the Brandywine Falls. The depth of the waterfall is quite surprising and has a way of sneaking up on you through the trees.
Once you’ve basked in the magic of the falls, just continue to finish the loop trail. The trail has several small elevation gains, water crossings and thick foliage. If you’re looking for a longer hike, connect to the adjacent Stanford House Trail; this adds about two more miles to the hike. A total of a 3.8-mile hike!
Other Waterfall Hikes
Though the top waterfall hike is Brandywine, there are others that are enjoyable as well. Blue Hen Falls is a bit daintier than Brandywine, but it has a mysterious way of cascading over a concave cliff side. The hike is only half a mile, but if you take the extended route through the hidden creek it adds an extra two miles to it.
The easiest hike is Cuyahoga is of Bridal Veil Falls. It’s half a mile in length and only thirty feet in elevation. The lack of length and difficulty is overcome by the romanticism it has to offer. The waterfall doesn’t just drop off, it gracefully cascades over several pillow-y levels until it falls to the river below.
Then we have the Linda Falls, another concave cliff. Graced by a beautiful waterfall. But there’s a catch to it. The waterfall only flows after it rains significantly. It is a two-mile-long hike and considered one of the least visited and secluded falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Parks.
So, have you made up your mind to make an escape to urban Ohio? Soak up the magic of the stunning waterfalls and best trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park!
