Overview & Park History
Cuyahoga Valley is the only national park that began as a national recreation area. It is also a unique national park because it is sandwiched between two large urban areas – Cleveland and Akron. As early as the 1870s, people from the large urban areas began using the valley for recreation. Cleveland and Akron began establishing official parks in the area in the 1910s. Upon his death in 1929, Hayward Kendall left 430 acres around the Ledges to be used as park land. The area was original named Virginia Kendall Park after Hayward’s mother. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed trails and shelters in the valley. Concerns about pollution in the Cuyahoga River began to rise after it caught on fire in 1952 and again in 1969. Citizens banned together to clean up the waterway. In 1974, President Gerald Ford designated the valley a national recreation area. Cuyahoga Valley was designated as a national park in 2000.
Dog Friendly!
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is very dog friendly! Dogs can go almost everywhere – just not in park buildings or on the train. Our dog, Liberty, loved exploring the waterfall trails in this park, but her favorite spot was the Ledges Trail!
The Ledges Trail
The Ledges Trail is a 1.8 mile trail that circles a plateau of interesting rock formations. The parking lot is actually on top of the plateau and hikers must walk down to the trail. The trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. We were impressed by the stone staircases that blend into the landscape.
Liberty loved the Ledges Trail! Even though we were in the park on a warm summer day, this trail is shaded and cool. Here’s some video that Liberty took on her GoPro:
Waterfalls
The park has several nice waterfalls. We visited two – Brandywine Falls and Blue Hen Falls. Brandywine Falls is an impressive 60 foot waterfall. According to the National Parks Service, it is the most popular spot in the park. The parking lot is located at 8176 Brandywine Road in Sagamore Hills Township. There is a great, partially accessible boardwalk the leads to the falls.
The Blue Hen Falls trail is approximately 3 miles round trip out and back. The trail is heavily wooded but has minimal elevation gain. The falls is only 15 feet tall, but it is beautiful.
Biking the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail
The Ohio & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1832. It connected Cleveland and Lake Erie to the Ohio River, which connected Ohio to the settled parts of the eastern Unites States. The Towpath Trail follows the historic canal’s route passing remnants of the canal.
We rented bicycles at Century Cycles in Peninsula. Adding to the dog friendly nature of the park, Century Cycles has dog trailers available for rent. We aren’t sure Liberty loved the trailer, but we were glad that she could join us on our ride.
We rode from Peninsula to the Conrad Botzum Farmstead and back – approximately 14 miles roundtrip. Our favorite features on the trail were the canal’s locks and the Beaver Marsh.
Everett Covered Bridge
Everett Covered Bridge is the last remaining covered bridge in Summit County. It is located at 2370 Everett Road in Peninsula, a half mile west of Riverview Road. The bridge is thought to have been built around 1877.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway
Unfortunately, we couldn’t take the train because Liberty was with us and dogs are prohibited, but we enjoyed seeing the train pass by us. It looks like fun way to see the park!
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