Cuyahoga Valley

Snapshot

Planning Your Visit

When we visited the park
We visited this park at the beginning of August.  We had perfect weather, and were able to enjoy all of the outdoor activities this park has to offer.  We weren't sure what to expect, but this place was a pleasant surprise.  We would enjoy stopping again to explore more of this long park along the valley.  I would recommend the summer or early fall as a great time to visit this park.  

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Things to Consider
1. The first thing to know is, this is a long park that follows the valley.  Many of the attractions are located centrally around the Boston Heights area.  
2. There are limited lodging options inside the Park, but countless options nearby.  
3. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is not open on Tuesdays.  This impacted us because that is when we visited, and we had looked forward to seeing more of the valley.  
4. This park was surprisingly beautiful, and nothing like I expected.  There are countless hiking trails and things to do outside.  
5. There is a large emphasis on the history of this part of the country.  There are many preserved buildings and communities, and more being renovated to remember a how this area was built up.  It is unique for a National Park. 

How to Get There
Directions from Columbus, Ohio and points southwest:

• Take I-71 North.
• Merge onto I-271 North via exit 220 toward Erie, PA.
• Take the OH-303 exit, exit 12, toward Richfield/Peninsula.
• Turn right onto West Streetsboro Road/OH-303 and proceed for 1.8 miles.
• Turn left at the first light onto Riverview Road and proceed for 1.6 miles.
• The visitor center parking lot will be on your right after the second overpass (I-271), just before the Boston Mill Road intersection.
• The visitor center is the white and green building, closest to Boston Mill Road, just across the train tracks.

Directions from Cleveland, Ohio and points due north:

• Take I-77 South for 15.5 miles.
• Take exit 147, Miller Road, and turn left at the end of the exit onto Miller Road for .6 miles.
• Turn right onto OH-21/Brecksville Road for .4 miles.
• Turn left onto Snowville Road for 2.8 miles.
• Turn right onto Riverview Road and proceed for 1.7 miles. The parking lot will be to your left just past the Boston Mills Road intersection.
• The visitor center is the white and green building, closest to Boston Mill Road, just across the train tracks.

Directions from Akron, Ohio and points south:

• Take I-77 North.
• Keep left to take OH-8 North via Exit 125A toward Cuyahoga Falls for 12.6 miles.
• Take the Boston Mills Road/Hines Hill Road exit 14A.
• Turn right at the light, at the end of the exit, onto Boston Mills Road heading west for 4 miles. You will cross the Cuyahoga River.
• The visitor center is the green and white building just across the river on your left. The entrance to the parking lot is to the left on Riverview Road.

Additional Maps provided by the Park
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Where to Stay
Inside the Park
Inn at Brandywine Falls
This six-room bed and breakfast is a registered historic place, offering views of Brandywine Falls and access to hiking or biking trails.  It offers breakfast every morning and gourmet dining options.  If you plan to stay here, book early!  To rent a room, it costs between $179-$355 a night, depending on the type of room you want.  
Outside the Park
There are many surrounding Communities that have accommodations.  Boston Heights and Peninsula are surrounded by the Park.  Nearby Communities are Hudson, Brecksville, and Richfield.  Communities a little farther out, but still within driving distance are Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, and Akron.   

Camping
There are no campgrounds inside the Park, but there are countless options within a 30 Mile radius.  Here are the four closest campgrounds. 
Streetsboro/Cleveland KOA
This is where we stayed while we explored Cuyahoga Valley.  It is about a ten minute drive from the park, but surrounded by a cute community with restaurants, stores, and green spaces.  We really enjoyed our time in a "glamping" canvas tent.  It had two bedrooms, one with bunks, and a full bathroom, kitchen, and dining area.  The best part was the large covered patio.  There are also cabins, tent sites, and RV sites available to rent.  You have access to the pool, community room, store, pond, and playground while you are there.  
Heritage Farms
Located in Peninsula, OH this 15 site campground is located on a farm surrounded by Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  The campsites are spread out here on the grounds for privacy, with access to pit-toilets and the grounds on the farm.  It costs $40-$45 a night to rent a camping site from April-October.  
​Valley Overlook Camping and Lodging
This 62-acre property is located in Peninsula, OH and surrounded by Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  This property offers camping, furnished canvas tents, and cabins available for rent.  You have access to explore the whole property while you are there, or come and go from Cuyahoga Valley.  It costs $63 to reserve a campsite, $100-$115 for a furnished canvas tent, and $159-$343 a night for a cabin, depending on group size.  

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What We Did
We spent a full day exploring this park.  This was the first National Park I explored solo with the kids, so we kept to some low-key activities.  The first thing we did was head to Boston Mill Visitor Center.  We got the kids their Junior ranger books, and made a plan for the day.  We got our obligatory sign picture, and then walked over the train station.  We found out that the train doesn't run on Tuesdays, which was a huge disappointment.  We had hoped to see more of the Park with a train tour of the valley.  Instead, we decided to appreciate what we could see more centrally.  
We headed to the trail head for The Ledges Trail.  This is a popular trail, and I can see why.  It is wooded and comfortable hiking through most of the two mile hike.  We also were able to walk down among many of the rock formations and then eventually climb to the top, looking out over the area.  There is history in these hills, and signage along the way.  On our way out, there were rangers set up with a rangers program at one of the pavilions.  The kids loved dressing up as a ranger and identifying animals found in the Park.  It was one of their favorite experiences from our trip.  
After that we found some more waterfalls to hike by Haskill Falls.  We picked all the trails that were one-mile or less.  We had wanted to see Brandywine Falls, but that was a two-mile hike, and the kids did not have another long hike in them that day.  After hiking along the river here, we turned around and headed back to the visitor center before they closed.  The kids made their Junior Ranger pledge and got their badges.  When we were good and hungry, we headed to Hudson, OH to get some dinner at a local brewery.  Hudson had a beautiful downtown area with a green space between stores, lodging, and restaurants.  It was a beautiful area, and I would recommend staying near here.  

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Where this fit in our Road Trip
This was the third thing we did on our road trip out to the East Coast.  We had stopped in Ohio to see some family and we went to the Columbus Zoo.  After the zoo, we headed to our glamping tent about 10 minutes outside of the park.  We stayed for two nights as we explored the different hiking and waterfall trails in the area.  

New England Road Trip

NPS App and All Trails Maps
I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking.  There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful.  These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere.  The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information. 

Don't forget to follow along on Instagram @wanderlust_with_three

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