Cuyahoga Valley National Park is not your typical national park: it is tucked into a relatively suburban area 20 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. Don’t let that fool you though – there is a lot to do and see in the park. We had one day to explore and as we visited in late February, we had to plan our visit based on what is available in winter. The activities we did can be done at any time of the year though, as the park is open year round. There is no cost to enter Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Where To Stay

We started our day in the park after spending the night in nearby Medina, Ohio. Our hotel, the Fairfield Inn and Suites, was about 20 minutes from the park. You can also stay in Cleveland or anywhere in the surrounding area.

The Beaver Marsh

Our first stop was the Beaver Marsh which is accessed via a quarter of a mile walk north from the Ira Trailhead along the towpath. The towpath becomes a boardwalk over the Beaver Marsh. The beavers are most active in the early morning or evening hours, so we didn’t get to see any with our arrival around 9am, however, we did get to see swans and several ducks and really enjoyed how peaceful the area felt.

Ledges Trail

The Ledges Trail is a 2.3 mile hike that takes 1-2 hours and is moderately rated. The main trail has several small side trails that you can explore as well. I found this trail quite fun as you walk along the edges of impressive rock formations, as well as to an overlook and a cave. While you can’t enter the cave due to efforts to protect the bat population that lives within from white nose syndrome and disruption while they are hibernating, you can view it from outside via a protective grate.

Boston Mills Visitor Center

The Boston Mills Visitor Center is in a rehabilitated 1905 Cleveland-Akron Bag Company general store and houses the national park store and exhibits about the park area. In winter the visitor center is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

We liked the historical aspect of the visitor center and that it was next to the Cuyahoga River where some park visitors were relaxing at picnic tables dotted along the river.

Peninsula Village Historic District

The village of Peninsula is a great stop right in the middle of Cuyahoga National Park. Here you can find restaurants, a coffee house, and gift and antique shops. The historic village began in the 1800s as a canal boat stop and has several buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places. In Peninsula we fuelled up with lunch at Fisher’s Cafe, a restaurant that has been open since 1958. As a tip, I do recommend checking the hours of the places you may be interested in visiting just to ensure they are open the day you are there. We were in Peninsula on a Monday and some businesses were closed.

Brandywine Gorge Trail

The Brandywine Gorge Trail leads you to one of the most iconic locations in the park, Brandywine Falls. The trail is an easy 1.4 miles and takes 35-45 minutes to walk. If you aren’t up for more hiking, you can also walk a few minutes to the viewpoints of the falls from the trailhead parking lot directly. We actually started our hike with the views of the falls, did the loop trail, and then went back to the falls to enjoy them for a while longer at the end.

Overall we had a great day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and felt we made the most of our day and did not lack for things to do despite our winter visit.