Cuyahoga National Park, located near Cleveland, Ohio, is a recent addition to our National Park system. It lies along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron. In this park you will find hiking trails, waterfalls, bike paths, and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. When we arrived, the weather was not our friend and we only had two days to explore the park.
Brandywine Falls after a 2 inch rain.
Brandywine Creek
The Ledges hike was our favorite activity we did in the park and one of our all- time favorite hikes. The 60-ft high cliffs are composed of 400 million year old sandstone. So much color! Along the trail are huge trees and amazing lichens…..what is there not to love?
One of several examples of how the rock erodes unevenly.
It amazes us how trees can find ways to live in the most inhospitable environments.
Amazing stacks of rocks in this park!
More of the Ledges. There is a cave with bats near here.
Old growth forests = big trees!
Cuyahoga National Park is well worth the stop and a few days. It is loved by the many people who live nearby, so it is not going to give you the quiet and solitude of some of the other parks; however, it will give you amazing hikes, bike rides, and a train ride. We only went to Brandywine Falls and the Ledges, but the potential of the park is great and it is really close to many of our friends. Go spend a few days near Cleveland and find your park!
On our last day in the area we visited with Jane’s high school friend Nancy Hugus and her husband Ralph. They own Hugus Fruit Farm in Rushville. Johnny Appleseed, pictured, is a popular photo op there. We learned a lot about running a fruit farm, including how to sort apples and how to make cider. We had a great visit and enjoyed their fantastic apples and the best apple cider ever!