Background

There are many different aspects of the park to explore. So we will do a series of articles on Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). This article will concentrate on Brandywine Falls and The Ledges Loop Trail.

The National Park Service(NPS) did a great job of explaining the background of this park, so we’ll just leave the link to the NPS website page for you here:

Cuyahoga Valley National Park – A Park For The People

We stopped at Boston Mills Visitor Center first to get some advice from the friendly and helpful rangers. We got ourselves some maps and planned out our route for the day.

Impression – Brandywine Falls

Our first scenic stop at the CVNP. There are 2 overlooks to Brandywine Falls. An upper and lower. The 2 images below show the boardwalk along the rock edge that directs you to the upper falls overlook.

The image above is the scene from the upper overlook. We went here first, but on that same boardwalk there are stairs leading down to the lower overlook.

There is a loop trail here as well and if you follow the loop trail to the right of the falls, there is remnants of an old electric building there, Champion Electric.

The walk to the lower and upper falls is relatively easy. Yes, there are stairs, but there are platforms to take breaks for those that need it. Nova had no issues either.

Impression – Ledges Loop Trail

If rock formations and unimproved trails are your thing, then the Ledges Loop Trail is for you!

From the parking lot, you can hit the loop trail that takes you out and around. Another way of accessing the trail and the overlook of the whole CVNP is to walk across the field by the parking lot and catch up to the trail that way (walk to the left). The overlook is just within the tree line to the right.

Another area we came across was the Ice Box Cave. You can view the entry of the cave but entry into the cave is not possible. There is a metal barrier that covers the entrance. This gate allows the inhabitants of the cave, bats, to enter and exit, but keeps the humans out. The bats are endangered so the gate is erected for their protection.

The Ice Box cave gets its name due to the noticeably cool air that pushes out of the cave entrance.

This area is the steps and bridge that lead to the entrance of the cave. From here you can really feel the blast of cold air. Looking at this image, the cave is behind you and left. The wind and air come from that direction too and across this section of the path.

There are many more areas of CVNP that we will need to explore and we will. This is a great start to this series and to this area. Stay tuned for future posts on other areas of this park!

Until then, visit this great national park and find some awesome areas for yourself and find your favorite area!