More to Do

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There is far more to experience in Cuyahoga Valley National Park than hiking, and its unusual blend of nature, agriculture, recreation, history, and culture makes it one of the most diverse national parks in the country. Visitors can bike the historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, fish, birdwatch, picnic, or paddle a canoe or kayak along the Cuyahoga River Water Trail, which winds directly through the park. CVNP also preserves the Cuyahoga Valley’s agricultural heritage through working farms, several of which operate farm stands, sell locally produced goods, or host seasonal events. During summer, visitors can pick their own blueberries and other seasonal crops at The Greenfield Berry Farm, while Szalay's Farm & Market is one of the valley’s most popular stops for fresh produce, sweet corn, seasonal foods, and its annual fall corn maze. The Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market brings local farmers and food producers together at Howe Meadow during the warmer months and moves indoors during winter, making locally grown food part of the park experience throughout the year. Music lovers can attend a summer concert at Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and a major outdoor concert venue surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley landscape. Winter opens up an entirely different range of activities, including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding at Kendall Hills, and downhill skiing and snowboarding at Boston Mills/Brandywine, with snow tubing also available at Polar Blast Snow Tubing. Visitors can also explore the historic villages of Peninsula and Boston, attend live music and arts events, visit farm markets and roadside stands, photograph wildlife and waterfalls, enjoy fall foliage, or simply spend a day exploring the scenic back roads of the Cuyahoga Valley. With so many recreational, cultural, agricultural, and seasonal activities available, CVNP can easily fill several days even for visitors who never set foot on a traditional hiking trail.

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Know Before You Go

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• There is no entrance fee or timed-entry reservation. Cuyahoga Valley is completely free to enter, and you don't need a park pass or reservation for general visitation. 

• There is no traditional entrance station. CVNP is very different from parks such as Zion or Arches. Public roads run throughout the park, and you'll often enter and leave park boundaries without realizing it.

• The park is spread out. Cuyahoga Valley covers roughly 33,000 acres, with trailheads, waterfalls, historic sites, picnic areas, and attractions scattered throughout the valley. There isn't one central scenic road or single place where you'll see everything. 

• Start at Boston Mill Visitor Center. For first-time visitors, this is the best place to pick up maps, talk with a ranger, and get oriented before exploring the park.

• Most of the park is open 24 hours, but not everything is. Brandywine Falls, Ledges, Octagon, Kendall Lake, Happy Days South, and Kendall Hills close at dusk, which is particularly important if you're planning sunrise, sunset, or night photography. 

• Parking can be the biggest challenge on busy weekends. Popular locations such as Brandywine Falls, Boston, Ledges, and the Beaver Marsh area can become crowded, especially on beautiful summer and fall weekends. Even the 106-space Boston Mill Visitor Center lot can fill during peak periods. 

• Fall weekends can be extremely busy. October foliage season is one of the busiest times of year. Visit early in the morning, on weekdays, or later in the afternoon if you want to avoid the largest crowds.

• Don't expect dramatic mountain scenery. CVNP's appeal is different from western national parks. Its highlights are forested ravines, waterfalls, sandstone ledges, wetlands, historic farms, the Cuyahoga River, and remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

• The Towpath Trail is one of the best ways to experience the park. The historic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs through the valley and is excellent for walking, running, and bicycling. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are also permitted. 

• Dogs are unusually welcome for a national park. Leashed pets are permitted on more than 100 miles of hiking trails and the Towpath Trail, making CVNP one of the more dog-friendly national parks. Leashes must be six feet or shorter, and pets aren't permitted on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad or inside park buildings except for service animals. 

• Ticks and poison ivy are common. Both are abundant in Northeast Ohio's forests and fields, so staying on established trails, using insect repellent, and checking yourself and pets for ticks after hiking are worthwhile precautions. The NPS specifically warns pet owners about exposure to ticks and poison ivy. 

• Food and services are surprisingly close. Because CVNP sits between Cleveland and Akron and surrounds communities such as Peninsula, you're rarely far from restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and other services.

• Peninsula makes a great mid-day stop. The small town sits in the heart of the park and is an easy place to combine lunch, shopping, the Towpath Trail, and nearby hikes into the same day.

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Visitor Center

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Cuyahoga Valley National Park has one primary visitor center along with two smaller seasonal visitor contact facilities spread across the park. The Boston Mill Visitor Center, located near the center of the park at the intersection of Boston Mills and Riverview roads, is the best place to begin a visit. Opened in 2019 inside a rehabilitated 1905 Cleveland-Akron Bag Company general store, the visitor center offers park maps, brochures, the Valley Guide newspaper, passport stamps, a park store, exhibits about the building’s history and the restoration of the Cuyahoga River and valley, and rangers who can provide information about trails, waterfalls, road conditions, programs, and other attractions. Unlike many national park visitor centers, Boston Mill does not currently show a park film, although the park's Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park film can be watched online. Boston Mill is open year-round with seasonally adjusted hours, and its restrooms remain open when the building is closed. Farther north, the Canal Exploration Center along the Towpath Trail in Valley View serves as both a visitor contact station and an interactive museum devoted to the Ohio & Erie Canal. Housed in a historic building that once served as a tavern, general store, residence, and park visitor center, it features hands-on exhibits explaining the Canal Era and how the canal influenced transportation, commerce, immigration, and the development of the region. The Canal Exploration Center operates seasonally, generally with its broadest schedule during summer and limited weekend hours in spring and fall before closing for winter. At the southern end of the park, the historic Hunt House along the Towpath Trail on Bolanz Road functions as another seasonal visitor contact location, offering park information, a rest area, child-friendly nature exhibits and activities, and information about nearby attractions. Hunt House is typically open on weekends from June through October, although hours depend on staffing, while its restrooms remain accessible even when the house itself is closed.