Best Winter Hikes in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Winters in Northeast Ohio can be brutally cold, but those frigid temperatures unlock a completely different side of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. When the thermometer drops below freezing, the park transforms into a true winter wonderland, offering hikers the chance to experience CVNP winter hiking at its best. Frozen waterfalls, icy creeks, and snow-covered trails reveal scenic features that are often hidden or difficult to access during the warmer months. As a local who has spent decades exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park in winter, I can say without a doubt, that cold weather brings some of the most rewarding hiking conditions in the park. From quiet trails with fewer crowds to stunning seasonal landscapes unique to winter hiking in Northeast Ohio, this is the time of year when Cuyahoga Valley truly shines for adventurous hikers willing to embrace the cold.

Twin Sister Falls

It’s hard to imagine a better winter hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park than the trek to Twin Sister Falls. At just two miles round trip, this hike isn’t the longest in the park, but what it lacks in distance it more than makes up for in payoff. Standing at roughly 65 feet tall, Twin Sister Falls is one of—if not the tallest waterfall in CVNP, narrowly edging out the much more visited Brandywine Falls. Reaching it also feels far more like an adventure, especially in winter. Hikers must scramble over, duck under, and work their way around numerous fallen trees, all while carefully navigating slick sheets of ice throughout the ravine. During most of the year, Twin Sister Falls is little more than a trickle, but in winter, particularly after a prolonged freeze, it transforms into a true showstopper. Sheets of ice cling to the rock face, and the frozen waterfall becomes one of the most impressive winter waterfalls in Northeast Ohio. Another major advantage of hiking to Twin Sister Falls in winter is easier access. In warmer months, reaching the base of the falls requires navigating an unofficial, often slippery trail along a moderately steep slope. When temperatures stay below freezing, hikers can simply follow the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and cross the canal once it’s frozen solid, completely bypassing the tricky side path.

For hike details and photos, visit Frozen Twin Sister Falls: A Sub-Zero Hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Raccoon & Romane Falls

Ask anyone—other than a local who regularly hikes off-trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park—about Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls, and you’ll likely be met with a blank stare. These two hidden waterfalls don’t appear on official CVNP trail maps, which means hikers willing to seek them out are often rewarded with complete solitude. Tucked deep within a steep ravine north of Twin Sister Falls, the route to Raccoon and Romane Falls is a true off-the-beaten-path hike, best suited for adventurous hikers who enjoy rugged terrain. Much like the approach to Twin Sister Falls, reaching these waterfalls requires plenty of climbing over and ducking under fallen trees, along with carefully navigating debris-filled sections of the ravine. At just over five miles round trip, this off-trail CVNP hike takes some time and effort, but it’s well within reach for most experienced hikers. The payoff is hard to beat: Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls transform into two of the most beautiful frozen waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, making this one of the most rewarding winter waterfall hikes in the region.

For hike details and photos, visit Raccoon Falls & Romane Falls: Hidden Waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley

The Ledges

Cuyahoga Valley National Park's most iconic trail is beautiful in every season, but it's especially nice in the winter when the normally crowded trail's crowds thin out. The loop winds through towering ledges and moss-covered rock walls, making it a favorite hike in CVNP year-round. Along the way, hikers pass through caves, crevices, and overhangs that showcase the unique geology of Northeast Ohio. In winter, the Ledges Trail transforms into a striking landscape of snow-dusted rock formations and icy textures, offering a completely different hiking experience. For those who know where to find them, the hidden carvings near Icebox Cave are a nice little add on to an already gorgeous hike.

For hike details and photos, visit Frozen Rocks & Snowy Views: The Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley

Contour Falls

Like Twin Sister Falls, Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls, and Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls, reaching Contour Falls requires hikers to navigate a ravine filled with fallen trees, making it a classic off-trail hike in the park. While the route still demands a bit of scrambling, this ravine is one of the most scenic in the park and requires significantly less effort to reach than the more demanding hike to Raccoon and Romane Falls. The unofficial trail to Contour Falls does include a crossing of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which doesn’t always freeze solid in winter. However, after a week or more of sub-freezing temperatures, the crossing is typically much easier and more manageable for experienced winter hikers. The reward is well worth the effort: Contour Falls drops roughly 40 feet, often forming a stunning frozen cascade framed by massive icicles, making it one of the most photogenic winter waterfalls in CVNP. At just under four miles round trip, most hikers can reach Contour Falls without issue, though—as with all hikes in this section of the park—extra caution should always be used when crossing the canal in winter.

For hike details and photos, visit Hiking Contour Falls: One of Cuyahoga Valley's Best Kept Secrets

Blue Hen & Buttermilk Falls

The Blue Hen Falls Trail is one of the most popular hikes in CVNP, especially for those chasing waterfalls. The scenic trail winds through a wooded ravine and leads to Blue Hen Falls, a graceful cascade that looks especially striking during winter freezes. Adventurous hikers can continue beyond Blue Hen Falls and venture off-trail toward Buttermilk Falls, widely considered one of the best and most impressive waterfalls in the park. The off-trail route adds a sense of exploration and rewards hikers with a powerful, lesser-seen waterfall deep in the gorge.

For hike details and photos, visit Winter Magic in Cuyahoga Valley: Hiking to Blue Hen & Buttermilk Falls When They Freeze

Crazy Man's Hollow Falls

Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls is another true off-the-beaten-path hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park that remains largely unknown to most visitors. Not listed on any official CVNP trail maps, this hidden waterfall rewards those who seek it out with one of the most scenic ravine hikes in the park. Like Twin Sister Falls, Contour Falls, and Raccoon and Romane Falls, the route to Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls is a mostly off-trail hike through a ravine scattered with fallen trees. Despite the rugged terrain, it’s one of the easier hidden waterfall hikes in CVNP, thanks in large part to its shorter distance of just over 1.5 miles round trip. Unlike several other winter waterfall hikes in Cuyahoga Valley, reaching Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls does not require crossing the Ohio & Erie Canal, a major selling point for many hikers—especially in winter conditions. Another advantage of this lesser-known hike is the solitude it offers. Because so few people know about it, hikers have an excellent chance of experiencing Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls frozen and completely alone, making it a standout winter hike in the park.

For hike details and photos, visit Hiking to Crazy Man's Hollow Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Tree Farm

The Tree Farm Trail offers a peaceful and scenic winter hiking experience through open fields and quiet woodlands. In winter, the trail is often blanketed in snow, creating wide, easy-to-follow paths that are ideal for cold-weather hiking. Unlike the rocky ledges and waterfalls found elsewhere in the park, the Tree Farm Trail offers wide-open views, frozen wetlands, and long sightlines that feel especially peaceful in winter. While the trail is often muddy in spring, summer, and fall, cold temperatures lock the ground in place, making winter the ideal season to hike and truly enjoy its quiet, expansive scenery. The mostly flat terrain makes it one of the best winter hikes in Cuyahoga Valley National Park for hikers looking for a relaxed, low-impact outing.

For hike details and photos, visit Snow Covered Beauty: Winter Hiking the Tree Farm Trail in Cuyahoga Valley

Brandywine Gorge

The Brandywine Gorge Trail is one of the more scenic winter hikes in the park, offering dramatic views of Brandywine Falls and the surrounding gorge. Winter transforms the trail with snow-covered steps, icy cliffs, and frozen rock walls that highlight the rugged beauty of this popular area. As temperatures drop, Brandywine Falls often freezes into towering sheets of ice, making it a must-see destination for winter hiking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For the more adventurous hikers, it’s possible to very carefully find a route down to Brandywine Creek and experience an up-close view of the falls when both the creek and waterfall are firmly frozen solid. From the creek level, the scale and power of Brandywine Falls feel even more impressive in winter conditions. Whether viewed from above or explored up close, the Brandywine Gorge Trail delivers one of the more unforgettable winter hiking experiences in CVNP.

For hike details and photos, visit Brandywine Falls in Winter: A Short Hike with a Big View