Hike to Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Formed by Brandywine Creek, a significant tributary of the Cuyahoga River, the 60-foot Brandywine Falls is the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visitors can easily reach the falls via a short boardwalk from the parking area. However, those looking to explore more of the park, a leisurely day hike can be started from Stanford House, a historic homestead in Peninsula, offering a chance to experience one of the park's most popular trails.

Trail Info

Length 3.6 miles

Elevation gain 580 feet

Route Loop

Permit required no

Dogs allowed on leash

Trailhead elevation 667'

Water throughout along Brandywine Creek

Hike Stanford House to Brandywine Falls

Hikers will find the trailhead located behind the historic Stanford House, right next to an old gray barn. The parking area can accommodate nearly twenty vehicles and rarely fills to capacity.

From the trailhead, the well-marked path starts off flat for about a quarter mile, making it easy to navigate.

After this brief flat section, the trail passes through densely wooded rolling terrain and crosses two footbridges over small streams.

At a junction near the 1-mile mark, hikers can choose to turn right for a steep ascent to the top of the south side of Brandywine Gorge or left to follow the path leading to the north side of the gorge. The remaining information here describes the former.

Following a short climb, the trail leads to a flat gravel path where hikers should turn right and continue for another quarter mile until they reach the Brandywine Falls parking area. Here, hikers will find a wooden boardwalk leading left. As visitors continue along the boardwalk, descending deeper into Brandywine Gorge, they will encounter large Berea Sandstone formations hugging the path under a canopy of eastern hemlocks and red maples.

After a second series of stairs, the falls come into view beside the lower viewing area.

The lower viewing area offers a close-up view of the falls and is certainly the most popular of the two viewing areas.

Brandywine Falls gets its name from Brandywine Creek, which was reportedly named around 1815 by John Menough, a miller who worked at a grist mill along the stream. Menough is believed to have named the creek after Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, the site of the Battle of Brandywine during the American Revolution in 1777. The name eventually became associated with the small Village of Brandywine that developed around the falls during the early 1800s. The area was perfectly suited for industry because of the waterpower provided by the 60-foot waterfall, and in 1814, George Wallace built a sawmill near the top of the falls. Grist and woolen mills followed, helping Brandywine grow into one of the earliest communities in the Cuyahoga Valley. Over time, the village disappeared, but its name survived through Brandywine Creek and Brandywine Falls, which today is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

After leaving the lower viewing area, hikers can retrace their steps, ascend out of the gorge, and continue along the boardwalk to reach the upper viewing area.

Just past this spot, the trail brings visitors within a few feet of the falls’ crest.

Continuing onward, the trail passes the historic Inn at Brandywine Falls, originally built in the 1800's by James Wallace, the son of early pioneer George Wallace.

Immediately after the inn, the trail steeply descends the rocky north side of Brandywine Gorge before tracing along Brandywine Creek.

A short distance later, the trail crosses a lengthy footbridge spanning the creek, offering beautiful upstream views.

Within a quarter mile from the footbridge, hikers return to the junction mentioned earlier, where they can turn right to head back to the trailhead.