Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Our second National Park of 2021 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park - is a hometown favorite. Growing up outside of Cleveland in a smaller city, this national park was not far and as kids my parents took us handful of times. Like most things, with age comes wisdom and the beauty of this park was missed out until years later when I returned as an adult.We stopped in on the way to visit Pymatuning State Park and stopped again on the way out of the area as well to see different pieces of this park. The first stop we made was The Brandywine Gorge Loop that circles a deep ravine carved by Brandywine Creek, and it also provides stunning views.... of Brandywine Falls! The loop was mostly shaded and if we were staying in the area there were a few more stops that we would have made, but I highly suggest this trail if you have the time. Not only for the falls, but for the views as you make your way around the ravine. At the "middle" of the trail which is at the lowest elevation leads to a way into the creek. There were a lot of families that used that and creek hiked back up to the falls and could get a different and unique view to the falls.

The history of this park is interesting as well, for Brandywine Falls, it was a place not for views but for water power. In addition, "In 1814, George Wallace built a saw mill at the top of the falls. Grist and woolen mills followed. The Village of Brandywine grew around the mills and became one of the earliest communities to emerge in the Cuyahoga Valley. Much of the village is now mostly gone, lost to the construction of nearby Interstate 271. However, the James Wallace house, built by George's son, remains and is a bed & breakfast, the Inn at Brandywine Falls."

The falls were spectacular and as you know... I hike for waterfalls!

One of the things we will often do on a trail besides sing a song or make up a story is ask questions. In this instance, the photo below shows E's guess as to how old this tree is that has fallen.

The question, "How old is this tree? How do we guess it's age?"

The answer, "We use the rings to find the age of the tree. It is 1500 years old!"

We stopped where the creek entrance was to enjoy the view of cascades on the rocks and to throw a few rocks in. It was EXTREMELY muddy at the time which stopped us from creeking (we still had another hour to go to reach our final destination!)

A little geological history of the area, "The moistness of the gorge is evident as you walk along boardwalk. The moisture invites moss to grow on the sandstone and eastern hemlocks, a type of evergreen tree, to grow along the gorge. The hemlocks contrast with the abundant red maple trees in the area, which flame with color in the fall." I really enjoy seeing not only what grows and the trees we walk through (I like trees remember!), but one of the favorite sights of the boys are the bridges! This bridge was very narrow, but over a beautiful cascade of water in the creek.

The National Park website shared interesting information about the train's history, "Since the 1830s rail travel has shaped the sights, sounds, and experiences of the nation. In 1880 Valley Railway Company brought railroading to the Cuyahoga Valley, forever changing the area and those who called it home. Memories continue to be built everyday as passengers climb aboard Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to experience historic rail travel through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The history of trains in the Cuyahoga Valley stretches back more than 100 years. In 1880, the Valley Railway began operations, transporting coal to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton from the Tuscarawas River Valley. It also provided passenger service. For people living in the industrial cities, leisure excursions into the countryside provided relief from the pressures, pollution, and crowding of urban life.

After a decade of operation, the Valley Railway became part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In the 1900s, competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses caused the decline of both freight and passenger service. Interest in the line was renewed in 1972 as a scenic excursion route. The Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railway Association was born. Originally known as the Cuyahoga Valley Line, the scenic railroad now operates as Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad."

We did a ticket called "Reading Time" and it included a craft for kids. While the kids love the idea of a train ride, train rides themselves are very calm and scenic which doesn't always excite toddler lives! This ticket gave them all of the things to do:

1. A leader read a few different books out loud asking questions as we went (E answered everything first and loud, he was really excited!)

2. A craft to make something out of older park maps (a nice way to recycle)

3. Go fishing in the "mini pond" and they could decorate their magnetic fish as well!

4. Snack car!!! Because... snacks!

A "conductor" came around and punched the boys tickets.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a lot to offer to everyone. It is a different and probably not something you think of as a National Park, especially when comparing to parks out west, but still a great time. We will definitely come back (perks of being an Ohioan) and hike more of the trails. We were excited to see the park through the eyes of the train as well as the hike along the Brandywine Gorge Trail on our #guentheradventures