The top 5 things to do at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (video)

The top 5 things to do at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (video)

Cleveland.com | By John Pana, July 23, 2018

Click here to view the video on Youtube.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — How do you make the most of a trip to the National Park? Or, if you live in the area, what are some things you might be missing out on? I want to give you a starting point by highlighting some of my favorite activities. The video above will give you a first-person view of hiking, biking, camping and train-riding your way through the park.

If you prefer to read, here’s a detailed list of my top five.

Hiking the Virginia Kendall Ledges. Why here? I think you’ll find it a unique place to explore, whether you stay on the 2-mile trail or go off trail into the different chasms between the rocks. The scenery might make you feel like you’re exploring a faraway forest. The trail isn’t difficult, but watch out for steep cliffs when you’re at the top. There’s a marked overlook where a lot of people like to watch the sunset too.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad lets you see a large expanse of the park from the comfort of your seat. For the full experience, you can ride round-trip from the Rockside Station in Valley View to the Akron Northside station and back again. That trip is over 3 hours. I did the bike-aboard ticket. Just like it sounds, I brought a bike on board and rode the train for a while one-way. Then I got off and biked the Towpath Trail back to my starting place. The ticket is only $5.

Biking the Towpath Trail is exhilarating. And you don’t have to own a bike. I went to Century Cycles in Peninsula and rented one for $10 an hour. Peninsula is a great place to access the Towpath anyway. I’d say ride south, especially if you’re feeling energetic enough to make it down to Beaver Marsh, which is probably the best place in the park to view wildlife. (Note: At the time of this article, the section of the Towpath between Deep Lock Quarry and Hunt Farm is closed for repairs, so it would be best to ride north from Peninsula.)

See the full article and video at Cleveland.com

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Lynee Bixler