If you ever wondered what places within CVNP are the most interesting and fun to visit, don't wonder anymore! Get an inside look at some of the CVNP park ranger's favorite spots. Some of these might become your favorite!
Park Ranger Pam Machuga
- Buckeye Trail System - from NPS Headquarters to Brecksville Stables is great. There are beautiful hills and trees; it’s less traveled, so you feel like you’re in the wilderness hiking there. It is a challenging trail with nice spots to rest and have a snack.
- Wetmore Trail System - you can wind numerous trails together, wooded, challenging hills, again - it's like you're in the wilderness, streams crossings and good mileage!
- Ledges Trail - it has a distinct flavor during each season. Spring is rich green with lots of moss; summer is shaded with families enjoying; fall is crisp and the overlook is full of colors; and winter has snow hanging on the hemlocks and pines… the weight of the snow causes the evergreens to bend and you feel as if you're walking in a magical snow tunnel on your way down to the trail.
Park Ranger Rebecca Jones
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Buckeye Trails - I love the section of Buckeye north of Blue Hen Falls, along the Columbia Run. Columbia Run, the hemlocks and the ravines are so pretty, it’s hard to imagine that downtown Cleveland is just 45 minutes away. Columbia Run just giggles and gurgles through there!
I also like the portion of the Buckeye Trail in the Bedford Reservation, north of the old Sagamore Picnic area. Again… great ravines, hemlocks, and two lovely waterfalls. It’s so close to civilization that at times, you hear the PA systems from the nearby buildings, but you are surrounded by a different world. So close, yet so far. I particularly like that Buckeye Trail is a trail not as widely used as others, and requires a bit more hiking.
- The Ledges - is just fun - fun for kids, fun for people, cool rocks in a different landscape. Great overlook.
Park Ranger Brady Bourquin
- Buckeye Trail From Pine Lane Trailhead to Boston and back - Provides beautiful views of the Cuyahoga Valley from isolation, as well as from above the Ohio Turnpike. It allows for an interesting blend of the urban and not-so-urban setting in which this park is located. It also has some amazing elevation changes that will get your heart beating!
- Plateau Trail from Oak Hill Trailhead- Long rolling elevation changes allow for interaction with fellow hikers or just a chance to reflect in the solitude of a very isolated area.
- Buckeye Trail from Station Road Trailhead to Jaite and back - AMAZING long distance hike that provides aerobic opportunity, blended with scenic beauty.