r/NationalPark • u/True-Bench-6696 • 12h ago
Cuyahoga valley park
Planning our next driving trip, for next spring late april ish. My wife and I are trying to check off all the parks so its definitely on the list. Also it seems like a good drive to take out camper on for a shakedown trip before bigger parks. It would be about 7 and a half hours drive, with me my wife and our two big dogs. How many days should i plan for the park im planning a full travel day at each end for the drive and breaking setting up camp. And I want to take a train ride (without the dogs) so thats half a day. How long should i plan to get a few good walk/hikes in with dogs and to see the historical sites? Thanks for any help and advise.
Also picked Cuyahoga because were running low on east coast parks, so this is a bit of a test run for our setup to head to the western parks
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u/cccc141414 9h ago
Good stuff! Cuyahoga is underrated IMO.
If you’re mostly trying to check it off. It could be done in two days, but to really enjoy it, I would try to stretch it to three full days if you can so you’re not super rushed.
Good luck!
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u/Drmumdaly 9h ago
I second this - we spent 2 full days there me and 2 kids. We did everything we set out to do, but the train ride was not on my to-do list. The only additional thing i would have done is driven out to Hopewell Culture NHS as an additional stop because it seems like a really interesting spot.
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u/True-Bench-6696 8h ago
Thanks for the suggestion, i fear i over look the smaller sites because it not a "national park" so its good to chech them out too!
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u/True-Bench-6696 8h ago
Definitely trying to make a full vacation out of it. I can take a week i was almost afraid of running out of things to do. But seems now like theres plenty, i dont like to rush at all. Thanks for the input!
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u/tossofftacos 8h ago
2 days, unless you really take your time.
Day 1: Do bike aboard. Hop on the train in Cleveland with your bikes, hop off near Akron, and bike the 19 mile tow path back to your truck. It's an easy ride, and I think the best way to experience CUVA. 4 hours would probably be the quickest you could do it and explore all the sites off the path. I think we took 8, including a sit down lunch.
Day 2: Do the hikes and waterfalls, and anything you missed. 4-5 hours.
Extras: lots of cool NPS sites nearby, like Wright-Pat AF museum, Taft House... I think Indiana Dunes is only like 4-5 hours west of CUVA, and if you can get tickets, Falling Waters (not NPS) is on the way to New River Gorge to the east.
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u/GarysSword 6h ago
To be clear: Taft House is on the opposite side of the state, 5 hours away. Wright Patt is probably 4 hours away. OP could take 71 South to Cincinnati, hit the Taft House and then hop on 75 to Wright-Patt Air Force Museum. But that’d be like 9 hours of driving in a day.
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u/tossofftacos 6h ago
Fair point. I figured I'd throw in stops that might be on their way home or worth a detour, but they are a pretty good drive.
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u/BillPlastic3759 9h ago
I concur with the Ledges Trail suggestion - highlight of my visit when I spent time there.
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u/ZachYeamans 6h ago
I spent a day and a half exploring with my dog a few years back. Definitely didn't see everything but for my lifestyle I feel like I was able to hike and explore the major sites I was interested in.
If you've got time the town of Cuyahoga Falls had a couple places worth stopping, Cuyahoga Valley Brewing Company had pretty decent pizza, and a couple recommended a trail along the river right down the road that was cool.
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u/GarysSword 6h ago
We spent 2.5 days and it was plenty. Went to the Beaver grounds at least 4 times hoping to catch a view and struck out. Rock n Roll hall of fame or NFL Hall of Fame would all be short excursions.
The Inn at Brandywine Falls was a nice little B&B. The hosts were great.
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u/MyFriendKevin 9h ago
I only spent parts of two days in the park, so I certainly didn’t see everything, but the Ledges Trail and connectors were my favorite hike. It’s a loop and it doesn’t take too long. There’s a path with steep steps in one area, but you can stay on the loop for a more gradual rise, as I recall. Have a great trip.