Cuyahoga Valley National Park is 33,000 acres of beauty and history in Ohio. It's a fee free park so there's no need to stop and wait in long lines for entry. It boasts forests, awesome geological formations, around 100 waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. Weasels, coyote, red and gray foxes, river otter, and mink all call CVNP home. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for some of them.
The trail is located at 701 Truxell Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264-9734.
We chose to park in the lot near the Ledges shelter. It's a large lot with ample parking, however it can fill up quickly especially if there is an event in the shelter.
To get to the trailhead, take the main path out of the parking lot and past the information kiosk. Take the first right and you will be on the trail.
The trail was busy even on a Sunday, but the groups were pretty dispersed so it didn't feel crowded. The only exception to this as the overlook, which was crammed with people.
The trail itself goes both above and below the ledges so you get to see it from various viewpoints. There a few connector trails meeting up with ledges, but the trail is very easy to follow and it is marked.
I was surprised by how much cooler this area was compared to other areas of the park we had visited the same day. Thanks to tree cover and rock overhangs, there is a temperature difference. I suggest taking an additional light layer to this trail.
The ledges are nearly 100% made up of quartz sand and gravel. You can see the quarts stones in the rock as you walk by. The texture and coloring you'll see are even cooler up close. Be careful getting up close or you may get the same surprise we got. A big spider came out of a crevice when we were trying to get an up close look at the texture.
You will see trees growing up the sides of the rock, roots exposed and other oddities. Chipmunks are rampant here. They were scurrying all over and were not to afraid of getting a little close. If you're lucky, you may get to see one of the 8 types of salamander that live in the park. They love the damp coolness of the ledges.
The trail is family friendly, however due to roots, steps, and some uneven areas, it is not handicap accessible. Some with mobility issues may have difficulty on this trail as there are quite a few roots and rocks to step over or down.
We did see a few groups with small children around 4 years old and up who completed the trail. Be sure to keep children away from the ledges, the rocks are not all stable and they are slippery!
This trail was short, fun, and more than a walk in the woods. If you're visiting CVNP the Ledges are a must see. Try to make it to the overlook for sunset, but get there a little early to get a good seat.
コメント