On our return trip back home we made Cuyahoga Valley National Park our fifth national park visited. Cuyahoga National Park is located in Ohio about 45 minutes South of Cleveland. It runs lengthwise from North to South along the Cuyahoga River which is part of the Ohio and Erie Canalway.
I booked reservations early on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and we rode from Peninsula, Ohio down to Akron and back in a vintage coach car that was built in the 1940’s. The views along the Cuyahoga River are amazing and the towpaths along the canal can still be seen and now function as bike paths. The park is very bicycle friendly and bike rentals are available in Peninsula. If we had more time we would have rented Linda a Pedego bike for a little exploring but the rental shop was oddly not open the weekend of The Fourth of July.
After our train ride we explored the riverfront right next to the Peninsula Station and found Lock 29. What’s there today are remnants of an old aqueduct and locks system in which barges can be floated up and actually pass over the Cuyahoga River and Canal. It’s quite a feat of engineering for that time.
On Independence Day we went for a hike on The Ledges Trail. We were greeted by singing park rangers at the trailhead and explored gorges and caves.
I had heard if you go for one hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park you should make it The Ledges Trail and it didn’t disappoint. The kids had a load of fun rock scrambling along the many detours and it’s 2.3 miles of moderate terrain were perfect for a holiday hike.
You can see more of The Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad, Lock 29 and The Ledges Trail in the video below. This was our last stop on our 16 night 2021 Summer Trip. Stay tuned as we take on a change of pace for our next mini trip in a few weeks. Thanks for stopping by.
travelingterrells.net 