Are you itching to get out into nature but can’t devote more time than one day? Take a day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park!
For our summer vacation this year, we are going to the same beach town my husband has gone to since he was a kid. My kids have been before, as have I, so I’ve been on a mission to take day and weekend trips to new places this summer. At the end of May, we went to Hershey for the weekend, so where would we go in June? Cuyahoga Valley National Park!
I didn’t grow up anywhere near Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so it was news to me that there was a National Park in Ohio. I had heard of the Cuyahoga river, of course, but only as the river that caught fire. But I had no idea that there was a beautiful park around the river valley. When I was looking for places to go on a day trip and came across Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I was surprised to say the least.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a long, skinny park along the Cuyahoga river between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It is easily accessible from places like Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Toledo, Erie, and Pittsburgh. We are based in Pittsburgh, which is a two-hour drive away, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore a national park for a day.
Who we are
Before I go into what we did on our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, it’s important to explain who we are. Our day tripping party consisted of me, a part-time working middle-aged mom, my husband, a full-time plus working middle-aged dad with a funky work schedule, a 5-year-old boy, and a 3-year-old girl. We are based in Pittsburgh, PA.
Day Trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Boston Mills Visitor Center
Our first stop on our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park was, of course, the visitor center. The Boston Mills Visitor Center was open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the day of our visit in June 2025.
At the Boston Mills Visitor Center, we got all prepped for our fun day at the park. They had rangers on site to answer questions and provide recommendations, and handy maps with information on hiking trails, guided programs, and accessibility. They also run a Junior Ranger program out of the visitor center, but we got a bit of a later start than we hoped and missed the start of the Junior Ranger program.
If you’re someone who likes a trinket or two to remember your family trips, you can also purchase a souvenir at the Boston Mills Visitor Center. They had typical merchandise like t-shirts, stickers, magnets, and Christmas ornaments for sale. We bought a magnet and a Christmas ornament and were able to donate $1 to the park at check-out, which I highly recommend.
Brandywine Falls
Once we left the visitor center, our next stop was Brandywine Falls, about a 10-minute car ride away. This was the highlight of our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for my entire family.
Parking
Once you get to the Brandywine Falls parking area, you might need a little bit of patience. This is one of the most popular destinations at the park, and the parking lot fills quickly. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and had to circle once or twice before we got a parking spot. The good news is that many people spend only a few minutes here, so there are always cars leaving.
Boardwalk to the Falls
Viewing Brandywine Falls doesn’t require a huge commitment, which is one reason why it’s so popular. If you just want to see the beautiful falls, you can simply take the boardwalk to the viewing platforms. There are two viewing platforms, one upper and one lower, that give great views to Brandywine Falls. Make sure you have your cameras ready!
Stanford Trail
If you want to take a bit of a hike around the falls, I highly suggest the Stanford Trail. This trail is a 1.5-mile loop around Brandywine Falls that’s listed as a moderate hike, but that we found to be kid friendly. To be clear, it is kid friendly for children who can walk by themselves and navigate steep, often uneven ground. This is not a trail for strollers!
Lunch
After the hike, we were hungry! And lucky for us, it was just about lunch time. We hopped in the car and headed to Winking Lizard Tavern in Peninsula. Winking Lizard Tavern had surprisingly good bar food. Both my husband and I had chicken sandwiches that hit the spot. The restaurant also had lots of beers on draft that I had never heard of, which was perfect for me because I like to try new beer everywhere I go. My husband got a Columbus IPA, which was good, but my choice, the 3 Floyds Zombie Dust Pale Ale, was the winner of the day. And, although Winking Lizard Tavern is a bar at heart, it had an extensive kids menu, which meant that both of my kids actually ate their food.
The cherry on top for Winking Lizard Tavern, though, is the location. It is located right next door to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. So you know what our next stop was on our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Even though we all loved the hiking we did in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the main reason for our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park was to ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. You see, my kids are really into trains and have been for years. During the time of their obsession, they’ve been begging me to ride on a real live train. When I learned that this national park I didn’t know about had a railroad running through it, the decision to take a day trip was a no-brainer.
Options
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers lots of options for riders of all kinds. You can buy a day pass that lets you hop on and off (especially handy if you are biking along the tow path), take a 4-hour loop of the whole line from either terminus (in Akron on the south end, or Rockside on the north end), or take a 2-hour half loop from the Peninsula station (in the geographic middle). Whatever duration trip you choose, you can purchase tickets in coach, first class, the domed car, or the table car. We chose the 2-hour half loop because we couldn’t imagine our kids sitting still for longer than that.
Pros and Cons
Our ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad was definitely exciting for our train-obsessed kids, and it was a nice place to sit and enjoy the air conditioning for mom and dad. If you’re looking for a train ride that’s particularly scenic or one that’s full of engaging commentary, though, you might want to skip this one. We enjoyed our ride on the train, but we don’t need to rush back to Cuyahoga Valley National Park just to ride the train.
We had a great time on our day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and we can’t wait to return! On my list of things to do on our next trip are Bridal Veil Falls, Blue Hen Falls, Szalay’s Farm Market, the Everett covered bridge, and Country Maid Ice Cream. Hopefully, we can make it back there sooner rather than later!
Other posts
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So, are you ready to take your day trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park? If you go or have gone in the past, please leave your tips for a great day in the comments below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.