Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, preserves a scenic stretch of the Cuyahoga River with rolling hills, forests, and waterfalls. The park features popular sites like Brandywine Falls and the Towpath Trail, which follows the historic Ohio & Erie Canal. It’s a peaceful blend of natural beauty and local history, perfect for hiking, biking, and wildlife watching.

We did a day trip from our home in Columbus during the summer of 2025. This was our first day trip with our baby, so we did not do a lot of the hikes since we had the stroller with us. We did follow the trail to Brandywine Falls and took turns going down to the lower observation deck while one of us stayed up with the stroller. We did follow the Beaver Marsh trail since it was easy to access with our stroller. The boardwalk went right over the water and we were lucky enough to see a huge snapping turtle which was the highlight of our visit to this park.