Hiking the Ledges at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The ledges
Welcome to my guide on Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). This will be a multi-post guide exploring CVNP one area at a time. In this post, we’ll be exploring the Virginia Kendall part of the park and the Ritchie ledges.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is nestled between Cleveland and Akron and is Ohio’s only national park. It’s unique in comparison to other national parks across the country in that instead of being a large area of unique and beautiful trees, mountains or seashore it’s actually a combination of several existing parks and helps preserve and restore rural landscapes along the Cuyahoga River. What’s unique about this park is at any given moment you can be driving through farmland, residential areas, or freeway overpasses. There’s even a railroad and concert venue within the boundaries of the park. With all of that, you’ll still find plenty of nature far from civilization. One of my favorite areas to get away from it all in is the ledges.
Walking through Ritchie Ledges takes you through a 300-million-year-old geological wonderland. A Microenvironment of moss-covered sandstone ledges and lush green ferns surrounded by the yellow birch and hemlock forests.
Photo Ops
The entire park is one huge photo op, however, the ledges have a few standout locations that make for great photos.
- The Overlook – get stunning views of the park and trail below
- The amazing Hemlock trees with their crazy, winding roots
- Cavernous areas you have to squeeze through to get into
- The awesome looking sandstone ledges (these make for really cool macro /detail photos)
- Petroglyphs
- The large staircase halfway through made from rock quarried from the Deep Lock Quarry which is now its own park
What to know before you go
Parking
Free and located at various entry points around the park.
Park Fee
None! Entry to Cuyahoga Valley National Park is free.
How to Dress
Casual attire is fine, base your dress off the level of activity you plan to do. I recommend closed-toe shoes with a good grip on them and dressing in layers as it may be warm where you park your car but once you get in the park the trees provide shade and the temperature can drop a little.
Trail Information
Name: Ledges Trail
Distance: Roughly 1.8 miles
Time: About 1.5 hours
Level: Moderate level of hiking
Elevation: 105 feet
additional info
Stay away from the edges of the trails near the overlook as the rock can be unstable.
Rock climbing up the sides of the ledges is prohibited
My guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park is my attempt to share as much about Ohio’s own national park as possible broken down into areas of the park. I am not an expert on the park, just a national park fan trying to encourage you to get out and explore. Have a favorite spot in this part of the park or feel I’ve missed something? Leave a message below!
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