Cuyahoga Valley National Park was created in 1974 as part of Parks to the People, a civil rights initiative to create parks in metropolitan areas. The park is located along the Cuyahoga river between Akron and Cleveland. Some of the original inhabitants in the region were the Lenape nation, considered the “grandfathers” of the Upper Ohio River Valley. The river connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and was therefore a transportation hub in the past.
We hiked a short distance to Brandywine Falls, a 65-foot-tall waterfall. The boardwalk path highlighted some of the famous rock outcroppings called ledges, as well as a snake that slithered across the path in front of us.
After Ohio, we drove through West Virginia on our way to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. West Virginia was interesting to say the least and somewhat lived up to its reputation. I’ve never seen so many Trump signs in my life. Ugh!
Next up, Shenandoah!