🥾 ActiveLong weekend · from Cleveland, OH
Cuyahoga Valley & Mohican: Ohio's Forest Trails
Ohio's two most significant natural landscapes for active travel are within 90 minutes of Cleveland. Cuyahoga Valley National Park — the urban national park preserving the 33-mile river corridor between Cleveland and Akron — has 125 miles of hiking trail, 22 miles of towpath, and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Mohican State Park, 90 minutes south, protects the Mohican River gorge where the Clear Fork of the Mohican River carved a 300-foot sandstone gorge through the northeastern Ohio plateau — the most dramatic river landscape in the state, with covered bridges, clear pools, and the Lyons Falls trail system through old-growth hemlock forest.
Day 1 — Cuyahoga Valley: Brandywine Falls, Ledges Trail, and Virginia KendallDay 2 — Mohican State Park: Clear Fork Gorge, Lyons Falls, and covered bridgesDay 3 — Mohican River canoe and drive north
Day 1 — Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Day 1 — Cuyahoga Valley National Park
🚗 30 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Cleveland, OH → Cuyahoga Valley National Park
30 min
Ledges Trail
★ Reviews →A 2.2-mile loop through the Sharon Conglomerate rock outcrops in the Virginia Kendall unit of Cuyahoga Valley National Park — the rock formations are ancient beach deposits compressed into conglomerate (small pebbles cemented in sandstone) that resist erosion, leaving house-sized formations in the forest. The Ice Box is a narrow slot between two formation walls where ice persists through late spring; Whispering Cave is a 180-foot overhang recess used historically for shelter. The Ledges are the best rock scrambling terrain in northern Ohio.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Brandywine Falls
★ Reviews →The 65-foot waterfall and gorge trail — a 1.4-mile loop from the trailhead with the Stanford House (1843 Greek Revival farmhouse) adjacent. The boardwalk above the falls and the descent to the plunge pool are the two viewing positions; the hemlock forest around the falls is in continuous shade through summer.
~1 hr📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Ohio and Erie Towpath Trail — Beaver Marsh
★ Reviews →The most biodiverse section of the Towpath Trail — beavers colonized the abandoned industrial canal in the 1980s and created a wetland that now supports great blue herons, osprey, great horned owls, and a visible beaver lodge. The Beaver Marsh section (Ira Trailhead to Botzum Trailhead, 2 miles) is a flat easy walk with continuous wildlife viewing. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs alongside this section; the train's appearance is a regular event on the trail.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
Peninsula Village
★ Reviews →The village in the center of Cuyahoga Valley National Park — the Winking Lizard Tavern and Fisher's Café and Pub are the evening dinner options.
~1 hr📍 See location
Stanford House
★ Reviews →An 1843 Greek Revival farmhouse inside Cuyahoga Valley National Park operated as a hostel by Hostelling International — private rooms and dormitories in the most atmospherically situated overnight in the park. Alternative: Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls (20 minutes south) for standard hotel comfort.
~15 min📍 See location
Day 2 — Mohican State Park
Day 2 — Mohican State Park
🚗 1 hr 15 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Cuyahoga Valley → Mohican State Park
1 hr 15 min
Clear Fork Gorge Trail
★ Reviews →A 5.6-mile loop through the Clear Fork Gorge — the most dramatic river gorge in Ohio, where the Clear Fork of the Mohican River cut 300 feet into the Berea sandstone plateau. The gorge trail descends to the river level and follows the cliff base through old-growth hemlocks; the gorge walls above are 100-200 feet of vertical sandstone. The river runs clear and cold year-round from the springs in the gorge walls; the mist above the river in cool morning air creates the primary Mohican gorge atmosphere.
~4 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Lyons Falls Trail
★ Reviews →The 1-mile trail from the Mohican State Park campground to Lyons Falls — a 30-foot waterfall on a tributary of the Clear Fork in an old-growth hemlock recess. The hemlocks above the falls were never logged; the grove is one of the most significant old-growth hemlock stands in Ohio. The trail connects to the gorge trail system for a full day's hiking.
~6 hrs📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Mohican County Covered Bridges
★ Reviews →Ashland and Holmes counties contain 15 covered bridges, the highest concentration in Ohio — the Brinkhaven, Malabar Farm, and Funk bridges in the Mohican Valley are the most scenic, spanning the Clear Fork and its tributaries on roads that pass through farmland and forest. An afternoon driving tour covers 6-8 bridges within 20 miles of the state park; the covered bridge circuit is best done in the afternoon light.
~1 hr📍 See location
🌙
Evening
Der Dutchman
★ Reviews →Down-home American joint offering hot & cold buffets of traditional comfort fare, plus a salad bar.
~1 hr📍 See location
Mohican State Park Lodge
★ Reviews →The state park lodge above the Clear Fork Gorge — the lodge has forest-view rooms and a dining room serving Ohio-sourced food; the gorge trail is accessible from the lodge porch. The most complete park lodge experience in Ohio for an active hiking trip.
Day 3 — Mohican River & Drive North
Day 3 — Mohican River & Drive North
🚗 1 hr 30 min driving📍 1 stop
🌅
Morning
Mohican Adventures Canoe Livery
★ Reviews →A morning canoe or kayak float on the Lower Mohican River below the gorge — the river exits the gorge at Brinkhaven and enters a broad flatwater section running through farmland and forested bottomlands to the confluence with the Walhonding. The full-day float is 10 miles; the morning 5-mile section runs through the most scenic bottomland. Mohican Adventures at Loudonville rents canoes and kayaks and runs shuttles.
~6 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Mohican State Park → Cleveland, OH
1 hr 30 min
← All Cleveland trips
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