Brandywine Falls is among the most iconic waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park, and in winter it turns into an particularly hanging vacation spot for hikers and photographers. As temperatures drop, the 65-foot waterfall usually partially freezes, creating dramatic ice formations and icicles that cling to the sandstone cliffs of the Brandywine Gorge. Snow-dusted boardwalks and overlook platforms provide stunning, protected views of Brandywine Falls in winter, making it among the best winter hikes in CVNP. The encompassing forest takes on a quiet, peaceable environment, with fewer crowds and crisp views by means of naked bushes. Winter mountain climbing at Brandywine Falls highlights the uncooked geology of the gorge, together with layered rock partitions and the winding creek beneath. For anybody exploring Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park within the colder months, Brandywine Falls is a must-see, photo-worthy winter waterfall.
Water seasonal from Brandywine Creek
Do not miss strolling up the creek (if totally frozen) to view the falls from beneath…take excessive warning)
Mountaineering the Brandywine Gorge Loop
We’re nearing the top of a protracted stretch of bitter chilly in Northeast Ohio, and earlier than temperatures lastly climb above freezing, I determine to squeeze in a fast winter hike to Brandywine Falls. Winter situations can fully remodel the falls, and I need to see what weeks of ice, snow, and subfreezing temperatures have created. As an alternative of mountain climbing in from Stanford Home—which is an extended route with fewer scenic payoffs this time of yr—I will hike the Brandywine Gorge Loop Path. It’s a shorter hike that also delivers good views, particularly in winter. From the trailhead, I will hike clockwise, saving the falls for the top of the loop.
Throughout the first 0.15 miles, I go an unofficial and infrequently discouraged off-trail route main all the way down to Brandywine Creek. Some hikers use this “path” to view Brandywine Falls from beneath, however with icy situations masking all the things, it’s not well worth the trouble right this moment. A couple of hundred toes later, I flip left and punctiliously descend a staircase full of snow and ice, dropping all the way down to the valley ground.
The path winds by means of a forest of naked hardwoods earlier than reaching a footbridge that spans a frozen Brandywine Creek. Footprints crisscross the snow upstream, an indication that many hikers have been exploring the icy creek mattress. With restricted time, although, I follow the principle path and proceed on.
As I observe the gorge ground, a number of entry factors provide straightforward routes all the way down to the creek, however I go them by. Shredder Falls, a small cascade downstream of Brandywine Falls, is totally buried underneath ice and snow and almost unrecognizable in winter.
I press on because the path regularly climbs again up the north facet of the gorge, the place mature japanese hemlocks and small rock outcroppings start to reemerge.
On the prime of the gorge, the path connects with the Summit County Bike & Hike Path. To the left sits The Inn at Brandywine Falls, a fantastically restored historic mattress and breakfast identified for its unbelievable breakfasts. In hotter months, the inn’s goats usually roam close to the fence line, greeting passing hikers—an sudden however memorable a part of mountain climbing Brandywine Gorge.
The Bike & Hike Path runs close to the crest of Brandywine Falls and gives a pleasant overlook into the gorge. In fall, when peak colours fill the valley, the view is spectacular. With the bushes naked, I can clearly spot the principle commentary platform within the distance to the south. Surprisingly, there’s nobody else out attempting to catch a glimpse of the falls right this moment, which is uncommon even in chilly climate.
Quickly, the hike transitions onto the boardwalk part, passing the stays of the Champion Electrical Firm, a Nineteen Twenties-era manufacturing facility that after produced restaurant home equipment. Earlier than that, a gristmill operated right here within the 1800s.
On the prime of a brief staircase, a viewing platform gives a distant have a look at Brandywine Falls from above. It’s an honest preview, however not the principle occasion, so I maintain shifting.
A few hundred toes later, I descend the boardwalk stairs towards the principle commentary space. The rock partitions flanking the boardwalk often host large icicles in winter, however it appears like somebody not too long ago knocked them down—usually an unbelievable sight, however not right this moment.
After descending just a few extra steps, I attain the principle lookout and revel in one of the best view the path gives. Whereas Brandywine Falls isn’t fully frozen, a small stream nonetheless flows close to the underside, seemingly as a result of barely hotter temperatures the previous few days. Per week earlier, when temperatures had been caught within the single digits, this might have regarded barely totally different. Even so, the view is beautiful, with the north wall of the gorge nonetheless lined with towering icicles, some stretching greater than 20 toes lengthy.
After soaking all of it in, I climb again up the steps, end the boardwalk, and return to the trailhead. It’s again to work, however the 30-minute winter hike was effectively price it. I’ll be again subsequent winter throughout one other deep freeze, when situations permit for strolling up Brandywine Creek and seeing the falls from beneath—among the best winter mountain climbing experiences within the park.
