Winters in Northeast Ohio could be brutally chilly, however these frigid temperatures unlock a very completely different facet of Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park. When the thermometer drops beneath freezing, the park transforms into a real winter wonderland, providing hikers the possibility to expertise CVNP winter mountaineering at its finest. Frozen waterfalls, icy creeks, and snow-covered trails reveal scenic options which can be typically hidden or tough to entry through the hotter months. As a neighborhood who has spent many years exploring Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park in winter, I can say certainly, that chilly climate brings a number of the most rewarding mountaineering circumstances within the park. From quiet trails with fewer crowds to gorgeous seasonal landscapes distinctive to winter mountaineering in Northeast Ohio, that is the time of yr when Cuyahoga Valley actually shines for adventurous hikers keen to embrace the chilly.
It’s arduous to think about a greater winter hike in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park than the trek to Twin Sister Falls. At simply two miles spherical journey, this hike isn’t the longest within the park, however what it lacks in distance it greater than makes up for in payoff. Standing at roughly 65 ft tall, Twin Sister Falls is one in all—if not the tallest waterfall in CVNP, narrowly edging out the far more visited Brandywine Falls. Reaching it additionally feels way more like an journey, particularly in winter. Hikers should scramble over, duck beneath, and work their method round quite a few fallen bushes, all whereas fastidiously navigating slick sheets of ice all through the ravine. Throughout many of the yr, Twin Sister Falls is little greater than a trickle, however in winter, significantly after a chronic freeze, it transforms into a real showstopper. Sheets of ice cling to the rock face, and the frozen waterfall turns into one of the crucial spectacular winter waterfalls in Northeast Ohio. One other main benefit of mountaineering to Twin Sister Falls in winter is simpler entry. In hotter months, reaching the bottom of the falls requires navigating an unofficial, typically slippery path alongside a reasonably steep slope. When temperatures keep beneath freezing, hikers can merely observe the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Path and cross the canal as soon as it’s frozen stable, utterly bypassing the tough facet path.
Ask anybody—aside from a neighborhood who frequently hikes off-trail in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park—about Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls, and also you’ll seemingly be met with a clean stare. These two hidden waterfalls don’t seem on official CVNP path maps, which suggests hikers keen to hunt them out are sometimes rewarded with full solitude. Tucked deep inside a steep ravine north of Twin Sister Falls, the path to Raccoon and Romane Falls is a real off-the-beaten-path hike, finest suited to adventurous hikers who get pleasure from rugged terrain. Very similar to the method to Twin Sister Falls, reaching these waterfalls requires loads of climbing over and ducking beneath fallen bushes, together with fastidiously navigating debris-filled sections of the ravine. At simply over 5 miles spherical journey, this off-trail CVNP hike takes some effort and time, but it surely’s effectively inside attain for many skilled hikers. The payoff is tough to beat: Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls rework into two of probably the most lovely frozen waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park, making this one of the crucial rewarding winter waterfall hikes within the area.
Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park’s most iconic path is gorgeous in each season, but it surely’s particularly good within the winter when the usually crowded path’s crowds skinny out. The loop winds by way of towering ledges and moss-covered rock partitions, making it a favourite hike in CVNP year-round. Alongside the way in which, hikers go by way of caves, crevices, and overhangs that showcase the distinctive geology of Northeast Ohio. In winter, the Ledges Path transforms right into a hanging panorama of snow-dusted rock formations and icy textures, providing a very completely different mountaineering expertise. For individuals who know the place to search out them, the hidden carvings close to Icebox Cave are a pleasant little add on to an already attractive hike.
Like Twin Sister Falls, Raccoon Falls and Romane Falls, and Loopy Man’s Hole Falls, reaching Contour Falls requires hikers to navigate a ravine full of fallen bushes, making it a basic off-trail hike within the park. Whereas the route nonetheless calls for a little bit of scrambling, this ravine is without doubt one of the most scenic within the park and requires considerably much less effort to succeed in than the extra demanding hike to Raccoon and Romane Falls. The unofficial path to Contour Falls does embody a crossing of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which doesn’t at all times freeze stable in winter. Nonetheless, after every week or extra of sub-freezing temperatures, the crossing is often a lot simpler and extra manageable for knowledgeable winter hikers. The reward is effectively definitely worth the effort: Contour Falls drops roughly 40 ft, typically forming a surprising frozen cascade framed by huge icicles, making it one of the crucial photogenic winter waterfalls in CVNP. At just below 4 miles spherical journey, most hikers can attain Contour Falls with out challenge, although—as with all hikes on this part of the park—additional warning ought to at all times be used when crossing the canal in winter.
Blue Hen & Buttermilk Falls
The Blue Hen Falls Path is without doubt one of the hottest hikes in CVNP, particularly for these chasing waterfalls. The scenic path winds by way of a wooded ravine and results in Blue Hen Falls, a sleek cascade that appears particularly hanging throughout winter freezes. Adventurous hikers can proceed past Blue Hen Falls and enterprise off-trail towards Buttermilk Falls, extensively thought-about top-of-the-line and most spectacular waterfalls within the park. The off-trail route provides a way of exploration and rewards hikers with a robust, lesser-seen waterfall deep within the gorge.
Loopy Man’s Hole Falls is one other true off-the-beaten-path hike in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park that is still largely unknown to most guests. Not listed on any official CVNP path maps, this hidden waterfall rewards those that search it out with one of the crucial scenic ravine hikes within the park. Like Twin Sister Falls, Contour Falls, and Raccoon and Romane Falls, the path to Loopy Man’s Hole Falls is a principally off-trail hike by way of a ravine scattered with fallen bushes. Regardless of the rugged terrain, it’s one of many simpler hidden waterfall hikes in CVNP, thanks largely to its shorter distance of simply over 1.5 miles spherical journey. Not like a number of different winter waterfall hikes in Cuyahoga Valley, reaching Loopy Man’s Hole Falls doesn’t require crossing the Ohio & Erie Canal, a serious promoting level for a lot of hikers—particularly in winter circumstances. One other benefit of this lesser-known hike is the solitude it presents. As a result of so few folks find out about it, hikers have a superb opportunity of experiencing Loopy Man’s Hole Falls frozen and utterly alone, making it a standout winter hike within the park.
The Tree Farm Path presents a peaceable and scenic winter mountaineering expertise by way of open fields and quiet woodlands. In winter, the path is commonly blanketed in snow, creating extensive, easy-to-follow paths that are perfect for cold-weather mountaineering. Not like the rocky ledges and waterfalls discovered elsewhere within the park, the Tree Farm Path presents wide-open views, frozen wetlands, and lengthy sightlines that really feel particularly peaceable in winter. Whereas the path is commonly muddy in spring, summer season, and fall, chilly temperatures lock the bottom in place, making winter the best season to hike and actually get pleasure from its quiet, expansive surroundings. The principally flat terrain makes it top-of-the-line winter hikes in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park for hikers in search of a relaxed, low-impact outing.
The Brandywine Gorge Path is without doubt one of the extra scenic winter hikes within the park, providing dramatic views of Brandywine Falls and the encircling gorge. Winter transforms the path with snow-covered steps, icy cliffs, and frozen rock partitions that spotlight the rugged fantastic thing about this widespread space. As temperatures drop, Brandywine Falls typically freezes into towering sheets of ice, making it a must-see vacation spot for winter mountaineering in Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park. For the extra adventurous hikers, it’s attainable to very fastidiously discover a route right down to Brandywine Creek and expertise an up-close view of the falls when each the creek and waterfall are firmly frozen stable. From the creek stage, the dimensions and energy of Brandywine Falls really feel much more spectacular in winter circumstances. Whether or not seen from above or explored up shut, the Brandywine Gorge Path delivers one of many extra unforgettable winter mountaineering experiences in CVNP.
