Chasing Waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley

This is part four of a travel series of our midwest road trip covering four states and two national parks.  We began our journey in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.  If you missed it, start HERE

On day one in the Cuyahoga Valley so far we visited a nature center, hiked a short trail, and took a twelve mile bike ride, but there was still plenty of daylight left so after a quick lunch of leftovers from the previous nights dinner,  we headed out on our next adventure. 

Bedford Reservation

Since we still in the northern section of the valley, we decided to drive over to the Bedford Reservation to see Bridal Veil Falls. 

If you ever get to the Cuyahoga Valley, please don't just visit the national park, but go to these reservations too (Bedford and Brecksville).    They are so beautiful and well maintained and we noticed a PAVED bicycle path there too that looked a lot nicer than the Towpath Trail in the national park.

The picture below is a scenic overlook we stopped at while driving to the falls.  How gorgeous is that?  I can only imagine how beautiful this view is in the fall. 

The Bedford Reservation is a sprawling 2,900 acre park located in Cuyahoga County Ohio and is managed as part of the Cleveland Park System.  The park's defining natural wonder is Tinker Creek Gorge:   a deep 220 foot gorge carved out by Tinker Creek.  The deck pictured below is where you can view this gorge.  It was designated a Natural Landmark in 1968 because its rugged terrain left the area largely unlogged.

There are two waterfalls in the Bedford Reservation:  The Great Falls of Tinkers Creek (a 17 feet tall 50 feet wide waterfall we didn't visit 😢),  and Bridal Veil Falls.  The Bridal Veil Falls parking lot was so well marked and just look at that road!  Just driving in this park is a joy in itself.

The trail to Bridal Veils is very short but includes lots of steps.  The decking and steps are so well maintened.  

This short 0.3 out and back trail is just so peaceful and beautiful.  It winds down through a forest till you reach Deerlick Creek.

The serenity and beauty of this place is just magical, no wonder it is considered to be one of Ohio's best waterfalls.

The water here is so shallow and gentle, making it the perfect place for to take off your shoes and let the gentle waves wash over your feet.

Bridal Veil Falls is a relatively small, gentle cascade rather than a massive vertical drop.  It is 20 feet tall and the water tumbles down a sloped shale gorge across multiple terraced layers rather than free falling.  It is so PRETTY!  The crest of the falls reaches a maximum width of 10 feet.  

The waterfall gets it name because it starts wide at the top crest and narrows as it flows down the rock face, mimicking the shape of a traditional bridal veil.

And here is a short video of the falls because I know they do so much more justice to the falls than just a photo.  We were also there after several storms moved through, so there was lots of water!

We loved the beautiful little wooden bridge which crossed the creek.

The Boston Mill Area

The Boston Mill Visitor Center is where most visitors start their visit in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  It is usually very busy, and the parking lot fills up fast on weekends.  It was definitely one of the busier parts of the park when we were there on a Monday, but we still found a parking spot. 

It is such a pretty area filled with wildflowers, old buildings, a cute bridge, and old train station.  Even the rest rooms are adorable!

The Boston Mill Visitor Center is housed in a fully rehabilitated, historic 1905 building that originally served as the company store and general store for the Cleveland Akron Bag Company.  Here you can see a 3D tactile tabletop model that provides a geographic layout of the valley, regional murals, historical displays, and boat-building exhibits.  There is an information staffed with park rangers where you pick up maps and plan your visit.

After talking with a park ranger about the best things to do in the park, she said Brandywine Falls, Ledges, and Beaver Marsh were the must-sees.  I  knew that already as I had done my research before the trip, but it was nice to have it confirmed.  She also said that the best part of the Towpath Trail was between here and Beaver Marsh, but after another heavy rain over night, I was hestitant to get my bike and clothes all dirty again.  I was bummed that we didn't get to bike "the prettiest part of the trail" that the ranger recommended, but we still enjoyed the highlights because we drove to those places instead. 

Brandywine Falls

After hanging out at the Boston Mill Area taking pictures, we then went over to the famous Brandywine Falls and it did not disappoint!  The entire trail is a beautiful boardwalk built around massive rock formations leading to several different viewing platforms of the falls.

On our boardwalk hike we spotted a sweet five month old kitten walking like a dog on a leash!  I couldn't believe it!  I've had cats on leashes before, but I could never get them to walk alongside me like a dog.  The owner said she trained her kitten to walk on a leash.  Incredible!  She was such a sweet kitten.

The Brandywine Falls boardwalk is a short 0.3 out and back accessible trail leading to views of Brandywine Falls.  

In these next few phots you can see how amazing this boardwalk is:  you have views of the Cuyahoga River on one side, with amazing cliff formations on the other.

The path is wheelchair and stroller accessible to the upper lookout, however the side stairs to the lower lookout are not.  

With all the rain the area had experienced the past few days, the falls did not disappoint.  The stunning 65 foot falls drops dramatically and powerfully over a layer of shale and sandstone. 

There are great views into the gorge below too.

Here is a short video to see the lower falls in action:

These are the steps to the lower viewing deck, which gives you the best views of the falls in my opinion.  But sadly, it is not wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Such a cool boardwalk! I love it when parks provide a safe, easy way for people to experience nature and not harm the environment.

The view from the upper deck is wheelchair and stroller accessible. 

And here is a video taken from the upper falls viewing deck.  You can see the lower falls viewing deck in the video.

Finally, a third viewing option is to see the falls from the bridge which crosses right over the falls!

We spotted a part of the Towpath Trail while up by the bridge.  How cute is this little tunnel?

And we saw lots of gorgeous wildflowers!  

Well, by now we had a full day.  We explored the town of Brecksville, went to the Brecksville Nature Center, hiked the Gorge Loop, biked the Towpath Trail, visited Bridal Veil Falls and the Boston Mill Visitor Center, and saw Brandywine Falls so now it was time to call it a day and have more adventures in Cuyahoga Valley tomorrow.

But first dinner!  I was so happy that there was a Mexican restaurant right next door to our hotel and we didn't have to drive anywhere...and it was good!  We were both starving!  Hubby got a fajita and I got a quesadilla.   Apparently the restaurant, Cozumel,  is a small, regional group of Mexican restaurants in Ohio as we spotted more later on our trip.

I hope you enjoyed my post, next week I'll be back with adventures from our last day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more posts on our Midwest Road Trip, check these out:

A Gilded Age Getaway:  Our Boat Tour of Lake Geneva's Black Point Estate

The Best of Indiana Dunes National Park:  Tackling Dune Succession and Mt. Baldy

Exploring the Best of Cuyahoga Valley:  Brecksville Reservation and the Towpath Trail