Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Blue Hen Falls in the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Having grown up in Northeast Ohio, I'm fairly used to the jabs and cheap shots (aka - "lazy insults") hurled at Clevelanders. Yeah, yeah, our river caught fire. That was almost a half-century ago; get over it. Yeah, I know, we have one of the smallest "Big Cities" around. And OK, I'll give you the fact that our job outlook is only slightly better than the worst city in the nation (must suck to be Detroiters! Just kidding. Kind of.). 

However... we have the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

What is this that I speak of? Why, it's Northeast Ohio's very own gem! The diamond in the rough! The best-kept-open-secret you can find, surrounded by decrepit has-been industrial cities! Where else can you spend 8 hours hiking in a vast wilderness, only to turn a corner, find your car and be at a Super Wal-Mart in less than 90 seconds? 

All joking aside, I think it's fair to say that the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the most underrated attraction in Ohio. I've lived here my whole life, and I've never explored it until this year. On Thursday, I took a much-needed day of rest from work, and as a therapeutic remedy for my ills, I took my dog Louie to Brandywine Falls for a three-mile hike through the woods. Then, on Saturday, my husband and I decided to be a bit ambitious and took our puppy out for a five-mile hike on the Buckeye Trail, then we went on a 10-mile bike ride on the Towpath. These trails were not only breathtakingly gorgeous, especially with the autumn leaves on full, vibrant display on phenomenal sunshiny days, but aside from the Towpath, they were also relatively empty. It's not that people don't take advantage of our natural sanitarium, it's just that there are SO many trails to explore that there's room for everyone. 

We love hiking in the C-Val (as we cool kids like to call it). It's quiet. It's beautiful. It's a way to be active, appreciate nature, and recharge your batteries. Have you ever sat down in the middle of the woods, with no one around, watched the sunbeams stream through the leaves of an amber-gold tree, listened to the babble of a waterfall nearby and the sounds of countless unidentifiable birds and bugs chattering to each other, breathed deep and just thought, "OK, this is exactly what I needed"? 

I have. I highly, highly recommend it. 

So, pack a lunch, grab a water bottle, put on your most comfortable walking shoes and get moving. The Towpath is nice and flat if you want to be lazy... err... enjoy a leisurely stroll, and the Buckeye Trail will test your quads and gluts probably more than you'd like. But both are way, way worth the effort. 

Happy hiking! 

(For more information on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the hiking trails, visit http://www.nps.gov/cuva/ )