Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Canton

Route description

Cuyahoga Valley National Park lies between Cleveland and Akron, about 30 minutes south of downtown Cleveland via I-77 or I-271. There is no entrance fee, and the park is open all year. Start at Brandywine Falls, where a boardwalk leads to a view of the falls; the parking lot fills on weekends. Nearby Brandywine Road is narrow and hilly.

The Boston Mill Visitor Center is the park’s main information center, next to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The trail is a flat path for walking and cycling along the old canal, and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs along the valley with a special bike-aboard fare. The park has no drive-in campgrounds, but there are some in the area around it.

South of Peninsula, the Ledges area has trails around sandstone cliffs and an overlook that is popular at sunset. Continue south to Akron, once the rubber capital of the world, and visit Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the mansion of the founder of the Goodyear tire company. The house and gardens are open from spring to December.

Canton is about 30 minutes south of Akron on I-77. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is next to the interstate, and the enshrinement festival takes place in early August, when the city is very busy. Canton also has the First Ladies National Historic Site downtown. Roads in the national park can be narrow and busy, but the main routes are fine for RVs.