Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Stanford Trailhead to Brandywine Falls (Blog Hike #1096; Golden Staff Hike)

Trails: Stanford and Brandywine Gorge Trails
Hike Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Twinsburg, OH (41.27116, -81.55677)
Length: 3.9 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: October 2025
Overview: A lollipop loop to scenic Brandywine Falls.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming October 16, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: Southeast of Cleveland, take I-271 to SR 303 (exit 12).  Exit and go east on SR 303.  Drive SR 303 east 1.8 miles to Riverview Road and turn left on Riverview Rd.  Drive Riverview Rd. north 1.6 miles to Boston Mills Road and turn right on Boston Mills Rd.  Drive Boston Mills Rd. east 0.2 miles to Stanford Road and turn left on Stanford Rd.  Stanford Rd. deadends at the large Stanford Trailhead parking area, where this hike begins.

The hike: Located in northeast Ohio in the suburbs southeast of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park has the distinction of being Ohio's only national park, and therefore it is sometimes thought of as the best park and hiking destination in Ohio.  Yet Cuyahoga Valley is not your typical national park in several ways.  First, unlike many of the big western national parks that were established in the early 1900s, Cuyahoga Valley's 32,783 acres entered the public domain only in 1974 with the creation of Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.

            Second, the recreation area earned its promotion to national park status in 2000, making it the first national park that started as a national recreation area.  Finally, the park still has many private inholdings and even entire towns within its boundaries.  As a consequence, you can be inside the park and not even know you are in the park.  Yet for people willing to put up with this park's oddities and suburban location, a fantastic experience awaits.

            Cuyahoga Valley National Park is most famous for 2 things.  First, the park's Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a 21-mile hike/bike trail along the Cuyahoga River that uses the old canal towpath.  Second, many of Ohio's most scenic and popular waterfalls are located within the park's boundaries.  I only had time to do 1 hike in this large park, and the hike described here involves both of this park's main attractions.  This hike starts at a trailhead for the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail but heads away from the river to reach Brandywine Falls, which is possibly Ohio's most famous waterfall.

Start of the Stanford Trail

            The Stanford Trailhead parking area was enlarged and relocated in 2025, and I parked and started at the new trailhead.  From the information sign at the southeast corner of the parking lot, head south on the entrance trail, and in only a couple hundred feet intersect a connector trail.  Going right on the connector trail leads to the famous Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, but our hike turns left to cross the entrance road and head around the old trailhead parking lot beside the Stanford House.  James and George Stanford built this farmhouse in 1843, and it served as the center of the Stanford farm well into the 1900's.  The Stanford Barn stands nearby.

Passing the old trailhead parking area

            Now on the Stanford Trail, you head northeast through the old Stanford farmland, which today is young shrubby forest with only small trees.  At 0.4 miles, the trail crosses a nice stream on a nice wooden bridge.  Next the first of 3 moderate climbs begins; the trail gains about 150 feet of elevation over 0.3 miles.  A couple of broad switchbacks make the grade easier, and the forest on the hillside is a nice mature mixture of oak, hickory, and maple that was showing near-peak leaf color when I hiked here in mid-October.

Crossing a stream

            0.7 miles into the hike, you reach the broad and flat ridgetop.  The trail makes a sweeping left curve on the ridgetop to reach an intersection just past 0.9 miles.  A spur trail to Averill Pond angles left, and you could add on the spur if you wanted a little more distance.  The main Stanford Trail turns right and begins descending on a moderately steep grade via some wooden stairs.

Hiking on the ridgetop

            At 1.2 miles, you reach the east end of the Stanford Trail and its intersection with the Brandywine Gorge Trail, which is the loop portion of this hike.  To get to Brandywine Falls faster, I turned right and used the trail going left as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.  The trail climbs out of the gorge via more wooden stairs before joining an old road.

Climbing stairs out of the gorge

            At 1.55 miles, you intersect the trail that leads from the Brandywine Falls parking area to the falls.  Turn left twice to descend several sets of wooden steps and boardwalks that lead to the lower Brandywine Falls overlook.  Brandywine Falls is a 60-65 foot cascade-type waterfall, and it had plenty of water volume even though I came here during a fairly dry period.  2 distinct rock layers can be seen, sandstone on top of shale, and the rocks give this waterfall a dark and stark appearance.  You hiked a decent way to get this view while most people just walk down here from the parking lot, so enjoy the benches that give great waterfall views.

Stairs and boardwalk at Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls

            Retrace your steps up the wooden stairs, then turn left to continue the Brandywine Gorge Loop.  Near the top of Brandywine Falls, you reach the former site of Brandywine Village.  The village was established in 1814 when George Wallace built a sawmill here that was powered by the waterfall.  This site was used for industrial purposes as recently as 1937, when the Champion Electric Company manufactured restaurant appliances here.  The concrete block ruins of the most recent building can still be seen.

Champion Electric Company ruins

            Just past 1.8 miles, you reach a paved Bike and Hike Trail.  Turn left to cross Brandywine Creek above the falls, then stay with the paved trail as it curves left away from Brandywine Road.  2 miles into the hike, turn left at a signed intersection to leave the asphalt and continue the Brandywine Gorge Trail.  The trail descends into the gorge on a moderate but rocky track, and some benches offer nice gorge views to the left.  This area is more natural than the touristy waterfall area you passed earlier.

Descending into Brandywine Gorge

Brandywine Creek in Brandywine Gorge

            Just shy of 2.5 miles, the trail curves left and crosses Brandywine Creek on a narrow but nice footbridge.  At 2.7 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right and retrace your steps out the Stanford Trail to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve (Blog Hike #1095)

Trails: Seven Ponds and Eagle Point Trails
Hike Location: Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve
Geographic Location: northwest of Streetsboro, OH (41.28505, -81.39180)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: October 2025
Overview: A pair of short flat trails featuring many wetlands.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/tinkers-creek-state-nature-preserve
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming October 30, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Streetsboro, take SR 303 west 3.4 miles to Stow Road and turn right on Stow Rd.  Drive Stow Rd. north 3 miles to Old Mill Road and turn right on Old Mill Rd.  The signed parking area for Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve is 0.9 miles ahead on the left just after crossing a railroad track.  Park here.

The hike: Known for its numerous naturally occurring wetlands and kettle lakes, the 355-acre Tinkers Creek complex of parks is owned by the State of Ohio but maintained by Summit County through its Metroparks.  Before it became a state park, the park's central area was operated as a private park known as Colonial Spring Gardens.  The state purchased the land in 1966, and the park opened in 1973.

            Today Tinkers Creek State Park and Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve are both managed as part of Summit County's vast 3000-acre Liberty Park.  Tinkers Creek's amenities are limited to just fishing and paddling on the park's pond, an archery range, and a rentable picnic shelter.  For hikers, the state park has only a single short trail, but the state nature preserve has 2 trails, both of which provide excellent views into the wetlands.  This hike uses both of those trails, and thus it features the longest and best hike Tinkers Creek has to offer.

Crosswalk leading to Seven Ponds Trail

            Both trails start at the same parking area, so you could hike either trail first.  I headed south to cross Old Mill Road on the marked crosswalk and hike the longer Seven Ponds Trail first.  True to its name, the Seven Ponds Trail forms a semiloop through a wetland area that contains 7 ponds.  In fact, the Tinkers Creek area has many more than 7 ponds, and this trail provides a good sample of the area.  The wetlands ensure that bugs are quite bad here in the summer, but I had a pleasant bug-free hike on a mild sunny afternoon in mid-October.

Hiking the entrance trail

            The wide entrance trail heads south on what may be an old road with an active railroad track across the preserve boundary to your right.  At 0.2 miles, the trail splits at an unmarked intersection to form its loop.  This hike continues straight and uses the trail going left as our return route, thus heading around the loop counterclockwise.  A few hundred feet later, you reach the first pond on the left.  The fall colors were nearing peak when I hiked here in mid-October, and while a bench beside the tranquil pond looked inviting, I decided it was too early in the hike for a rest.

First pond

            The trail angles left to increase its distance from the railroad track while passing some more ponds.  The terrain in this entire preserve is very flat, and there is no noticeable elevation change on this hike.  0.6 miles into the hike, you reach another trail intersection.  We will eventually turn left to continue the loop, but first turn right to begin a short spur trail to the southernmost point on this hike.

Grassy wet prairie at south end of spur

            The spur trail heads south through some mixed pine and broadleaf forest on a peninsula between 2 wetlands.  Soon the peninsula narrows, and just past 0.8 miles you reach the end of the peninsula, the end of the spur trail, and a viewpoint.  This viewpoint looks southwest across a large grassy wet prairie, and the fall colors of the grasses were a spectacular orange and red when I hiked here.

Canada goose in pond

            Backtrack to the loop, then turn right to continue the loop.  You pass more ponds, one of which had a Canada goose swimming around on my visit.  I was hoping to see a lot of waterfowl on this hike, but I came at the wrong time of day or year: the one goose is all I saw.  At 1.6 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right to retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

View at end of Eagle Point Trail

            The other trail, the Eagle Point Trail, leaves the other/north end of the parking lot.  The Eagle Point Trail is a short 0.15 mile one-way out-and-back, and it leads north through shrubby deciduous forest to a wooden overlook platform.  The platform offers a nice view to the northeast across another large grassy wet prairie similar to the one on the south spur trail.  After enjoying the view, retrace your steps to the parking lot for a second time to complete the hike.