Our second day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park was a day of waterfalls. Our first stop was at Brandywine Falls.
The trails at most of the falls in the park lead you directly toward the falls on an easy path. Brandywine Falls is the tallest waterfall we saw today.
Getting to the falls would have been a difficult hike. The trip is much easier because of the stairs that have been built into the steep cliffs.
The falls are beautiful from near or far.
As well as from many angles.
This location brought us very close. A zoom feature on the camera brings you even closer.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park winds and weaves around the towns and cities that surround it. We traveled out of and back into the park on our way to Blue Hen Falls.
It was only a short hike from the parking lot to Blue Hen Falls. Another couple arrived at the falls at the same time that we did. They were viewing the various falls and were also preparing for a more difficult hike in the Rocky Mountains. They were very familiar with the park because they had been rangers in the park at one point several years before.
They planned to continue their hike to Buttermilk Falls along an old trail. We decided to try an adventure to follow them toward Buttermilk Falls. They planned to hike even further into the park after that , so we would have turned back on our own to get back to the car.
About five minutes into the extra hike, the couple started looking around to make sure they were confident about the path they were following. About 10 minutes into that hike we saw these two trees forming a large “X”. We took that as a sign that it was time to turn back toward our car.
We did not get to see Buttermilk Falls, but we had a fun adventure going along an older path through the park.
Our next stop was Bridal Veil Falls. This waterfall is a combination of a waterfall and a cascade.
After an initial short falls up river, Bridal Veil Falls continues with its largest drop and then tuns into a cascade that goes a distance down the river.
Our final waterfall of the day was Great Falls. This water fall was both a geological tour and a history trip. The falls are small, but interesting. They are surrounded by several historic structures that demonstrate the importance of waterfalls in the development of civilization.
During several different periods, people have use the falls and the surrounding area for multiple purposes. This picture shows a few stones remaining from a mill that was built on this sight.
This is a photo of a dam that was built above the falls to try to increase the power harnessed and to keep the mill operating year round.
At another time, someone built a power plant of red brick near Tinker’s Creek where the falls are located.
Perhaps the most impressive structure in the area was a 500 foot tunnel built through a tall hillside that was intended to shorten the travel to the waterfall, and to support train traffic about the creek.
With so many structures and great views in this area, we spent a good amount of time just exploring to see all the sights.
While a fifteen foot waterfall is nice, Great Falls with its history and the many ways to approach it, made for a great visit and history lesson.
