Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Ledges Trail - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Ledges Trail
Country:	United States
State:	Ohio
Nearby Town:	Peninsula
Rating:
Directions:	From Peninsula, head east on Main Street / West Streetsboro Road for approximately 0.2 miles. Turn right onto Akron Peninsula Road / South Locust Street and continue for 1 mile. Turn left onto Truxell Road. After 2.1 miles, the entrance to the parking area will be on the left.
Total Hike Distance:	2.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Easy
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	Roundtrip, Loop Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	Ledges Parking Area
Trails Used:	Ledges Trail and Associated Connector Trails
Backcountry Campsites:	No
Backcountry Water Sources:	None
Management:	National Park Service
Contact Information:	Main Visitor Center / Boston Store Visitor Center 1550 Boston Mills Road Peninsula, Ohio 44264 Coordinates: (81° 33.512' W) (41° 15.803' N) Phone: (330) 657-2752 http://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
Best Season:	Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers, Dogs
Road Conditions:	Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is the only national park in the state of Ohio. It was created as the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area on December 27, 1974, and designated as a national park on October 11, 2000. It sits just a short distance from the highly urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, but encompasses nearly 33,000 acres, and offers over 125 miles of hiking trails. Trail maps are available at most visitor centers. This particular hike heads north out of the Ledges parking area, passes the Ledges shelter, and then takes a right onto the connector trail at the first four-way intersection. The connector trail drops down to Ice Box Cave, which happened to be closed for bat protection when we were there. From Ice Box Cave, the hike continues in a counter clockwise direction for approximately 1.3 miles on the Ledges trail. This section of the trail parallels the unique sandstone cliffs, crevices, and ledges for which the trail is named. At the end of this section, the trail rises to an overlook. The rock outcropping at the overlook affords expansive views of the valley to the west. Finally, the hike heads north across an open field back to the parking area.