Hike to Brandywine Falls

2/5/2016

A visit to Brandywine Falls had been on the list for quite some time.  We had a Friday off from work so we decided to make the drive and take the hike.  Brandywine Falls is located in the Brecksville Area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Cleveland, OH.  It's only about a 2 hour drive from Columbus and we have just begun to explore this area.  Two years ago we parked the truck at one of the train stations and for $3.00 a person we stowed the bikes on a special car and rode the train 15 miles out, and rode the bikes back along the Towpath Trail to the car.  A bike ride and a train ride... how could you go wrong.

Now, you can park right at Brandywine Falls and have a very short walk from the parking lot to the falls, but that doesn't sound much like us.  We parked at the Boston Store Visitor Center, got a map and our National Park hiking pin, and headed north on the Towpath Trail about a half mile to a connector trail to the Standford Trail.  Turns out you can park at the Standford Farm, behind the barn in a small dirt lot.  You can usually make this a loop trail, but a foot bridge over the Brandywine Creek washed out last spring and has not been replaced.  In the summer time, during warm weather and low water levels, they say you can cross the creek by hopping from rock to rock.  Being that it is February after a few day of ran, we didn't want to chance it, and just made it an out and back trail (the solid green trail on the map), a total of about 4.65 miles.

The trail half frozen, half muddy on the way out, and was only going to get worse on the way back as temperatures were climbing to a whopping 38 degrees (On the way back, we actually walked the Stanford Rd back to Boston Store to avoid the now completely muddy trail.)  The trail started out in old field habitat, but quickly turned to mature open woods.  There were two hills to contend with, but nothing to killer.  It was a nice walk in the woods, but nothing compared to the falls that waited at the halfway point.

These falls drop 65 feet into a gorge, with enormous boulders below.  There is a beautiful elevated boardwalk along the side of the gorge, ending at large observation deck about middle height of the falls. Incredible.

 

Once again we pretty much had the trail to ourselves, and only a few people on the deck. Shortly after our arrival, the other hikers left, and we had the deck to ourselves.  It was the perfect place, and the perfect time for me to take a knee and ask for her hand in marriage.  Luckily she said yes, as a friend pointed out, that would have been a long, awkward hike and drive home otherwise!

The hike was nice, and highly recommended.  And if you don't hike, you at least have to see these falls, they truly amazing... even if you don't get engaged while you are there.

We are super excited to be starting this new phase of our adventure Together Outdoors.