Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Day 2

Ohio

Boston Mill, From Canal Town to NP Gateway

We parked in the village of Boston Mill, conveniently located near the Boston Mill Visitor Center, for our hike to Brandywine Falls. Boston’s history is deeply connected with the Ohio & Erie Canal, along which it developed in the early 1800s. The energetic canal town functioned as both a residence for locals and a stop for travelers. By the 1850s, Boston, with businesses such as a blacksmith shop, a hotel, a tavern, two general stores, a boatyard, a brickyard, a lumber mill, a broom factory, and a warehouse, had become a bustling town.

With the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s, canal transport became obsolete. Boston faced another significant change decades later, in the 1970s. The National Park Service used eminent domain to obtain properties to incorporate them into the newly established Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This resulted in the forced relocation of residents, leaving the town largely abandoned, with boarded-up houses and an eerie atmosphere.

However, today, Boston Mill is a friendly and charming village. Its well-maintained historic buildings—including the Boston Store, the M.D. The garage and the Boston Mill Visitor Center offer a clear glimpse into Boston Mill’s past prosperity.

The Stanford Trail Climb

We once again followed the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Along the way, we spotted Lock 32, one of the 44 locks on the canal, though it was overgrown and dry. At the Stanford House marker, we left the towpath and began our hike on the Stanford Trail. This 1.5-mile trail climbs up the side of the valley, leading directly to Brandywine Falls.

The Stanford House, A Glimpse of Grandeur

The Stanford House itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its grandeur still reflects the economic prosperity the Ohio & Erie Canal brought to the region.

Brandywine Gorge, Cuyahoga Valley's Heart of Nature

After some climbing, we started the Brandywine Gorge Loop. This 1.5-mile trail circles the ravine carved by Brandywine Creek. The 60-foot-tall Brandywine Falls, the largest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, drops impressively into the Brandywine Gorge. Because it was crowded near the falls, we quickly continued on the loop, leaving the crowds behind us. We descended to Brandywine Creek, and shortly after crossing it, we returned to the Stanford Trail.

The loop had led us through a natural, breathtaking scenery, not made or carved by men, but by Mother Nature. What we saw while walking the Brandywine Gorge Loop was stunning natural beauty, different from the historic and cultural beauty we’d seen so far in Cuyahoga Valley.

Date

Friday, June 13, 2025

Distance

6.42 miles

Moving Time

2:37:40 hrs

Weather

75 °F, calm