Ledges Trail in Ohio gives you 50 shades of green

Cuyahoga Valley National Park -– Dressed in mossy greens, the boulders along the Ledges Trail would be ready to roll in any St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Obviously, they’re not going anywhere. But if you find yourself in northeastern Ohio, you can see for yourself how nature’s green brushstrokes have covered the rocks and walls of this 2.3-mile loop trail, giving it an otherworldly feel. (Click here for hike stats.)

The trek is mostly flat, but I rate it as a more moderate hike for hikers with Parkinson’s disease due to two sets of stairs and some rocky, rooty paths.

Mr. Unshakable and I had been curious about Cuyahoga, the only national park in Ohio. It’s tucked into a largely developed corridor stretching from Cleveland on south to Akron. There’s overlap between natural and manmade: Interstate 80 crosses right through the boundaries on a 175-foot-tall bridge.

It’s an unusual bit of infrastructure for a national park!

We stopped at the visitors center for maps and advice from the rangers. The Ledges trailhead was a 10-minute drive from the main visitors center (Boston Hill) and was easy to find.

At the trailhead parking lot there were bathrooms and a large picnic shelter.

More rangers were stationed at tables outside offering directions and other info. It was a warm but overcast Fourth of July weekend.

National parks have made great strides toward including visitors with mobility issues. Ask rangers what accommodations they offer to allow your experience to be as similar to those of non-disabled visitors as possible. While the Ledges Trail is generally not accessible to those with serious mobility challenges, there may be some vistas to reach by car.


The Ledges route started right from the parking lot, following a straight paved road for a quarter of a mile. At the end of it, we took a right to go clockwise on the loop, which was a good choice.

The trail descended a bit and we were among the distinctive moss-covered sandstone boulders that the area is known for.

Later in the hike, the color palette would add orange, rust, and pale blue from lichen (fungi) growing on the rocks.

Then came a peculiar phenomenon. As I crossed a low platform, I felt suddenly chilled, as if the temperature had dropped by about 15 degrees. Because it had!

It was near the aptly named Ice Box Cave. 

Though the cave was gated from the public to protect the bats that live there, the cool air reaches the trail for a few refreshing steps.

With roots and rocks in the path, watch where you place your foot for each step. The stunning rock formations will tempt you to take your eyes off the trail. Be sure to stop walking first before you start ogling.


You might wonder where the ledges of Ledges are. There actually are a few ledges you could fall from if you’re the reckless type, but they are several yards away from the trail. 

After about 35 minutes, we reached the south overlook, a good place for a break.

We also came upon a set of stairs, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, that makes an awesome setting for pictures.

Wait for the scene to clear of other hikers for the best shot.

Our trek’s second half took us down to the bottom of some very interesting and colorful formations.

If rain is a possibility (it drizzled at times for us), wear grippy shoes; the rocky parts of the trail and the steps will be slippery. Poles are a must, too.

Another staircase took us back up to the paved trail for the quarter-mile homestretch.

The hike took us about 1.5 hours, and it wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be for a holiday weekend. Maybe the threat of rain contributed.

I have to wonder if the boulders of the Ledges Trail make all the other rocks green with envy.


Hike info

PD difficulty level (see chart): moderate
Distance: 2.3 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 202 feet
Trailhead location: 1010 Truxell Road, Peninsula, Ohio
Bathrooms: at trailhead. An outhouse is at the south end of the trail, near the half-way point.
Emergency medical support: Akron is 13 miles away
Costs: none — no NPS pass is needed to enter the park

Insider tip: Since the park is close to large and medium-size cities, this trail draws a lot of locals and can get busy in the summer. Consider a fall or spring hike. Besides fewer crowds, a bonus is fewer biting insects.

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Check out my post here about biking in Cuyahoga and riding the train back.

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