Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls is a stunning 60-foot plunge waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where Brandywine Creek drops over a ledge of Sharon Conglomerate sandstone into a lush, fern-lined gorge. The falls are the centerpiece of one of Ohio's most popular national park hiking trails, and the single clean drop, framed by layered rock walls draped with moss and wildflowers, creates a scene of surprising drama for the flat Midwest landscape. The geological story is written in the cliff face — the resistant sandstone cap above the falls protects the softer shale below from erosion.

A boardwalk from the upper parking area leads to an accessible viewing platform overlooking the falls from above. For a closer look, wooden stairs descend about 80 steps to a lower viewing deck at the base of the falls. The Brandywine Gorge Loop extends the hike to 1.4 miles through the deep, wooded ravine created by Brandywine Creek, passing through hemlock and beech forest. A longer 2.6-mile loop connects to the Stanford Trail and the Towpath Trail.

Spring offers the most impressive water flow, and the surrounding forest floor is carpeted with wildflowers in April and May. Summer brings full canopy shade and a cool microclimate in the gorge. Fall foliage in the Cuyahoga Valley is beautiful, with peak color in mid to late October. The falls are free to visit — no entrance fee is required for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The trailhead has restrooms, picnic tables, and ample parking.