We’d decided to take a longer route home from a wedding in London, Ontario, traveling westward and counterclockwise around Lake Erie. Only 20 minutes longer than returning via Niagara Falls and straight across New York state, it gave us an opportunity to visit Ohio, see some family in Cleveland, and visit Cuyahoga Valley National park.

Admittedly, when initially planning the wedding trip, Ohio and National Parks didn’t seem to align with our notion of national parks consisting of soaring mountains, earthly arches and canyons, and majestic beauty. Yet Cuyahoga Valley NP tells an important story in our national growth and heritage, the struggle for the western frontier at the time of the American Revolution, and the central role of the Erie canal and region to our growth.

And so, for us, it expands our appreciation of the National Park system.

We had only one full day dedicated to the park, so as is our custom, we tried to find a hike that might give us an opportunity to see the park.

Recognizing that the landscape was relatively flat, we’d chosen a fairly long hike in the central portion of the park, an aggressive 15 mile combination of a number of trails (see alltrails.com). Fortunately it offered many opportunities to adjust the length along the way.

When the day actually arrived, we were greeted by 90+ degree, hot/humid weather, bringing into question the attempted 15 miles.

As usual, take it as it comes, monitor progress, hydration, food, energy, etc. and the mantra that “the mountains will always be there”.

That said, we did end up cutting the hike shorter, beginning at the Boston Run trailhead off route 303, and heading southward toward the Haskell Run and Ledges trails.

From there, we followed the Salt Run trail, passing Kendall lake.

Throughout the hike, most of the trail was fortunately wooded, offering welcome relief from the blazing sunshine. At the same time, not offering much in the way of variation, woods and more woods.

Generally well-maintained, the trail had many sections supported by bridges and stairs for sections which would otherwise be slippery and/or difficult walking.

Part of the draw for this park, as mentioned on the NPS site is the close proximity to Cleveland as a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and to provide routes of discovery for visitors.

For us, it was an enjoyable day, and a reminder of the gifts we all enjoy through the National Parks system.

While not part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park per se, part of our trip also included a stop at the Women’s Rights National Historic Park located in Seneca Falls, New York.

The museum tells the history of the women’s rights movement, seemingly from its inception in the mid-1840s through to the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920.

Definitely a must-visit when in western, upstate New York, especially in this timeline where many rights are under pressure from our government.