Cuyahoga Valley National Park in winter.

Getting around in winter.

Cuyahoga Valley doesn't close for winter, and there is no entrance fee or pass to buy. Some areas close at dusk, and the rest are open 24 hours. The park does not own the roads that run through it, so for known closures call Boston Mill Visitor Center at 440-717-3890. Trails aren't plowed. NPS plows its listed public lots once at least three inches of snow falls, and Boston Mill Visitor Center and Boston Store with any snowfall. Lots not on the list close as needed when conditions get unsafe, so check the NPS current conditions page before a winter visit. Our Cuyahoga Valley fees page covers the passes sold at the visitor center.

Boston Mill Visitor Center is the winter base. From late December you can borrow snowshoes there when at least four inches of snow is on the ground, and rangers lend hiking poles, first-come, first-served. Call ahead to find out whether snowshoes are available. From December through April the park also asks visitors to call ahead to confirm a ranger is on duty to issue passes.

On the trails, use caution where ice and packed snow make footing hazardous, look at a trail map before you head somewhere unfamiliar, and tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. Don't climb on the rocks at the Ledges, and stay back from the bluff edges. Yield to skiers and don't walk in their tracks.

Snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding.

More than 125 miles of trails are open for hiking all year. The Ledges Trail is among the most scenic in winter, when icicles form on the rocks. Brandywine Falls, a 60-foot waterfall, is open dawn to dusk, and in winter the ice is the attraction, but the boardwalk may close in icy conditions. NPS says Cuyahoga Valley is a great place to visit in winter whether or not there is snow.

NPS suggests these trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing: Ledges Field, a large flat field that's excellent for beginners; the Oak Hill Trail, a 1.4-mile easy-to-moderate loop; the Tree Farm Trail, a 2.75-mile loop from Horseshoe Pond; the Cross Country Trail, 2.5 miles, designed for skiing and hilly; the Plateau Trail, a 4.6-mile loop with two steep hills; and the Boston Run Trail, 3.5 miles of steep, advanced intermediate terrain. The Pine Grove Trail, 3.5 miles, is for snowshoes. For long, flat skiing, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs 19.7 miles, with the Hunt House to Peninsula section especially scenic, and the Bike & Hike Trail follows the park's eastern border for 10 miles. NPS lists the Towpath between Boston Trailhead and Lock 29 in Peninsula as tentatively closed through November 20, 2026, and again from March 29 to April 21, 2027, while it replaces the Stumpy Basin boardwalk.

Sledding is at Kendall Hills on Quick Road in Peninsula, about a mile east of Akron Peninsula Road, with parking at the Pine Hollow, Crow Foot Gully, and Little Meadow lots. Only Pine Hollow is on the park's plowed list, and the Kendall Hills area closes at dusk. Some areas are closed to sledding to keep sleds off the ski trails, and pets are prohibited at Kendall Hills during sledding. Steer clear of the trees, report any ramp someone has built to a ranger or volunteer, and warm up at the campfire or your car if you get too cold.

For downhill runs, NPS lists Brandywine Ski Resort in Sagamore Hills and Boston Mills Ski Resort in Peninsula, with Polar Blast Snow Tubing Park next to Brandywine. Equipment rental and instruction are available; call 330-467-2242 for resort information. The resorts' own site had 2026/27 season passes on sale when we checked in September 2026, so look there for opening dates. Ice fishing is allowed, but the park does not monitor ice thickness, and thin spots can make the ice unstable, so ice fish at your own risk. NPS also lists the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad as a way to see the park; we could not confirm its winter schedule, so check with the railroad. For winter light, see our Cuyahoga Valley photography page.

Where to stay.

You can stay inside the park. NPS names Stanford House and the Inn at Brandywine Falls as lodging within Cuyahoga Valley, and its lodging page lists both as open all year. Camping is not permitted anywhere in the national park, so campers need a campground outside it. Major hotel chains and campgrounds are in the cities and towns around the park.

How quiet winter really is.

January is the quietest month at Cuyahoga Valley, averaging about 97,000 recreation visits against 369,000 in July. February runs 28% of July's visits, December 34%, and March 51%.

So winter here is quieter, not empty: even January brings in about a quarter of July's crowd. Is it worth a winter visit? Yes, if you want snowy trails near Cleveland and Akron, a sledding hill, or icicles at the Ledges. Snowshoe loans need at least four inches of snow on the ground, so watch the forecast. The best time to visit Cuyahoga Valley page compares winter with the rest of the year.

Daylight and cold.

On December 21 the sun rises at 7:49 a.m. and sets at 5:00 p.m. at Boston Mill, per the U.S. Naval Observatory, which leaves 9 hours 11 minutes of daylight. By March 21 sunset is 7:40 p.m., on daylight time. Brandywine Falls and some other areas close at dusk, so plan to finish before dark.

NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Akron-Canton Regional Airport (USW00014895, 1,208 ft) put January's average high at 36°F and low at 20°F, with about 13 inches of snow in January and 12 in February. Treat those as preview numbers: we have not finished reviewing that station, and it sits outside the park.

Common questions.

What is a must-see at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in winter?

Brandywine Falls and the Ledges. Brandywine Falls is a 60-foot waterfall where, in winter, the ice is the attraction; it is open dawn to dusk, and the boardwalk may close when icy. The Ledges Trail is among the most scenic in winter because of the icicles on the rocks. Stay off the rocks and back from the bluff edges.

Where these facts come from

Trails, hiking safety, hiking poles, sledding, ski and snowshoe trails, downhill resorts and tubing, and ice fishing come from the NPS Winter Sports page (last updated December 10, 2025). Snowshoe loans, the scenic railroad listing, and the snow-or-not line come from the NPS Winter Fun page. Brandywine Falls hours and the icy boardwalk come from the NPS Brandywine Falls page; in-park lodging and its open-all-year listing from the NPS lodging page; no entrance fee and the winter call-ahead rule from the NPS fees page; dusk closures, including Kendall Hills, from the NPS hours page; road ownership, the visitor center phone, plowed and unplowed lots, and the Towpath closure from the NPS current conditions page; the resorts' 2026/27 passes from Boston Mills Brandywine. Sunrise and sunset come from the U.S. Naval Observatory for 2026 in local clock time. Temperatures and snowfall are NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Akron-Canton Regional Airport (USW00014895), a preview station. Access point locations are from NPS visitor center data. Crowd numbers are five-year monthly means (2021 to 2025) of recreation visits from the NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package on NPS IRMA Stats. Independent site, not affiliated with the National Park Service.