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A 12-mile horse-friendly trail that welcomes runners and hikers and provides a good challenge.


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Map Key

11.9

Miles

19.2

KM

Point to Point

1,020' 311 m

High

694' 212 m

Low

920' 280 m

Up

1,106' 337 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (2°)

23%

Max Grade (13°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Views

Description

In total, the Valley Trail spans close to 19 miles, but you have the option of attacking it in three segments: Everett Covered Bridge Trail to Wetmore Trailhead (2.75 miles), Wetmore Trailhead to Boston Trailhead (9.25 miles), or Boston Trailhead to Brecksville Reservation (6.9 miles). They’re rated easy to moderate, but remember, they’re rated for horses, not humans.

Begin your outing at the corner diagonally opposite from the kiosk in Everett Covered Bridge’s parking lot. From there you'll cover a lot of ground through field and forest and face different terrain along the way, sometimes flat and moderate and at other times steep and sandy with fist-sized rocks that roll beneath your feet.

What Makes It Great:

The Valley Trail is one of the most scenic trails in CVNP, just because it covers so much ground. The scenery along the way is beautiful, passing over the Cuyahoga River and through the woods past a few privately-owned farms, and finally to a hill that overlooks the valley. The second section, Wetmore Trailhead to Boston Trailhead, will delight nature lovers with oaks, hickories, and maple trees as well as violets, daffodils, and other flowers. If you’re still going, the remainder of the trail alternates between field and forest for your viewing pleasure.

This trail can be made as long or as short as you want and it’s speckled with interesting views and attractions along the way. You’ll pass a tree nursery that operated during the Great Depression and provided 3.5 million seedlings that repopulated the valley, the Hunt Farm Information Center, and Szalay’s Farm market at .9 miles where you can stop and take a break, but not a long one. You have a lot of ground to cover, and this is not a loop.

Who Will Love It:

The Valley Trail enables equestrians to see a wide swath of land without tiring. They can even start at one end and have someone pick them up at another trailhead with a horse trailer.

Though not as precarious as the Perkins Trail, Valley presents a few challenges that serious hikers will enjoy.

Contacts

Shared By:

Maggie Olson

Trail Ratings

  4.5 from 2 votes

#8783

Overall
  4.5 from 2 votes
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Trail Rankings

#156

in Ohio

#8,783

Overall
10 Views Last Month
2,284 Since Mar 29, 2016
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Photos

This section of the BT is one of the most unique and stunning in CVNP. Be careful not to trip on the roots!
Apr 20, 2016 near Peninsula, OH
Buckeye Trail to Peninsula
Oct 16, 2017 near Peninsula, OH
Furnace Run trail, CVNP
Aug 6, 2019 near Peninsula, OH
Steep climbs are a rewarding challenge. Photo: NPS/DJ Reiser
Apr 20, 2016 near Peninsula, OH
Stream crossing, low water.
Sep 20, 2020 near Peninsula, OH
The stairs near the trailhead
Aug 6, 2019 near Peninsula, OH
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