Description

Though more often chosen as a hike than a trail run, this short loop visits the centerpiece waterfall of Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Brandywine Falls.

Accessed by a mix of boardwalk and stairs, this 65' waterfall can be viewed via a short out-and-back hike to the boardwalk, or on this mapped 1.3-mile trail run along the Brandywine George Trail. According to the NPS, the trailhead can be quite busy during peak season.

Summer is one of the best times to visit, and "the parking lot is generally full between 10 a.m.

and 2 p.m." Ice also attracts an array of visitors during the winter, and post-storm runoff can make the falls even more stunning. [This](https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/brandywine-falls.htm) article by the NPS notes that "a layer of hard rock caps the waterfall, protecting softer layers of rock below.

In this case, the top layer is Berea Sandstone.

The softer layers include Bedford and Cleveland shales, soft rocks formed from mud found on the sea floor that covered this area 350-400 million years ago.

Shale is thinly chunked, giving water a bridal veil appearance as it cascades down the falls." Among others, eastern hemlock, red maple, and an array of moss also blanket the landscape thanks to the moistness and sandstone terrain. In the early 1800s, settlers recognized the waterfalls' potential for power generation.

The site has since hosted saw, grist, and wooden mills over the years.

The waterfall was also formerly the centerpiece of the Village of Brandywine, however, "much of the village is now mostly gone, lost to the construction of nearby Interstate 271." Source: https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/brandywine-falls.htm