Peninsula, Ohio
Old Man's Cave & Brandywine Falls Loop
A Buckeye Trail loop through Cuyahoga Valley's waterfalls and hemlock gorges.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Length
- 4.4 mi
- Elevation Gain
- 450 ft
- Duration
- 2–3
- Best Season
- Apr–Nov
- Permit
- Not required
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Features
- Waterfalls, Hemlock gorge
About the trail
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the Midwest's best-kept hiking secret — a glacier-carved valley of waterfalls, beaver marshes, and hemlock gorges an hour from Cleveland. This loop strings together Old Man's Cave, Indian Ledges, and Brandywine Falls on the Buckeye Trail, with enough elevation change to feel like mountain country.
Trailhead map & directions
Trailhead: 41.2979, -81.5870Get directions →
Turn-by-turn route
- Start at the Old Man's Cave trailhead on Station Road in Peninsula.
- Climb past the cave's rock shelter and overlook.
- Follow the Buckeye Trail south along the gorge to Indian Ledges.
- Continue to Brandywine Falls and the viewing platform.
- Loop back via the Brandywine Trail and canal path. Total: 4.4 miles.
Parking
Old Man's Cave lot on Station Road — free but small; weekend shuttles run from Peninsula Depot when it fills.
Tips from the trail
- The stone steps at Old Man's Cave are slick when wet.
- Brandywine Falls is at its best in spring and after storms.
- Bicycles share some of these trails — stay to the right.
- The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad makes a car-free day trip possible.