Cuyahoga National Park Highpoint Trip Report

Date: September 3, 2014
Author: Fred Lobdell

I thank John Mitchler for his extensive and very comprehensive trip report. However, the visitor center has been relocated, which is the primary reason for this report. I was happily driving east on OH 303 from I-271, heading for the visitor center as described in John's report, when I was unexpectedly confronted with a brown sign that said "Visitor Center" and that had an arrow pointing left. Although it was not as described in the report, I turned left and followed that road (I didn't catch the name) to its intersection with Boston Mills Road. The visitor center was on the right (east) side and consisted of an older house and garage, now occupied by the Park Service.

I got there about 8:30 a.m. but discovered that the center didn't open until 10 a.m. However, I was relieved to find that the men's room, located in the garage, was open.

Visitor Center information

Boston Store Visitor Center
1550 Boston Mills Road
Peninsula, OH 44264

Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mailing address

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
15610 Vaughn Road
Brecksville, OH 44141

From the center I drove west on Boston Mills Road, eventually making my way to the first highpoint area's north side, located in woods that are actually owned by Summit County Metro Parks. I parked on the north side of this fairly busy road, as the shoulder seemed a little wider on that side.

A sign on the south side said something about a conservation area and "Authorized Access Only". If accosted, I planned to say that I had been authorized by John Mitchler, but in the event I saw no one at all.

Although the woods are fairly thick the bushwhacking is not difficult, and I went to the locations previously described.

The second area, at the intersection of Black and Brush roads a short distance southeast of the area described above, is on land owned by CVNP. I found the area exactly as John described it.