Cuyahoga Valley National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new. Trail and lot closures here shift with the weather and the work crews, and the mountain bike trails close outright when they're wet, so check the park's own alerts the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • The Towpath Trail is closed between Boston and Peninsula. The section from Boston Trailhead to Lock 29 is closed through November 20, 2026, while the park replaces the 1991 Stumpy Basin boardwalk. It closes again March 29 to April 21, 2027. The park expected to reopen the short stretch from Lock 29 to the railroad tunnel, about 0.75 mile north of Peninsula, by early September, so check its map for the current limits. (NPS; NPS news)
  • Stanford Road pavement removal, through October 30. The former Stanford Road between Stanford Trailhead and the Brandywine Gorge Loop, the northern half of the Stanford Trailhead lot, and a section of the Valley Trail are closed while a contractor pulls up old pavement. The Stanford Trail stays open to hikers heading to the Brandywine Falls area. (NPS)
  • Station Road Bridge Trailhead lot closes Monday, October 26, through Thursday, October 29, for maintenance. The park says weather could shift the dates. (NPS)
  • East Rim Trail System: open as of October 21. In good conditions the mountain bike trails are open to riders 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. They close to everyone when wet or hazardous, sometimes mid-day. (trail status)
  • Car break-ins. The park warns that thieves target trailhead lots. Don't leave valuables in the car; if you must, lock them in the trunk before you arrive. (NPS)
  • Long-term closures: Oak Hill Road is closed between Cuyahoga Falls and the Everett Road connector after an embankment failure (detour via Everett, Riverview, and Ira roads). Dickerson Run Trail and Ice Box Cave are closed, Boston Store parking is for limited mobility only, and the Pine Lane Trailhead restroom is closed. (NPS)
  • Paddlers: the Cuyahoga River is closed near river mile 17 for bridge work, with a portage upstream of the Fitzwater Road bridge. A woody debris hazard sits just upstream of the Lock 39/Rockside Road access; the park says to portage on river right at medium or low flow. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open every day, 24 hours, except that Brandywine Falls, the Ledges, Octagon, Kendall Lake, the Happy Days south lot, and the Kendall Hills area close from dusk until morning. The park doesn't list an entrance fee. (NPS)
  • Boston Mill Visitor Center: open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Canal Exploration Center: open weekends only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through October 31.
  • Hunt House: listed at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends through October 31, as staffing allows.
  • Camping and lodging: the park's data lists no campgrounds.
  • Roads: the park doesn't own the roads inside it. For closures, it says to call Boston Mill Visitor Center at 440-717-3890.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Monday, October 26, to Thursday, October 29: Station Road Bridge Trailhead lot closed.
  • Friday, October 30: scheduled end of the Stanford Road pavement work.
  • From Sunday, November 1: Canal Exploration Center closes for the winter and reopens for spring weekends on May 1, 2027. Hunt House is closed for the rest of the year.
  • Friday, November 20: tentative reopening of the Towpath between Boston and Lock 29.
  • Thursday, November 26: Boston Mill Visitor Center is closed for Thanksgiving. It's also closed Christmas and New Year's Day, and keeps shorter weekday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) from January 5 to February 28, 2027.
  • Once snow falls: the park plows most trailhead lots after about three inches, and Boston Mill and Boston Store with any snow. Some lots aren't plowed at all, including Boston, Stanford, Jaite, Kendall Lake, and Wetmore, and trails aren't plowed. (NPS)

What this means for your trip

The Towpath closure is the big one. Boston to Peninsula is the stretch a lot of people walk or bike, and it's out until about November 20. If you're riding, the Towpath north of Boston and south of Lock 29 isn't on the closure list, so start from Boston Trailhead or the Boston Mill Visitor Center lot and head north, or start at Lock 29 in Peninsula and head south. Just don't plan a ride that links the two villages on the Towpath until it reopens.

Going to Brandywine Falls this week? The Stanford Road work only matters if you were walking up from Stanford Trailhead, where half the lot is closed. The Stanford Trail still gets hikers to the falls area, and the Brandywine Falls Trailhead lot isn't on the closure list. Stay at least 50 feet from the top and bottom of the falls, as the park asks.

Late fall here means short days, and several of the most popular spots (the Ledges, Brandywine Falls, Kendall Lake) close at dusk. Get there by early afternoon. Weekends between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. are the park's busiest window, so an early start helps with parking, too.

Before you go

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.