Start by visiting the Winter Sports Center 

at Kendall Lake Shelter. Cross-country ski 

trails, downhill ski resorts, sledding, and 

tubing areas are within easy reach. 

The center, built from native chestnut and 

sandstone by the Civilian Conservation 

Corps in the 1930s, provides a rustic 

setting to warm up with a hot drink and 

relax after a day of outdoor fun. Center 

staff and volunteers provide visitors with 

updated weather forecasts, area maps, 

and a schedule of park events. Snowshoe 

and cross-country ski equipment rental 

for adults and children is available. 

The center will be open when snow 

is four inches or deeper. It may be open 

additional days during heavy snowfall. 

The typical schedule is Saturdays and 

Sundays in December, January, and 

February; daily, December 26 through 31; 

and the holidays of Martin Luther King 

Day and Presidents’ Day. The hours are 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

The center is located on Truxell/Kendall 

Park Road, 2 miles west of Akron 

Cleveland Road, Peninsula 44264. For 

your safety, the Cuyahoga Nordic Ski Patrol

monitors the trails and sledding hills. 

Call 800-257-9477 for more information.

Winter provides special opportunities for enjoying Cuyahoga 

Valley National Park (CVNP), with cross-country and downhill 

skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing, and sledding. This bulletin 

provides the best places and ways to experience winter in 

Ohio’s only national park.

Over 125 miles of trails are open for 

hiking year round. The Ledges Trail, 

on Truxell Road in Peninsula 44264, 

is among the most scenic due to

the dramatic icicles on the rocks. 

In winter it is especially important 

to take some precautions while hiking. 

Always use caution where ice and 

packed snow make footing hazardous. 

Obtain trail maps before venturing 

into unfamiliar areas. Inform family 

or friends of your intended locations 

and estimated time of return. Do not 

climb on the rocks at the Ledges and 

stay back from the bluff edges. As a 

courtesy and for the safety of everyone, 

always yield to skiers and avoid walking 

in ski tracks.

Snowshoe rental is available at the Winter

Sports Center (hours listed above) and 

Boston Store Visitor Center, 1550 Boston

Mills Road, Peninsula 44264, when

snow is four inches or deeper. The visitor

center is open daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., but 

closed on December 25 and January 1. 

There is a $5 rental fee (cash or check

only). A valid driver’s license or credit 

card is required as a deposit. Snowshoes 

may be used on nearby trails. When

sharing a trail with cross-country ski 

traffic, yield to skiers and take care not 

to walk in ski tracks. 

Hiking 

Wintertime Fun 

Snowshoeing

Winter Sports Center at Kendall Lake

©SARA GUREN

©SARA GUREN

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley
Cross-country ski rental, including a 

limited number of children’s skis, is 

available at the Winter Sports Center for 

$15 per day or $7.50 for three hours (cash

or check only) when snow is six inches 

or deeper. A valid driver’s license or 

credit card is required as a deposit. 

Ski instruction is available by advanced 

registration at 800-257-9477.

There are many miles of cross-country 

trails in the park suitable for all levels. 

Suggested areas and trails include: 

•	 Bike & Hike Trail. Follows the eastern

border of the park for 10 miles and 

many miles beyond. Straight, flat, and

maintained by Metro Parks, Serving 

Summit County. A favorite section is 

north from State Route 303.

•	 Boston Run Trail. 3.5 miles. Access

from Happy Days Lodge north 

parking lot, 501 Streetsboro Road, 

Peninsula 44264. Advanced 

intermediate route with steep 

terrain through mixed woodlands. 

•	 Cross Country Trail. 2.5 miles and 

designed for cross-country skiing. 

Access the trail from Kendall Lake, 

Truxell Road, Peninsula 44264 

or Little Meadow Parking Area, 

5249 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264. 

This intermediate-to-most-difficult 

trail passes through mixed woods and

old fields, and has several steep hills. 

 

•	 Ledges Field. Adjacent to the Ledges 

Shelter, Truxell Road, 1 mile west of 

Akron Cleveland Road, Peninsula 

44264. Large, flat open field. Excellent

for beginners. 

•	 Oak Hill Trail. 1.5 miles. Trailhead

is accessed at 3901 Oak Hill Road, 

Peninsula 44264. The easy-to-moderate

trail loops through mixed woods and 

beside a pond.

•	 Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

19.7 miles, with many access points. 

Easy multi-purpose trail. The 

Hunt Farm to Peninsula section 

is especially scenic.

•	 Tree Farm Trail. 2.75 miles. Loop 

trail accessed at Horseshoe Pond, 

2075 Major Road, Peninsula 44264. 

Easy-to-moderate trail through open

fields, across gently rolling hills, and 

into coniferous tree stands.

Large-mouth bass, crappie, and bluegill

are among the fish caught in CVNP 

lakes and ponds. Ice thickness is not 

monitored for ice fishing, so be extra 

careful when venturing onto the ice. 

Thin spots can occur causing it to

become unstable. Ice fish at your own 

risk. Fishing guidelines follow federal 

and state regulations. 

Please note that Kendall Lake is closed

for fishing until further notice.

 Sledding is available at 

 Kendall Hills on Quick 

 Road in Peninsula, 

 about one mile east 

 of Akron Peninsula

 Road. Parking is 

 

located at Pine Hollow, Crow Foot 

Gully, and Little Meadow parking lots. 

Separate areas are designated for sleds 

and toboggans. Some areas are closed 

to sledding to prevent conflicts with 

cross-country ski trails.

Boston Mills Ski Resort, 7100 Riverview 

Road, Peninsula 44264, and Brandywine 

Ski Resort, 1146 West Highland Road, 

Sagamore Hills 44067, offer downhill 

skiing. Polar Blast Snow Tubing Park is 

next to Brandywine. Equipment rental 

and instruction are available. For more 

information call 800-875-4241.

Cross-Country Skiing

Ice Fishing 

Downhill Skiing and Snow Tubing

Sledding 

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICATM

www.nps.gov/cuva

www.dayinthevalley.com 

©SARA GUREN

©SARA GUREN