Cuyahoga Valley National Park begins right at the southern edge of Cuyahoga Falls, making this one of the few American cities with a national park as its immediate neighbor. The park protects the river valley through 33,000 acres of forest, wetland, and farmland, with an extensive trail network and the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail as its main artery.
From Cuyahoga Falls, the most direct entry points are through the gorge trails that connect Waterworks Park to the park's northern reaches. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs through the park and can be used as a one-way hiking shuttle — ride south, hike back along the towpath, or vice versa. Brandywine Falls, just inside the park about four miles south of town, is the most-visited single attraction: a 65-foot waterfall cascading over Berea sandstone, accessible via a short boardwalk trail.