Blue Hen Falls is a pretty waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This waterfall is definitely worth a visit. The hike is 3.0 miles roundtrip, but you can shorten it by doing a shuttle or a drop off. We hiked in the summer, and we loved how green everything was, but this trail would be a winner in the fall, too.
Blue Hen Falls starts on the Buckeye Trail across the road to the west from the Boston Mills Visitor Center. After parking in the parking lot, walk toward the Visitor Center to the Cuyahoga Valley sign. Then head left and cross the road.
This hike is not particularly difficult, but there is a lot of up and down. It starts out climbing right up to the ridgeline, so take it slow and enjoy the ascent. The bad news is, as soon as you get to the crest of the hill, you come to a set of steps that takes you straight back down. When you get to the bottom of the staircase, the trail climbs back up. These climbs aren’t too difficult. Our 9 year-old managed this trail easily, but if you’re not used to hiking up and down, remember to take it slow.
Once you climb up for the second time, the Blue Hen Falls trail comes out right on the road. Turn left and head along the road until the trail crosses at a crosswalk and goes into the trees again. This is a good pickup point if you are doing a drop off, and cuts the total distance for the hike to less than half a mile.
Follow the trail around through the trees as it parallels the road. Eventually you’ll come to a small, deserted parking lot and wonder why you aren’t allowed to drive to this point. The answer is, there is only space for about two cars. You may also wonder about parking along the road, but don’t take the risk. They will ticket or tow you, so just enjoy the hike.
From the old parking lot, walk the last half mile downhill to the waterfall. Blue Hen Falls is a pretty waterfall with side-by-side chutes. The water cascades about 25 feet in a nice freefall. You have a great overlook of the waterfall for pictures at the end of the trail. There isn’t a great way to get down to the bottom, so we don’t recommend it. After enjoying the falls and the peaceful forest, you’ll just need to do the hike back.
We definitely consider Blue Hen Falls in Cuyahoga Valley as a family-friendly hike, but it does have some elevation change. For other easy trails in Cuyahoga, check out our Kid Hikes in Cuyahoga Valley post.
