Then suddenly, beyond our wildest dreams it happens. The sun from out of nowhere sparks the scene in a blaze of gold, illuminating the mist and fog in warm tones. The soft silvery water now meets the golden morning mist. Simply incredible.

September 23, 2023

I am visiting a friend in Columbus, Ohio, so naturally a quick day-trip up to Cuyahoga Valley National Park is in order. And of course, my thirst for photography calls for an early morning sunrise hike, so we drag ourselves up and out at 4 a.m. to drive the 2 hours north to Cuyahoga Valley. We choose to check out Beaver Marsh first hoping to see some birds or wildlife along the riverfront early in the pre-dawn hours. With a name like Beaver Marsh, we are bound to spot something.

The entire drive north, I watch intently on the horizon as a bank of clouds forms in the east. Not a good sign for our chances of a spectacular sunrise. It might turn out to be a cloudy moody mess. But, it’s all part of the risk in this business. I remind myself my regret in getting up for a dud sunrise is still better than any regret for missing a perfect sunrise. It’s all a matter of perspective.

As we hop out at Beaver Marsh and await the light of day, we notice the clouds are turning out to be a blessing in disguise. The entire riverway is shrouded in a beautiful blanket of mist and fog. Like a Monet painting soft blues and purples mix seamlessly with pale greens and grays. Layers of trees fade down the Cuyahoga River masked in mystery. Its just us and the quiet.

Then suddenly, beyond our wildest dreams it happens. The sun from out of nowhere sparks the scene in a blaze of gold, illuminating the mist and fog in warm tones. The soft silvery water now meets the golden morning mist. Simply incredible. This is ten times more spectacular than my initial hopes for a normal clear sunrise. Just goes to show, sometimes I set my expectations too low.

Chasing the light up and down the Towpath Trail, we easily spend an hour soaking in the morning serenity at Beaver Marsh. At about 8:30 a.m. we grab a quick car-side breakfast and head on over to Brandywine Falls. We have the boardwalk to ourselves on this early Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the fall season has been dry and the flow of water is reduced to a relative trickle over the side of the rock precipice. We watch for a while imagining what it would be like after a heavy rain.

Walking around the grounds, we stumble upon Brandywine Gorge Loop Trail, a short footpath loop that drops down to the bottom of the falls along the river bed. It may not be the height of fall color, but it’s a pretty good time to be out in the forests of Ohio. Yellow and red maple leaves crunch under our boots and dance in the flowing water as we trudge our way through the woods.

Wanting to make the most of our day, we head back to the car and stop by Boston Mill Visitor Center, a short 10 minute drive away. Stamping my passport and picking up a park map, we settle down at a picnic table to grab a quick bite of lunch. It looks like we have time for one last hike before we need to be back on the road to Columbus. Curious at all the recommendations for the Ledges Trail, we decide to head that direction next.

Once again only a mere 10 minutes away, we hop in the car and jump out at the Ledges Trailhead. This short 2-mile loop starts off easy diving off into the woods on a flat wide rocky trail. Soon, we reach an overlook point that offers views over the trees to the west. While this is one of the few chances to poke our heads above the trees, I must admit it’s not much of an overlook—at least not the kind I am used to—but I can imagine a sunset here would be a pleasant way to end the day.

Continuing on, we find ourselves descending a cliff edge to a forest floor. Weaving in and out of rock walls, we come to the famed Ledges steps. Though clearly manmade, these stone slabs create the perfect photogenic stairway back up to the trailhead. Lingering around this area in the afternoon light is dreamy. Warm sunlight filters through the late summer trees and casts a green hue over the scene. We take our photo on the steps and make our way back to the car.

It feels wrong to leave a park so early, but having carved out enough time for these essential activities, we must head back to Columbus in time for dinner. The 2-hour drive is ample opportunity to bask in our memories of an exquisite visit to Cuyahoga Valley National Park—everything from our surprise sunrise to the iconic Ledges steps. Perhaps one day, I’ll return with more time to explore the rest of this Ohio beauty.