Cuyahoga Valley National Park Picnic Shelters

Two rustic shelters, Ledges and Octagon, are available for reservation in the Virginia Kendall Unit of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed them with American chestnut and locally quarried sandstone, and both are fully accessible. They sit near Ritchie Ledges, an area with approximately 2 miles of Sharon conglomerate stone cliffs about 30 feet (9m) tall, and a large play field and hiking trails are available near each shelter. Ledges Shelter accommodates up to 75 people. It has two fireplaces and eight picnic tables inside, as well as eight tables in the outside pavilion and a large grill. Octagon Shelter accommodates up to 50 people; during the summer months its walls are removed, and they are in place from October 15 to May 14. Seven indoor picnic tables, two fireplaces and an outdoor grill are provided. Both shelters have electricity for normal two-pronged household appliances such as coffee pots and crock pots. Drinking water is available at a drinking fountain from May 1 to September 15, and restrooms with flush toilets are available year-round. Picnic areas are scattered throughout the park, and most shelter areas have open fields for games and nearby hiking trails. Visitors enjoy riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, exploring the visitor centers, catching one of the summer concerts, attending ranger-guided programs, biking the Towpath Trail or picnicking in one of the park's picnic shelters. The Cuyahoga River flows through the park for 22 miles (35 km), fed by more than 190 miles (306 km) of perennial and ephemeral streams. The Beaver Marsh and other wetlands, many lined with cattails and dense patches of duckweed, provide a home for many of the park's reptiles and amphibians and help filter pollutants from the water. Brandywine Falls, the historic Boston Store Visitor Center, Ritchie Ledges, the Beaver Marsh and the Everett Road Covered Bridge are among the more popular attractions in the park.