Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a very different kind of national park from others that I have visited. Located just south of Cleveland, Ohio, it started out as a a recreational area in the 1870's, and later became a National Recreation Area in 1974. It was later designated as a national park in 2000. The park is nestled in and out of communities, and to get from one part of the park to another, you actually drive through neighborhoods. There are no spectacular formations or mountains that you find like those in the west. It is a quaint park, with lots of hiking trails, waterfalls, hills, and a river running through it (Cuyahoga is a Mohawk word meaning crooked river).
This photo depicts the park's most famous waterfall, Brandywine Falls. There is a nice boardwalk trail that takes you to the falls, but it only gives you a fixed view. Leaving the boardwalk is not permitted, so it is hard to shoot it from other angles without being significantly blocked by trees and branches. Nonetheless, it is quite a relaxing and tranquil location.