A 15-foot woodland waterfall reached by a roughly 3-mile round-trip hike from Boston Mill Visitor Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Blue Hen Falls is a 15-foot waterfall reached by a roughly 3-mile round-trip hike from the Boston Mill Visitor Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, following a stretch of the Buckeye Trail through a steep, wooded ravine. The National Park Service describes about 580 feet of cumulative elevation change along the route, making it a moderately strenuous outing rather than a casual stroll to an overlook.
Cuyahoga Valley is one of the few national parks with no entrance fee, so there is no activity or admission charge for the hike itself. The park notes there is no drinking water at the falls, so hikers should fill bottles at the visitor center, and the unpaved, multi-staircase trail is not wheelchair accessible. Conditions are walkable year-round, but the Park Service specifically warns that mud and ice can make the route difficult in wet or wintry weather and suggests saving the hike for a drier day; stay on marked trail blazes and use caution crossing Boston Mills Road partway along the route.
Know before you go
Boston Mill Visitor Center, Cuyahoga Valley National Park; trailhead off Boston Mills Road.
Year-round; NPS warns mud and ice can make the trail difficult in wet or wintry conditions.
About 3 miles round trip on the Buckeye Trail from Boston Mill Visitor Center; roughly 580 feet of elevation change.
No entrance fee; Cuyahoga Valley National Park charges no admission.
Not wheelchair accessible; unpaved trail with multiple staircases and no drinking water at the falls.
2026-10-12. Conditions and requirements can change; confirm with the land manager before travelling.
Sources & further reading
This is a researched visitor guide, not a claim that our editors have personally visited. Trail conditions, permits, and access can change.
