Picnic area · Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A shaded picnic stop with trails close by.
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Plateau Picnic Area and My Mountain“You're coming up on Plateau Picnic Area, the starting point for a walk to My Mountain Overlook.”
Plays as you drive up to Plateau Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Plateau Picnic Area is a developed picnic area in Brecksville Reservation, within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Tables, grills, a roofed shelter, restrooms, a drinking fountain and parking make it an easy place to stop for a meal outdoors.
There’s trail access here, so you can eat before or after a walk in the reservation. The drive is off Chippewa Creek Drive, west of Riverview Road. If you have a particular loop in mind, map your route before you arrive; the closest trail connections aren’t clear from the site.
Restrooms are available, though their type isn’t specified. The shelter’s reservation rules and capacity aren’t clear, so check ahead if you’re planning a group meal or need a reserved space.
Wildlife
319 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
103 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
248 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
492 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
99 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cuyahoga Valley. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyMy Mountain Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 0.1 mi awaySeven crossings and a boardwalk lead to a wooded valley overlook.
ModerateWhite Oak Trail Loop1.4 mi · 1 hr · 0.4 mi awayA short loop drops from the ridge into forested ravines.
ModerateBuckeye and Towpath Loop: Station Road Bridge to Red Lock10.3 mi · 5.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayBuckeye hills and a canal-side Towpath make one varied loop.
EasyStation Road Bridge to Mudcatcher Walk1.5 mi · 45 min · 0.7 mi awayA short river loop over an iron bridge and through canal history.
EasyWildflower Loop Trail0.8 mi · 30 min · 0.9 mi awayA short loop threading woods, spring flowers and Wallin Creek.
ModerateDeer Lick Loop4.2 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA rolling forest loop leads to a broad sandstone overhang.
EasyNorth Bridle Loop2.9 mi · 1.5 hr · 1 mi awayA short loop through the shared bridle network.
ModerateGorge Loop0.3 mi · 45 min · 1.1 mi awayGo down the stone stairs for Chippewa Creek and sandstone boulders.
Picnic area · 0.1 mi awayLower Chippewa Creek Picnic AreaA shaded picnic stop beside the creek, close to nearby walks.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayMy Mountain OverlookA quiet bench stop above Chippewa Creek, best in leaf-off season.
Picnic area · 0.5 mi awayOak Grove Picnic AreaA large, well-equipped pavilion for group picnics.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayBrecksville StationA useful flag stop for a one-way train-and-trail outing.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayStation Road BridgeWalk an 1881 iron bridge and catch Route 82's arches beyond it.
Campground · 0.7 mi awayOttawa Overlook Backcountry SitesThree hike-in tent sites share a basic backcountry kitchen
Sight · 0.9 mi awayDeer Lick CaveA shady sandstone overhang, reached by a short stair walk.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayLock 36Lock remains reveal how canal engineers kept boats moving.Parkwolf’s Cuyahoga Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
