Ohio's Underrated Cleveland Day Trip Called 'The Frog Jump Capital' Has Golf, Parks, And Local Eats
The area surrounding Cleveland has plenty of golf courses, but there's one town where the course might be full of legendary leapin' bullfrogs: Valley City. Less than 20 miles from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and about 30 miles southwest of downtown, Valley City trades skyscrapers and traffic noise for the rocky river and ribbits.
You'll know you've arrived when you pass a human-sized bullfrog statue and a large sign that welcomes you to the Frog Jump Capital of Ohio. Valley City's annual Frog Jump got off the ground in 1962 when town organizers brainstormed ways to help celebrate the township's 150th anniversary. They did it again in 1963, and the next year, then-Governor James A. Rhodes issued an official proclamation: Valley City's Frog Jump was to be the official Ohio State championship of frog jumping. The rest is history, and today the event is the biggest day of the year for the city — it helped put this small, rural community of open fields and barnyards on the map.
Valley City isn't going to show up on many lists of iconic Midwestern towns. There aren't even any hotels in the downtown area. Best treated as a day trip from downtown Cleveland, or a stop while driving through northern Ohio, put Valley City on your radar and pack your frogging shoes.
Outdoor activities around Valley City
Valley City is an unincorporated part of Medina County, which is home to plenty of prairie lands, walking trails, and golf courses. From downtown, you can quickly drive to a park, preserve, or golf course in every direction. The closest 18 holes are at Coppertop Golf Club, a public course about five minutes from downtown. It features tree-lined fairways, a copper-roofed clubhouse, and the on-site Golfer's Pub.
A bit farther from town, you can book rounds at the Cossett Creek, Shale Creek, and Bunker Hill courses, all within 20 minutes of Valley City. If that's not enough, just keep driving — there are over a dozen golf courses within Medina County. And if you want to putt from farther out, check out Perrysville, a laid-back village between Columbus and Cleveland with camping and golf.
The most famous park around Valley City is the Mill Stream Park, home to the aforementioned bullfrog statue and the official leaping grounds for the Frog Jump. It's worth a stop just to check out the giant bullfrog, but it also has a walking trail, pickleball courts, pavilions, and a playground. Valley City's parks got a boost in 2025 with the opening of the Zachary A. Weber Riverside Park. This small green space is within walking distance of restaurants, so take your food to go and enjoy a picnic lunch on a porch swing facing the river. Also nearby is the Liverpool Meadows Nature Preserve, less than 2 miles south of downtown. This preserve's 0.9-mile gravel loop trail is a great spot to stretch your legs without venturing too far from the frog jumping.
Places to eat and things to do in Valley City
Typically held in the summertime, the 2027 Frog Jump takes place on Sunday, July 18. The festivities include live music, food, and plenty of frog leaping. You can enter your own frog for $8 or rent one for an additional $7. Frog Jump weekend is a great time to see the city, but it's not Valley City's only special occasion. For the past 91 years, there has been a street fair each August to fundraise for the fire department, and in December, there's a downtown holiday market.
There are several delicious small businesses around town, starting with Samosky's Homestyle Pizzeria. Visit Medina describes it as "a pillar of the community", as the Samosky family has been slinging pies in this part of Ohio for over 100 years. It opened in Valley City in 2003, under the flippant gaze of Jason Samosky, descendant of the original founder. The old-style dough served at this restaurant has helped Jason Samosky claim several national awards.
Every great small town near the highway has its signature diner, and Valley City's is the Knott's Family Diner. While it may not always make America's best diners lists, this charming spot holds its own and serves up quality farm-style omelets, tuna melts, and burgers from 7 to 1:30 p.m., seven days a week. Just up the road is the Wandering Goose Boutique, a quirky shop filled with what it calls "everyday magic." It's located in a 1865 home, filled with handmade soaps, crystals, jewelry, and various doo-dads. Looking for your next stop? Check out the Ohio & Erie Canalway, a historic Ohio route some call the road trip of a lifetime.