Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Understand

It is the only national park in Ohio. According to the US National Park Service, the Cuyahoga Valley is the 5th most frequently visited park (3,217,935 recreational visits in 2002) in the National Park System.

Though it is a short distance from urban environments, the park is worlds away. The winding Cuyahoga—the "Crooked River"-was named by Mohawk (Native American tribe)—gives way to rolling floodplain, steep valley walls and ravines, and lush upland forests. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a refuge for flora and fauna, and provides both recreation and solitude for Northeast Ohio's residents and visitors.

History

The park has a rich cultural legacy as well. Exhibiting a historical view of the heart of the industrial revolution, visitor centers provide background on the remains of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which traveled through the valley connecting the St. Lawrence Seaway and the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico (via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers) in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sustainable farming ventures help preserve the valley's agricultural heritage. The park offers an array of displays of 19th and early 20th century sustainable farming while catering to contemporary interests with art exhibits, outdoor concerts and scenic railroad tours. It includes compatible use sites not owned by the federal government, including several Metroparks in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties, Blossom Music Center, and the Hale Farm & Village. In the mid 1980s, the park hosted the National Folk Festival.

The park is even connected to sports history—a meadow next to Ohio Route 303 is the former site of the Richfield Coliseum, which had been the Cleveland area's main indoor sports venue before the 1994 opening of what is now Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland. The Coliseum was torn down shortly before the national park was established, and the only hint today of the arena's former location is a widened section of Route 303.

Landscape

The park encompasses 51 mi² (134 km² and 33,000 acres) along the banks of the Cuyahoga River, spanning from the major metropolitan areas of Cleveland and Akron and into the hills of the Allegheny Mountain range. The diverse landscape, including sandstone ledges, 70 waterfalls (most notably Brandywine Falls), rolling hills and river gorges, can be viewed from 186 mi of trails.

Flora and fauna

More than 3,000 species of plants are known to occur in Ohio. Among many other flora, the park boasts maple, oak, birch, beech and hemlock trees. In the autumn, the vibrant colors of the changing leaves are breathtaking, even when viewed from interstate highways. Native wildflowers are abundant and provide a colorful milieu, especially in the spring. Look for Ohio spiderwort, wild hyacinth, trillium, showy orchid, pink lady’s-slipper, purple wood-sorrel, violets, wild blue phlox and Indian paintbrush among more than 250 species that grow in Ohio. The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, such as beaver, deer and dozens of bird species including wood duck and heron.

Climate

Enjoy the park any time of year. When the spring blossoms appear, Northeast Ohio temperatures typically range from 40 to 60°F. The warmer summers tend to be sunny and somewhat humid with temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit (occasionally into the 90s). Northeast Ohio autumns provide breathtaking landscapes of the changing color of leaves and temperatures from the 40s to the 60s. During the winter months, downhill ski the slopes or cross-country ski the trails, but dress for temperatures below 30°F with windchill factors occasionally driving the experience below 0°F. Average precipitation is fairly steady year round from 2.5 to 3.5 inches per month.

Visitor information

• Park website
• Canal Visitor Center, Canal Road, Valley View. operating lock demonstrations

Get in

By plane

• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, CLE. Cleveland's main airport is located on the west side of the city. The airport is served by most of the major domestic airlines, and it is a hub for United Airlines as well.
• Akron-Canton Regional Airport, CAK. Visitors could also use this airport which is a 45-minute drive from Cleveland.

By car

Highways providing access to the Park include I-77, I-271, I-80 (Ohio Turnpike), and State Route 8. Park signs are visible from each of these freeways as you get close to the valley.

By train

By Amtrak Lake Shore Limited, it gets in early morning both directions to Cleveland. There is no train service between Cleveland and the 8 mi miles to Rockside Road.

Fees and permits

Entry into the park is free, but scheduled events, concerts and other activities may be subject to a fee.

Get around

By car

Drive the scenic CanalWay, which is clearly marked by signage throughout.

By foot

Walk, bike or run the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, the soft, fine gravel path provided the course for mules to pull the boats along the canal. Hike the trails.

By train

Ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, stations are in Independence, Peninsula and Akron. Additional intermediate stations are located in Brecksville, Boston Mill, Indigo Lake and Botzum.

Stay safe

Do not drink water from the streams and ponds. The Cuyahoga River has navigational hazards and highly variable water quality. Swimming, wading, canoeing and kayaking are not advised.

Go next

The park is surrounded by one of the most culturally endowed regions in the US, including the cities of Cleveland, Akron and Canton. Visit New England style towns of the Connecticut Western Reserve, such as Hudson and Medina. Amish communities are of substantial size in nearby Holmes (south and west of the park) and Geauga (north and east of the park) Counties. Head northwest to the Lake Erie Islands, North Coast Beaches and Ohio Wine Country or south to the Wayne National Forest.