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Cuyahoga Valley Crooked River, Beautiful Valley "Ka-ih-ohg-ha" American Indians called it - crooked. And crooked it is, as it twists and turns through its short 100 miles. The Cuyahoga River begins 30 miles east of its mouth in Cleveland and flows in a great "U" along the base of the escarpment on which the city of Akron sits. Deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands frame the river valley. Hamlets with historic homes and barns dot the area, giving a sense of times past. Locks, spillways, an aqueduct, and other canal features provide clues to a brief but important period in America's transportation history. Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (CVNRA) preserves 33,000 acres along 22 miles of this crooked river between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It stands as a welcome open green space between the cities of Akron and Cleveland: a great place for get-away day hikes or to take the kids for an afternoon romp or their first taste of fishing.
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail Bike and Hike Trail Buckeye Trail Horse Trails Picnicking Golfing Fishing Canoeing and Kayaking Kendall Lake Winter Sports Center Sledding Cross-country Ski Trails Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resorts
Hale Farm & Village is owned and operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society. The farm portion centers around the 1826 brick farmstead of Jonathan Hale, one of the earliest settlers in the Western Reserve. Historic buildings from the region constitute the Western Reserve Village, located across from Hale Farm. Potters, blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, candlemakers, and glassblowers demonstrate crafts of the early 19th century. Blossom Music Center offers summer evening concerts that fill the air with classical and pop music. The Cleveland Orchestra spends its summers here and offers a variety of programs. Come early and enjoy a picnic dinner or take a relaxing walk before the concert begins. The natural grass amphitheater seats more than 15,000 people. Porthouse Theatre is owned and operated by Kent State University. Summer stock includes Shakespeare, Broadway musicals, opera, and drama. Boston Store The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad parallels the Towpath Trail throughout CVNRA. Ride opportunities range from day-long excursions to bike/train options. For complete scheduling information and reservations, contact the railroad at (800) 468-4070.
The Cuyahoga River has long attracted people and wildlife. People have lived here for nearly 12,000 years, and they left a legacy of archeological sites throughout the valley. An important transportation route for American Indians, this area was deemed neutral territory by tribes, so all might travel on it safely from the cold waters of the Great Lakes to the short portage across the divide to the Tuscarawas River that drained into the Ohio River and the warm waters south. European explorers and trappers arrived in the 17th century, and early surveyors put the Cuyahoga River on the map. News about the valley spread. Traders and settlers moved in and soon appreciated the river's potential as a source of livelihood, as the American Indians before them had. The Moravian village of Pilgerruh, the first, but short-lived European settlement in the valley, was located near the confluence of Tinkers Creek and the river. In 1786, Connecticut "reserved" 3,500,000 acres in northeastern Ohio for settlement by its citizens. Known as the Western Reserve, it still has a distinctive New England look. Ten years later Moses Cleaveland arrived to serve as a land agent for the Connecticut Land Company and helped lay out the city that bears his name. By treaty between the young United States and Indian tribes, land west of the river was Indian territory until 1805. In 1810 homesteader Jonathan Hale noted that the land was as "good as anyone could wish for." The Ohio & Erie Canal opened in 1827 between Cleveland and Akron. It paralleled and was partly watered by the Cuyahoga River and it replaced the river as the primary transportation artery. An engineering feat, the canal was far more than a new waterway-it was a boon to the development of commerce in the Midwest. The towns of Boston and Peninsula boomed with canal-related industry. Cleveland and Akron flourished. More people moved in, looking for jobs and fortunes. By the 1860s, railroads had become prevalent and within a few years replaced the canal as the major route for commerce, industry, and travel. Running through the valley, the railroad led to the eventual demise of the canal, yet contributed to the growth of the cities. As the cities grew, the Cuyahoga Valley took on a new significance. The valley became a place of refuge-a place to refresh body and spirit. In the early 1960s spreading development threatened to take over this valley. Individual citizens joined forces with state and local governments to save the greenspace and historic features. Their efforts crossed paths with the National Park Service, which was then establishing urban recreation areas as a way to bring national parks to people living in cities. In 1974, Congress created CVNRA as an urban park of the National Park System. The National Park Service manages the park in cooperation with others who own property within its boundaries, including Cleveland Metroparks and Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, both of which administer several units within CVNRA. Together they protect the natural landscape, preserve remnants of the area's human history, and provide a place where you can relax, play, and learn new things in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area also contributes to something greater— the Ohio & Erie Canal Heritage Corridor. CVNRA, in the heart of the corridor, unites Cleveland and Akron, which have active corridor preservation programs. The corridor continues 87 miles south to Zoar, Ohio. It provides continuity and an expansion of the historic connections of natural resources and industry— the lake, river, canal, and railroad— that made this valley and region prosperous. The Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center is a residential facility featuring watershed-based curricula for primary and middle school children. It has pioneer and art camps in summer, and weekend activities year round. For information about the center and the park's day programs for school and scout groups. (216) 657-2796. Wetlands, forests, fields in various stages of succession, and other habitats enable a surprising diversity of wildlife to thrive in a place so close to urban areas. Whitetail deer and Canada geese are common sights. Even the elusive coyote lives here. American beaver, missing from the ecosystem for nearly 150 years, has returned. Its industrious dam building has created new wetland habitats for other animals. Cool ravines provide microhabitats for hemlock, yellow birch, red-breasted nuthatches, and wildlife commonly found in a more northern climate. Covered by mixed deciduous forests and pockets of evergreens, tree species are abundant. Wildflowers and plant varieties range from spring woodland wildflowers, such as hepaticas and bloodroot, to late summer asters and goldenrod in open areas. Yellow and blue irises, cattails, and the American lotus bloom in wetlands in late spring and early summer. Not to be missed is the stunning view of Tinkers Creek Gorge, the park's National Natural Landmark. The gorge overlook is along the winding Gorge Parkway in the Bedford Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs between Cleveland to Akron and offers excursions year round. You may select from a variety of choices: leisurely trips with unscheduled stops to view wildlife and wetlands, bike and hike trips with a baggage car equipped to carry bicycles, trips with rangers on board who discuss the natural features and the history of the Cuyahoga Valley, and trips to Hale Farm and Village. In the winter excursions include scenic trips through snow-covered forests and along the Cuyahoga River; holiday shoppers' trips; ski trains; and special programs for children.
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