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 parks in the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County system, Blossom Music Center, and the Hale Farm & Village. In the mid 1980s, the park hosted the National Folk Festival.

Climate
Enjoy the park any time of year. When the spring blossoms appear, Northeast Ohio temperatures typically range from 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 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 degrees Fahrenheit with wind-chill factors occasionally driving the experience below 0 Fahrenheit. Average precipitation is fairly steady year round from 2.5 to 3.5 inches per month.

Activities

Park trails offer a variety of activities, from rugged backcountry hiking trails to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a graded biking and hiking trail with the crushed limestone along portions of the 20 mile (30 km) trail, a former stretch of the 308 mile (496 km) canal.
 • Blossom Music Center , 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls. Serving as the summer home of the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom also provides a full schedule of rock concerts and other events. The outdoor amphitheater sits on 800 acres and has pavilion capacity of 5,000 seats and lawn seating for 13,500.
 • Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad . Vintage engines and coaches built in the 1940s and 1950s. Northern terminal near Thornburg Station at 8111 Rockslide Road, Valley View. Stops at Village of Peninsula, Hale Farm & Village, Inventure Place (National Inventors Hall of Fame), Stan Hywett Hall & Gardens, Akron Zoo, Canal Visitor Center.
 • Cuyahoga Valley Towpath - The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located 8 miles south of downtown and stretches for miles down to Akron. The Towpath extends from Lake Erie in Downtown Cleveland through the southern suburbs past Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and into rural Historic Zoar.
 • Hale Farm and Village , 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, Ohio 44210-0296, phone: (330)666-3711, a village where the Connecticut Western Reserve of the 1800s is brought to life. General admission is $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors, $7.00 for children 3 - 12 years of age.
 • Ski at Brandywine Ski Slopes  and Boston Mills Ski Slopes , 7100 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264. Ski in the winter and enjoy the Annual Boston Mills Art Festival in the summer.
 • Brandywine Falls Carriage and Sleigh Rides .

Attractions

 • CanalWay Center, 4269 East 49 Street, Cuyahoga Heights. 5.5-mile stretch of land that encompasses 320 acres from the backyards of six major industries.
 • Mill Creek Falls, Newburgh Heights. 45-foot waterfall spawned early lumber and grain mills, vibrant during the Canal Era.
 • Thornburg Station, 8111 Rockslide Road, Valley View, Ohio 44125. Set between the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal, Thornburg Station is a mixed-use complex with fine and casual dining, retail and offices.
 • Canal Visitor Center, Canal Road, Valley View. operating lock demonstrations
 • Frazee House, Valley View Road. 1826 Frazee House depicting early settlement in the Western Reserve.
 • Village of Peninsula. Located in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley, this historic canal village and artists community contains several galleries, shops, restaurants, a bike shop with rentals, and outstanding examples of 19th century architecture. A featured attraction is the 1886 Stick Style Boston Township Hall. Originally the communities High School, today this historic landmark houses the Cuyahoga Valley Museum, which is operated by the Peninsula Library & Historical Society. Open weekends 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm. The hall is also available for rentals.
 • Boston Store. Museum devoted to the history of canal boat building.
 • Hale Farm and Village. 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, 800/589-9703 or 330/666-3711. Western Reserve township, a la 1848, with artisans providing demonstrations of glass blowing, candle making, pottery and blacksmiths.
 • Lock 29
 • Deep Lock Quarry
 • Hunt Farm Visitor Center. Exhibits about Cuyahoga Valley's agricultural past.
 • Blossom Music Center, 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls. Summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, rock concerts, all other kinds of music located on 800 acres, with reserved pavilion seating of 5,000 and a lawn seating capacity of 13,500 (bring a picnic basket and blanket).
 • Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens, 714 Portage Path, Akron. English Tudor Revival Mansion, 65 rooms and 70 acres, built by Goodyear co-founder Frank Seiberling between 1911 and 1915. Warren Manning landscaped grounds, featuring the Birch alley and Japanese gardens, are nationally renowned. Grounds open to visitors 9:00 am to 6:00 PM; House tours 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
 • Perkins Mansion Museum & John Brown House, 550 Copley Road, Akron. Greek Revival Mansion Museum, built in 1837, was home of the famous abolitionist John Brown includes displays that trace Brown's life utilizing photographs, firearms from the period and a reconstruction of a canal boat captains quarters.
 • Mustill Store
 • Village of Canal Fulton. Quaint village known for antiques shops and Amish crafts.
 • Lock 4 Park
 • Bridgeport Quarry Trailhead
 • Downtown Massillon
 • Fort Laurens State Memorial, Bolivar.
 • Historic Zoar Village
 • New Philadelphia/Dover Area Birthplace of Cy Young, namesake of Major League Baseball pitching award.

Dining

 • California Salads great salads at Thornburg Station in Valley View.
 • Lockkeepers Inn - Fine dining at Thornburg Station in Valley View.
 • Park City Diner - Casual dining at Thornburg Station in Valley View.
 • The Winking Lizard, Peninsula. Laid back restaurant and pub - know for BBQ ribs, Buffalo Wings and Pizza.

Drink

Brewpubs
 • Brewhouse Pub And Grille, phone: 330-966-7447, 426 Portage Street, Canton, OH 44720
 • Chop House & Brewery, phone: 216-623-0909, 824 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113
 • Great Lakes Brewing Co., phone: 216-771-4404, 2516 Market St., Cleveland, OH 44113
 • Liberty Street Brewing Co., phone: 330-865-0116, 1238 Cromwell Drive, Akron, OH 44313
 • Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., phone: 330-670-9272, 37 Montrose West Ave., Akron, OH 44321
 • Rock Bottom Brewery, phone: 216-623-1555, 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, OH 44113

Coffee
 • Arabica Coffeehouses

Wineries
 • Breitenbach Wine Cellar, 5934 Old State Route 39 NW Dover, Ohio 44622, phone: (330) 343-3603 and 1-800-THE-WINE or 1-800-843-9463
 • Candlelight Winery, 11325 Center Street., Garrettsville, Ohio 44231, phone: 330-527-4118
 • Dankorona Winery, Inc., Aurora, Ohio 44202
 • Jilbert Winery, 1496 Columbia Road Valley City, Ohio 44280, phone: (216)781-4120
 • Maize Valley Winery, 6193 Edison St. NE, Hartville, Ohio 44632, phone: 330-877-8344
 • Perennial Vineyards, 11877 Poorman Street Navarre Ohio, 44662, phone: (330)832-3677
 • Swiss Heritage Winery, 6011 Old Rt 39 NW, Dover, Ohio 44622, phone: 330-343-3884
 • The Winery at Wolf Creek, 2637 South Cleveland-Massillon Road Norton, Ohio 44203, phone: (330)666-9285 or 800-436-0426
 • Troutman Vineyards, 4243 Columbus Road Wooster, Ohio 44691, phone: (330)263-4345
 • Viking Vineyards & Winery, 268 Old Forge Road Kent, Ohio 44240, phone: (330)678-2080

Camping

The National Park Service does not operate campgrounds in the park. However, several State Park campgrounds are nearby:
 • Findlay Lake State Park, 25381 State Route 58, Wellington, Ohio 44090, (440) 647-4490, camping and cottages
 • Portage Lakes State Park, 5031 Manchester Road, Akron, Ohio 44319, (330) 644-2220, camping only
 • Punderson State Park, P.O. Box 178, Newbury, Ohio 44065, (440) 564-2279, camping, cottages and lodge
 • West Branch State Park, 5708 Esworthy Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266, (330) 296-3239, camping only

Backcountry
The backcountry in this unusual National Park takes you into the surrounding cities and towns.

Fees/Permits

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

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 Continental 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.

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.

Shopping

 • Quaker Square, 135 South Broadway, Akron, Ph: (330) 253-5970, Fax: (330) 253-2574 - Renovated Quaker Oats factory now houses restaurants and boutiques.
 • Canal Visitor Center, Canal Road, Valley View. Souvenir and Gift Shop.
 • Antique shopping in Canal Fulton.

Landscape
The park encompasses 51 mi (134 km 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 Allegheney Mountain range. The diverse landscape, including sandstone ledges, 70 waterfalls (most notably Brandywine Falls), rolling hills and river gorges, can be viewed from 186 miles 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.

Get out

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 south to the Wayne National Forest, northwest to the Lake Erie Islands and North Coast Beaches and Ohio Wine Country.