Cuyahoga National Park lies between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Cuyahoga’s main attraction is the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which is fed by the Cuyahoga River. The canal opened in 1827 and provided transportation for traders and settlers. By the twentieth century, it was considered the most polluted river in the United States. In fact, the river was so polluted that it had 13 fires, the last of which was in 1969. At this point, public outcry was so great that a conservation effort was launched. In 1974 the Cuyahoga Valley became a National Recreation Area and in 2000 it was named a National Park.
We began our exploration of the park at the Boston Store Visitors Center. After learning a bit about the park, we hiked the Ledges Trail, an easy 2-mile loop. The kids, noticing the easily accessible cliffs above the trail, tracked our every movement and had a wonderful time sneaking up on us. Next we made our way to the most popular attraction in the park, Brandywine Falls. It was just a short walk to see the 60 foot waterfall, which was beautiful, but did not compare to some of the other natural wonders we had seen out west. We ended our Cuyahoga experience at the Canal Exploration Center in the north end of the park. Here we were able to learn a lot about how the canal was created, the lock system that was used, and what life was like when the canal boats were at their peak. We also learned that the canal helped Ohio financially, which allowed the state to lay down more railroad track than any other state. Ironically, the railroad put the canal boats out of business due to their speed and comfort. Although our time at Cuyahoga was brief, it was an interesting park with a checkered past. Thankfully, the park and river are recovering significantly each year and will be available to future generations to enjoy.
