Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The Ohio & Erie Canal flows through the Cuyahoga Valley.

The beautiful Cuyahoga Valley is an oasis in northeastern Ohio.

Scenic and wildlife diversity is the hallmark of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Its 33,000 acres, hugging 22 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland, protect mature woodlands, rolling meadows, gentle farmlands, ravines, gorges, ledges, river beds and meandering streams.

Visitors can explore the length of the valley along the 20-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and see remnants of the famous canal. This former major transportation artery opened Ohio and the Midwest to industrialization between 1827 and 1880.

The trail is open to walkers, joggers, bicyclists and, in some sections, horseback riders. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which offers train excursions and shuttle service, runs parallel to the Towpath Trail.

The history of the canal is featured in exhibits at the Canal Visitor Center at Lock 38 and at the Boston Store. Other visitor centers are in the Peninsula Depot Visitor Center, the rustic Happy Days Lodge, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a day camp for inner-city children, and at the 19th-century Hunt Farm. An early 19th-century home called the Frazee House is open weekends during the summer.

A section of the long-distance Buckeye Trail, which circles Ohio, runs through the valley.

Kendall Lake Winter Sports Center is the hub of winter activities within the park, with sledding on Kendall Hills and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on a network of adjacent trails. The sports center is open weekends and holidays from December through February.