Cuyahoga Valley National Park#Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Cuyahoga Valley National Park

| iucn_category = II

| photo = Cuyahoga Valley National Park 20.jpg

| photo_caption = Waterfalls, such as this one, can be found throughout the park

| map = Ohio#USA

| relief = 1

| map_caption = Location in Ohio##Location in the United States

| location = Summit County & Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States

| nearest_city = Cleveland, Akron

| coordinates = {{coord|41|14|30|N|81|32|59|W|region:US|display=inline, title}}

| area = {{convert|32783|acres|sqmi km2|1}}

| area_ref = {{cite web|title=National Reports|url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/National|work= nps.gov | publisher= National Park Service|access-date=5 May 2017|quote=Click on Park Acreage Reports (1997 – Last Calendar/Fiscal Year), then select By Park, Calendar Year, , and then click the View PDF Report button – the area used here is Gross Area Acres which appears in the final column of the report}}

| established = October 11, 2000

| visitation_num = 2,860,059

| visitation_year = 2023

| visitation_ref = {{cite web | last=Chen | first=Eve | title=National parks by the numbers: America's oldest, largest, most visited | website=USA TODAY | date=2024-03-31 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2024/03/31/national-parks-most-visited-trivia/73089990007/ | access-date=2024-08-20}}

| governing_body = National Park Service

| website = {{official URL}}

}}

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a national park of the United States in Ohio that reclaims and preserves the industrial, commercial, and rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio.

The {{convert|32783|acres|sqmi km2|1|adj=on}} park is administered by the National Park Service, but within its boundaries are areas independently managed as county parks or as public or private businesses. Cuyahoga Valley was originally designated as a national recreation area (NRA) in 1974, then redesignated as a national park 26 years later in 2000, and remains the only national park that originated as a national recreation area.

Cuyahoga Valley is the only national park in the state of Ohio and one of three in the Great Lakes Basin, with Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior and Indiana Dunes National Park bordering Lake Michigan. Cuyahoga Valley also differs from the other national parks in the US in that it is adjacent to two large urban areas and it includes a dense road network, a railroad, high tension lines, small towns, commercial businesses, four reservations of the Cleveland Metroparks, four parks and one multipurpose trail of Summit Metro Parks, and public and private attractions. It was the twelfth-most visited American national park in 2023, attracting nearly 2.9 million visitors, primarily due to its proximity to Cleveland and Akron.{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Eve |title=What is the most visited national park in the US? Answers to your biggest park questions |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2024/03/31/national-parks-most-visited-trivia/73089990007/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

History

File:NPS cuyahoga-valley-map-new.png

= Indigenous history =

The Hopewell Culture inhabited the area by ~200AD and constructed the Everett Mound near Everett within the park.{{Cite journal |last=Brose |first=David |date= January 1974 |title=The Everett Knoll: A Late Hopewellian Site in Northeastern Ohio |url=https://kb.osu.edu/items/6bf0dec5-ce08-5f0d-852e-c14be29fe362 |journal=Ohio Journal of Science |volume=74 |issue=1}}

No Native American tribes currently have federal recognition in Ohio;{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/state-tribal-institute/list-of-federal-and-state-recognized-tribes.aspx#federal|title=List of Federal and State Recognized Tribes|website= ncsl.org| publisher= National Conference of State Legislatures| access-date=2019-04-29}} however, the former inhabitants of the Cuyahoga Valley were Native Americans.{{Cite book|title=The other Trail of Tears : the removal of the Ohio Indians|last=Stockwell| first= Mary|isbn= 978-1594162589|edition=First Westholme Paperback | year= 2016| location=Yardley, Pennsylvania|oclc=940521412}} The Wyandot, Iroquois, Ottawa, Ojibwe, Munsee, Potawatomi, Miami, Catawba, and Shawnee all lived in or traversed this area, but the Lenapé Nation, also known as the Lenape’wàk or Delaware Nation, are considered "the Grandfathers" of many Native Nations of the upper Ohio River Valley.{{Cite book|title= The grandfathers speak : native American folk tales of the Lenapé people| author= Hìtakonanulaxk |date=1994|publisher= Interlink Books|isbn=978-1566561297|location=New York|oclc=29218801}}{{Cite book|title=Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850 |date=2012| publisher= Michigan State University Press|isbn= 9781611860450|jstor=10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g.10|chapter=Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/895082861 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/895082538 cite #17 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}} They had a democratic and egalitarian sociopolitical structure where leaders (sachem) consulted elders who advocated for the expectations of the people before decisions were made.{{Cite book|jstor=j.ctt13x1nzp|title=Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn| last= Soderlund |first=Jean R.|date=2015|publisher= University of Pennsylvania Press| isbn=9780812246476|chapter= Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn}} The Lenapé were actively involved in long-distance trade networks and were highly skilled at creating goods and art such as pottery, stone weaponry, clothing, and baskets. Wars, coercive treaties, and legislative changes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries resulted in Lenapé movement both west and south from their geographic origins in present-day New York City, the lower Hudson Valley, eastern Pennsylvania,{{cite web| url= https://www.lenape-nation.org/ | publisher= Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania | title= Who are the Lenape?| website= lenape-nation.org| date= | accessdate= May 5, 2019}} New Jersey,{{cite web | url= http://nanticoke-lenapetribalnation.org/about/ | publisher= Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation | title= About Us| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20200223172953/http://nanticoke-lenapetribalnation.org/about/ |archivedate=2020-02-23 | website= nanticoke-lenapetribalnation.org| accessdate= May 5, 2019}} and northern Delaware,[http://www.lenapeindiantribeofdelaware.com/ "Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware - Welcome!"]. lenapeindiantribeofdelaware.com. Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware. Retrieved May 5, 2019. through the Ohio River Valley and Cuyahoga Valley, to current residencies primarily in Oklahoma and Ontario, Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.penn.museum/sites/fap/sections.shtml|title=Fulfilling a Prophecy|website=www.penn.museum|access-date=2019-04-27}}{{Cite book|title=The Lenape : archaeology, history, and ethnography|last=Kraft, Herbert C.|date=1986|publisher=New Jersey Historical Society|isbn=978-0911020144|location=Newark|oclc=13062917}}

Land was vitally important to the Lenapé Nation. The fur trade required large hunting grounds, as did agriculture, which served as their central food source. As the Lenapé Nation was pushed west, ecological consistencies between present-day Pennsylvania and Ohio allowed them to continue similar agricultural, hunting, and fishing practices; however, as treaties and violent conflicts continued, the Lenapé were not permitted sufficient time to develop a relationship with land in the Ohio River Valley.{{Cite book|last=Brinton|first=Daniel G.|title=The Lenâpé And Their Legends: With the Complete Text And Symbols of the Walam Olum, a New Translation, And an Inquiry Into Its Authenticity|publisher=D.G. Brinton|year=1885|location=Philadelphia}} While being pushed west, the Lenapé turned to each other to form alliances between Lenapé communities to preserve culture, territory, and resources.{{Cite book|title=Peoples of the river valleys : the odyssey of the Delaware Indians|last=Schutt, Amy C.|date=2007|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=9780812203790|location=Philadelphia|oclc=859160719}}

The Lenapé’s hunting practices changed with the introduction of the fur trade.{{Cite journal|last=Richter|first=Daniel K.|date=1999|title= 'Believing That Many of the Red People Suffer Much for the Want of Food': Hunting, Agriculture, and a Quaker Construction of Indianness in the Early Republic| journal=Journal of the Early Republic|volume=19|issue=4|pages=601–628|doi=10.2307/3125135|jstor=3125135}} After contact with Europeans, the emphasis on hunting began to shift towards the demands of fur production rather than prioritizing sustainability. Because of this shift in Lenapé hunting practices, the populations of beavers and other fur-bearing animals plummeted.{{Cite book|title= Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850|date=2012|publisher=Michigan State University Press|isbn= 9781611860450| jstor=10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g.9| chapter = Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850}} These trade networks depended on waterways used by indigenous people through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries:

File:Portage County 1826.jpg

Portage Path was located in modern-day Summit County, Ohio. The trail connected the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers and was approximately eight miles in length. American Indians used this path to transport their canoes overland from one river to the other. Using canoes, American Indians could travel by water from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico except for this small section. Today, most of the path is located in the city of Akron, Ohio, although interested parties can follow signs that trace the path between the two rivers. Portage County received its name from Portage Path.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Portage_Path|title=Portage Path - Ohio History Central|website= ohiohistorycentral.org |access-date= 2019-04-27}}

== Treaties and conflict ==

File:Greenville Treaty Line Map.png

The Cuyahoga Valley is no longer inhabited by the Lenapé Nation primarily due to coercive legislative processes and numerous violent conflicts.{{Cite book|title=The Columbia Guide to American Indians of the Northeast|last= Bragdon|first=Kathleen J.|date=2001|publisher=Columbia University Press|doi=10.7312/brag11452|jstor=10.7312/brag11452|isbn = 9780231504355}} The 1795 Treaty of Greenville set the Cuyahoga River as the boundary between indigenous peoples' lands and European settlement. In 1805, {{Convert|500000|acre||abbr=}} of land, including the present-day Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was ceded in the Treaty of Fort Industry with a promise of a thousand dollar annual payout to each Native Nation that lost land (the Wyandot, Ottawa, Objibwe, Munsee, Lenapé, Potawatomi, and Shawnee).{{Cite book|title= Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850|date=2012|publisher=Michigan State University Press|isbn= 9781611860450| jstor=10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g.10| chapter=Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850}} The treaty also included a clause that allowed for the continuation of indigenous hunting on the ceded land; however, that portion of the treaty was neglected in practice. Other treaties, also took Lenapé land without their full knowledge or consent.{{Cite book|title=Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850|date=2012|publisher=Michigan State University Press|isbn=9781611860450|jstor=10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g.9|chapter=Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850}} Today, the Lenapé Nation is more commonly referred to as the Delaware Nation and has its headquarters in Oklahoma, although there are also populations in Kansas, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada,{{Cite web|url=http://delawarenation.com/about-us/|title=Delaware Nation - About Us|website=Delaware Nation|access-date=April 27, 2019}}{{Cite book|title=Peacemakers on the frontier: A history of the Delaware Tribe of western Oklahoma|last=Hale|first=Duane K.|publisher=Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma Press|year=1987|location= Anadarko, Oklahoma}}{{Cite book|title=The Delaware Indians in Kansas: 1829-1867|last=Farley|first=Alan W.|publisher=Kansas Historical Society|year= 1995|location=Kansas City, Kansas}} as well as in their ancestral homelands, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

= Later history =

The valley began providing recreation for urban dwellers in the 1870s when people came from nearby cities for carriage rides or leisure boat trips along the canal. In 1880, the Valley Railway became another way to escape urban industrial life. Actual park development began in the 1910s and 1920s with the establishment of Cleveland and Akron metropolitan park districts. In 1929, the estate of Cleveland businessman Hayward Kendall donated {{convert|430|acre|sqmi km2|1}} around the Ritchie Ledges[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/the-ledges.htm "The Ledges"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181014003630/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/the-ledges.htm archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. June 1, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018. and a trust fund to the state of Ohio. Kendall's will stipulated that the "property should be perpetually used for park purposes". The area was called Virginia Kendall Park, in honor of his mother. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the park's infrastructure including the Happy Days Lodge and the shelters at Octagon, the Ledges, and Kendall Lake.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/upload/A-Park-for-All-People-2017.pdf "Cuyahoga Valley: Ohio's National Park"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181119143350/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/upload/A-Park-for-All-People-2017.pdf archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved November 19, 2018. The Happy Days Lodge, near Peninsula, was constructed from 1938 to 1939 as a camp for urban children. The lodge is presently used only as a special events site.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/hours.htm "Operating Hours & Seasons"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181104161219/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/hours.htm archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. October 29, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.

= Park creation =

Although the regional parks safeguarded certain places, by the 1960s local citizens feared that urban sprawl would overwhelm the Cuyahoga Valley's natural beauty. An additional concern was the environmental degradation of the Cuyahoga River via factory waste and sewage, along with fires that burned on the river in 1952 and 1969.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/kidsyouth/the-cuyahoga-river.htm "The Cuyahoga River"]. nps.gov. National Park Service. January 4, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.{{cite news| first= Jonathan H. | last= Adler | date= June 22, 2014| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/06/22/the-fable-of-the-burning-river-45-years-later/?noredirect=on | title=

The fable of the burning river, 45 years later | newspaper= The Washington Post| accessdate= October 19, 2018}} Citizens joined forces with state and national government staff to find a long-term solution. Finally, on December 27, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed the bill establishing the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area,{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/management/statistics.htm |title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Park Statistics |website=nps.gov |publisher= National Park Service |date=August 7, 2017 |access-date=November 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031213511/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/management/statistics.htm |archive-date=October 31, 2018 |url-status= live}} even as the administration recommended a veto because "The Cuyahoga Valley possesses no qualities which qualify it for inclusion in the National Park System" and the government was already providing funds for outdoor recreation.{{Cite web|title=1974/12/27 HR7077 Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area Ohio|url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0055/1668842.pdf|website= fordlibrarymuseum.gov | publisher= Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library| accessdate=}}

After Congress authorized the land acquisition, it was left under the direction of Superintendent William C. Birdsell of the National Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers .{{Cite web |date=2018-06-29 |title= Cuyahoga Valley National Park |url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cuyahoga-valley-national-park |access-date=2023-04-19 |website= Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | publisher= Case Western Reserve University |language=en}} Under the direction of Birdsell, homes were either purchased outright, or given a scenic/preservation easement. There was no comprehensive plan to guide the land acquisition program, so the responsibility of choosing whether homes were to be purchased or preserved was solely Birdsell's decision. Birdsell's continually changing priorities frustrated local residents as land acquisition plans changed,{{Cite book |last=Almond |first=Peter |url=https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/from-across-the-pond-palmond/ |title=A Love Letter to Cleveland: The Memoirs of a Brit Journalist with the Cleveland Press 1970-82 |publisher=MSL Academic Endeavors, Imprint of the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-936323-98-2}} and his management style was criticized by the National Park Service's Midwest Regional Office during a 1978 operational evaluation report (OER), citing his poor human-resource management skills, low staff morale, and Birdsell's inability to delegate.{{Cite book |last=Cockrell |first=Ron |url=http://npshistory.com/publications/cuva/adhi.pdf |title=A Green Shrouded Miracle: The Administrative History of Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, Ohio |publisher= National Park Service |year=1992}}

= National Park Service =

The National Park Service acquired the {{convert|47|acre|sqmi km2|1|adj=on}} Krejci Dump in 1985 to include as part of the recreation area. They requested a thorough analysis of the site's contents from the Environmental Protection Agency. After the survey identified extremely toxic materials, the area was closed in 1986 and designated a superfund site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/krejci-dump-a-story-of-transformation.htm "Krejci Dump- A story of Transformation"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181119110613/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/krejci-dump-a-story-of-transformation.htm archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. July 10, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2018. "Image caption: Krejic dump site in 2013 after clean up and restoration." Litigation was filed against potentially responsible parties: Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, 3M, Waste Management, Chevron, Kewanee Industries, and Federal Metals.{{cite news|url=http://www.ohiocitizen.org/about/akron/costliest.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415152955/http://www.ohiocitizen.org/about/akron/costliest.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 15, 2013|first=Bob|last=Downing|title=Dump cleanup costliest for parks|work=Akron Beacon Journal|location=Akron|date=December 2, 2001|access-date=February 8, 2016}} Only 3M would not agree to a settlement, and the company lost at trial.{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2002/February/02_enrd_064.htm|title=3M to pay $15.5 million for Krejci Dump|website=justice.gov|publisher=United States Department of Justice|date=February 7, 2002|access-date=February 8, 2016}} Removal of toxic materials began in 1987 with {{convert|371,000|ST|e6lb e6kg|abbr=unit}} of contaminated soils and debris removed by 2012, and restoration completed by 2015.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025030332/http://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/news/krejci.htm |url=http://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/news/krejci.htm |archive-date=2017-10-25 |title=Krejci: Recent Updates |website=National Park Service |date=May 20, 2015 |access-date=November 19, 2018 |quote=August 29, 2012...remediation goals for the 46-acre former dump site have been met; February 3, 2015:..restoring the ecology to its native condition}}

The area was redesignated a national park by Congress on October 11, 2000, with the passage of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, House Bill 4578, 106th Congress.{{cite web|author=Rep. Ralph Regula [R-OH16, 1973-2009] |url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h106-4578&tab=summary |title=H.R. 4578 (106th): Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001: Overview |website=govtrack.us |publisher=GovTrack, Civic Impulse, LLC |date=n.d. |access-date=November 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830193412/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/106/hr4578 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Downing|title=From 'national recreation area' to 'national park': The story behind CVNP's evolution|url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2024/03/30/how-cvnp-cuyahoga-valley-became-a-national-park-ralph-regula/73089748007/|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=March 30, 2024|access-date=March 30, 2024}} The park is administered by the National Park Service. The David Berger National Memorial in Beachwood, a Cleveland suburb, is also managed through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Richfield Coliseum, a multipurpose arena in the Cuyahoga River area, was demolished in 1999 and the vacant site became part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park upon its designation in 2000. The area has since become a grassy meadow that is a popular birdwatching site.{{cite news |first=James F.|last=McCarty|title=Coliseum Grasslands Offer Intimate Views of Some of the Most-threatened Bird Species: Aerial View|url=http://www.cleveland.com/neobirding/index.ssf/2012/06/cvnps_coliseum_grasslands_prov.html|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|location=Cleveland|date=June 5, 2012|access-date=November 19, 2018}}"[http://www.nps.gov/cuva/historyculture/former-coliseum-property.htm Former Coliseum Property]". nps.gov. National Park Service. August 28, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

In 2024, Cuyahoga Valley National Park entered into a "sister park" agreement with Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England, with a focus on collaborating to improve conservation efforts. The agreement is the first of its kind between the National Park Service and an English national park.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park signs Sister Park agreement with England's Dartmoor National Park |url=https://www.ideastream.org/environment-energy/2024-06-07/cuyahoga-valley-national-park-signs-sister-park-agreement-with-englands-dartmoor-national-park |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Ideastream Public Media |language=en}}

Wildlife

Animals found in the park are animals typical throughout Ohio, including raccoons, muskrats, coyotes, skunks, red foxes, beavers, peregrine falcons, river otters, bald eagles, opossums, three species of moles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, gray foxes, minks, great blue herons, and seven species of bats.{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/nature/mammals.htm|title=Mammals - Cuyahoga Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov}}

Climate

The Boston Mill Visitor Center at Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa). The plant hardiness zone at Boston Store Visitor Center is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of {{cvt|-6.5|F|C}}.{{cite web| url= https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx| website= ars.usda.gov |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=2019-07-03|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map|archive-date= 2019-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704214427/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx|url-status= dead}}

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| single line = Y

| location = Boston Mill Visitor Center, elevation {{convert|722|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1981–2019

| Jan record high F = 69.3

| Feb record high F = 75.7

| Mar record high F = 82.5

| Apr record high F = 86.8

| May record high F = 91.5

| Jun record high F = 101.7

| Jul record high F = 100.8

| Aug record high F = 97.6

| Sep record high F = 93.3

| Oct record high F = 89.6

| Nov record high F = 78.5

| Dec record high F = 75.9

| year record high F = 101.7

| Jan high F = 34.9

| Feb high F = 38.1

| Mar high F = 47.1

| Apr high F = 59.5

| May high F = 70.2

| Jun high F = 79.6

| Jul high F = 83.4

| Aug high F = 81.5

| Sep high F = 74.8

| Oct high F = 63.2

| Nov high F = 51.5

| Dec high F = 38.9

| year high F = 60.3

| Jan low F = 20.7

| Feb low F = 22.3

| Mar low F = 28.9

| Apr low F = 39.6

| May low F = 49.1

| Jun low F = 59.2

| Jul low F = 63.4

| Aug low F = 62.0

| Sep low F = 55.2

| Oct low F = 44.7

| Nov low F = 35.9

| Dec low F = 25.8

| year low F = 42.3

| Jan record low F = -23.3

| Feb record low F = -12.2

| Mar record low F = -5.7

| Apr record low F = 14.5

| May record low F = 29.3

| Jun record low F = 37.4

| Jul record low F = 44.6

| Aug record low F = 41.3

| Sep record low F = 35.7

| Oct record low F = 21.5

| Nov record low F = 10.6

| Dec record low F = -14.9

| year record low F = -23.3

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 2.43

| Feb precipitation inch = 2.08

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.77

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.35

| May precipitation inch = 3.92

| Jun precipitation inch = 3.84

| Jul precipitation inch = 3.94

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.56

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.51

| Oct precipitation inch = 2.88

| Nov precipitation inch = 3.27

| Dec precipitation inch = 2.87

| year precipitation inch = 38.42

| Jan dew point F = 20.9

| Feb dew point F = 22.3

| Mar dew point F = 28.2

| Apr dew point F = 37.3

| May dew point F = 48.0

| Jun dew point F = 58.0

| Jul dew point F = 62.3

| Aug dew point F = 61.8

| Sep dew point F = 55.3

| Oct dew point F = 43.7

| Nov dew point F = 34.5

| Dec dew point F = 25.3

| year dew point F = 41.6

| source = PRISM{{cite web |url=http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/| title= Time Series Values for Individual Locations| website= prism.oregonstate.edu |publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University|access-date=February 21, 2019 }}}}

Attractions

File:Brandywine Falls (29999191633).jpg]]

Cuyahoga Valley features natural, man-made, and private attractions, which is unusual for an American national park. The park includes compatible-use sites not owned by the federal government, such as four reservations of the Cleveland Metroparks, as well as four parks and one multipurpose trail of Summit Metro Parks.

The natural areas include forests, rolling hills, narrow ravines, wetlands, rivers, and waterfalls. About 100 waterfalls are located in the Cuyahoga Valley, with the most popular being the {{convert|65|ft|m|adj=on}} tall Brandywine Falls—the tallest waterfall in the park and the fourth-tallest in Ohio. The Ledges are a rock outcropping that provides a westward view across the valley's wooded areas. Talus caves are located among the boulders in the forest around the Ledges.

The park has several trails, most notably the {{convert|20|mi|adj=on}} Towpath Trail, which follows a former stretch of the {{convert|308|mi|adj=on}} Ohio and Erie Canal and is popular for hiking, bicycling, and running. Skiing and sled-riding are available during the winter at Kendall Hills.{{cite web|title=Winter Sports|url=http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/winter-sports.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=27 May 2014}} Visitors can play golf, or take scenic excursions and railroad tours on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad during special events.{{cite web

| url=https://www.cvsr.com/

| title=Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

| website=cvsr.com

| publisher=Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

| access-date=November 19, 2018

}}

The park also features preserved and restored displays of 19th and early 20th century sustainable farming and rural living, most notably the Hale Farm and Village, while catering to contemporary cultural interests with art exhibits, outdoor concerts, and theater performances in venues such as Blossom Music Center and Kent State University's Porthouse Theatre. In the mid-1980s, the park hosted the National Folk Festival.{{cite web |title=National Folk Festival, Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, 1983 |url=https://www.summitmemory.org/digital/collection/ABJarchives/id/4301/ |access-date=28 September 2022 |ref=56}}

= Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail =

File:Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail Section.jpg]]

The multi-purpose Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail was developed by the National Park Service and is the major trail through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The trail traverses almost {{convert|21|mi|km|abbr=on}} from Rockside Road in Independence in the north to Summit County's Bike & Hike trail in the south, following the Cuyahoga River for much of its length. Outhouse restrooms are available at several trailheads,{{Cite news |last=Bovenzi |first=Tino |date=April 3, 2025 |title=3 restrooms closed without explanation at Cuyahoga Valley National Park |url=https://fox8.com/news/3-restrooms-closed-without-explanation-at-cuyahoga-valley-national-park/ |work=WJW Fox Cleveland}} and food and drink establishments are along Rockside Road, as well as the Boston Store in Peninsula, and at the seasonal farmer's market on Botzum Road. Three visitor centers are located along the path: the Canal Exploration Center, Boston Store, and the Hunt House. The trail connects to a Cleveland Metroparks trail at Rockside Road, which continues another {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on}} north. The Summit County trail continues through Akron and further south through Stark and Tuscarawas counties to Zoar, Ohio, almost {{convert|70|mi|km|abbr=on}} continuously, with a single {{convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on}} interruption. Sections of the towpath trail outside of Cuyahoga Valley National Park are owned and maintained by various state and local agencies. The trail also meets the Buckeye Trail in the national park near Boston Store. Another section of the Summit County Bike & Hike Trail system is nearby, connecting to Brandywine Falls, Cleveland Metroparks' Bedford Reservation and the cities of Solon in Cuyahoga County, Hudson and Stow in Summit County, and Kent and Ravenna in Portage County.

Seasonally, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) allows visitors to travel along the towpath from Rockside Road to Akron, embarking or disembarking at any of the stops along the way. The train is especially popular with bicyclists, and for viewing and photographing fall colors. CVSR is independently owned and operated.

== History ==

File:OhioErieCanalLock.JPG Lock at the Canal Exploration Center]]

The Towpath Trail follows the historic route of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Before the canal was built, Ohio was a sparsely settled wilderness where travel was difficult and getting crops to market was nearly impossible. The canal, built between 1825 and 1832, provided a new transportation route from Cleveland on Lake Erie, to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. The canal connected Ohio to the rest of the eastern United States.{{cite web

| title=Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail

| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/ohio-and-erie-canal-towpath-trail.htm

| date=August 31, 2018

| access-date=November 19, 2018

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104162847/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/ohio-and-erie-canal-towpath-trail.htm

| archive-date=November 4, 2018

| url-status=live

}} Numerous wayside exhibits provide information about canal features and sites of historic interest.{{cite web

| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Interactive Tow-Path Tour

| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

| url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/interact.htm

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604045408/http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/interact.htm

| archive-date=June 4, 2008

| url-status=dead

}}

Visitors can walk or ride along the same path that the mules used to tow the canal boats loaded with goods and passengers. The scene is different than it was then; the canal was full of water carrying a steady flow of boats. Evidence of beavers can be seen in many places along the trail.

== Stanford House (formerly Stanford Hostel) ==

Located in the scenic Cuyahoga Valley near Peninsula, Stanford House is a historic 19th-century farm home built in the 1830s by George Stanford, one of the first settlers in the Western Reserve. In 1978, the NPS purchased the property to serve as a youth hostel in conjunction with the American Youth Hostels (AYH) organization. In March 2011, Stanford Hostel became Stanford House, Cuyahoga Valley National Park's first in-park lodging facility. The home was renovated by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the National Park Service, and is only available to parties willing to rent the entire house.{{cite web|url=https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/life-times-of-the-stanford-house/ |title=Life & Times of the Stanford House |website=conservancyforcvnp.org |publisher=Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park |date=December 15, 2016 |access-date=November 19, 2018}} There are no other lodging facilities within the park, and camping and overnight parking are prohibited in the park.

== Towpath trailheads ==

File:HAER OHIO,77-PEN.V,6-1.jpg, near Peninsula, Ohio]]

Within the national park, trailhead parking for the towpath trail is available along Canal Road, from north to south, at:

Lock 39—west of intersection with Rockside Road; {{Coord|41.39309|-81.628565|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Lock 39}}
Canal Exploration Center—at Hillside Road; {{Coord|41.372624|-81.613035|format=dms|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Canal Exploration Center}}
Frazee House—south of Alexander Road, north of Sagamore Road; {{Coord|41.352443|-81.592377|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Frazee House}}

and along Riverview Road, from north to south, at:

Station Road Bridge—east along with Chippewa Creek Drive; {{Coord|41.318618|-81.587957|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Station Road Bridge}}
Red Lock—east of the river, along Vaughn/Highland Road; {{Coord|41.289148|-81.563379|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Red Lock}}
Boston Store—east on Boston Mills Road; {{Coord|41.263205|-81.559408|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Boston Store}}
Peninsula Depot—east across river on Route 303, then N Locust Street, and W Mill Street to parking lot; {{Coord|41.243331|-81.549186|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Peninsula Depot}}
Lock 28—also called Deep Lock; south of Major Road; {{Coord|41.229917|-81.554756|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Lock 28}}
Hunt House—at Bolanz Road; {{Coord|41.200288|-81.57201|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Hunt House}}
Ira Road—just north of intersection; {{Coord|41.184467|-81.583038|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Ira Road}}
Botzum station—south of Bath Road; {{Coord|41.158453|-81.573788|region:US-OH_type:landmark|name=Botzum Station}}.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Towpath5Bleed_FY11_2011_FINAL_for-web.pdf "Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181010232007/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Towpath5Bleed_FY11_2011_FINAL_for-web.pdf archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. March 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2018.

Geology

File:Brea Sandstone Deposition.png within the Bedford Shale during the Lower Mississippian]]

The "V" course of the Cuyahoga River is rather unusual, first flowing southwest, and then abruptly turning north to drain into Lake Erie not far from its origin. The left arm of this "V", flowing north through the park, corresponds to an older preglacial valley, while the right arm corresponds to relatively new drainage. The new segment cut into the old at Cuyahoga Falls, the base of the "V". Other streams have made routes into the Cuyahoga preglacial valley by cutting gorges with waterfalls such as those found along the Tinkers, Brandywine and Chippewa Creeks. These waterfalls form as flowing water erodes the Bedford Shale, which underlies the more resistant Berea Sandstone. Glacial drift fills the valley to a depth of {{convert|400|ft|m}}. This fill is very complex due to ponding in front of the ice before and after each glaciation. Beach deposits, gravel bars and other shoreline deposits from Lake Maumee are found in the valley, as are gravels from the time of Lake Arkona, and ridges marking the shores of Lake Whittlesey, Lake Warren, and Lake Wayne.{{cite book|last1=Leverett|first1=Frank|title=Glacial Formations and Drainage Features of the Erie and Ohio Basins, USGS Monograph Vol. XLI|date=1902|publisher=US Government Printing Office|location=Washington|page=216}}{{cite book|last1=Cushing|first1=H.P.|last2=Leverett|first2=Frank|last3=Van Horn|first3=Frank|title=Geology and Mineral Resources of the Cleveland District, Ohio, USGS Bulletin 818|date=1931|publisher=US Government Printing Office|location=Washington|pages=9, 16–19, 68–79|doi=10.3133/b818 |url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b818}}

File:Ledgescuyahoga.jpg

A noticeable remnant of the Wisconsin glaciation is the Defiance moraine, which trends from Defiance in western Ohio, across the state into Pennsylvania. As Cushing et al. point out, "The Defiance moraine represents the last notable stand of the glacial front in this region." The moraine varies in width from {{convert|2-4|mi|km|abbr=on}}, and according to Leverett, "it is like a broad wave whose crest stands 20 to 50 feet above the border of the plain outside it." This moraine forms a lobe that protrudes south into the valley for {{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on}} all the way to Peninsula, the lobe being {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on}} wide at the north end, tapering to {{convert|3|mi|km|abbr=on}} wide at the south end. Kames and eskers mark the terrain south of this moraine up to the southern extent of the glaciation.{{rp|581–584}}{{rp|63–64, 96}}{{cite book|editor=Soller|last1=Swinford|first1=Edward|last2=Pavey|first2=Richard|last3=Larsen|first3=Glenn|title=New Map of the Surficial Geology of the Lorain and Put-in-Bay 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangles, Ohio, in Digital Mapping Techniques '06- Workshop Proceedings|date=2006|publisher=USGS Open-File Report 2007-1285 2007|location=Columbus|page=178}}

The Berea Sandstone and the Bedford Shale were deposited in a river delta environment in the Lower Mississippian. River channels were incised into the Bedford Shale and subsequently these channels were filled by the Berea Sandstone. Besides setting the stage for majestic gorges and waterfalls within the valley, they have provided an economic use as well. The Berea Sandstone was quarried in Berea for grindstones and building stones, while the lowermost part of the Bedford Shale was quarried in South Euclid and Cleveland Heights for its bluestone.{{rp|109–111}}{{cite book|last1=Pepper|first1=James|last2=De Witt|first2=Wallace|last3=Demarest|first3=David|title=Geology of the Bedford Shale and Berea Sandstone in the Appalachian Basin, USGS Professional Paper 259|date=1954|publisher=US Government Printing Office|location=Washington|pages=12, 70–71}}

The Sharon Conglomerate is a Lower Pennsylvanian formation composed of sandstone and conglomerate which forms, according to Cushing et al., "disconnected patches or outliers that cap the highest hills... these outliers stand boldly above the surrounding country" due to its resistance to erosion. The Boston Ledges are the most noteworthy example. As the Mississippian shale underneath is washed away, huge blocks of the Sharon result from the settling. As Cushing et al. explain, "frost action aids in pushing these blocks apart, cracks are widened into caves, and a tangle of blocks results, separated by passages of uneven widths."{{rp|54–57}}

Shale gas has been produced in the area since 1883, when H.A. Mastick's well was drilled in the Rockport Township to a depth of {{convert|527|ft|m|abbr=on}}, yielding {{convert|21643|cuft|m3}} of gas daily. A gas boom occurred in 1914–1915, and by 1931, several hundred gas wells were producing from the Devonian Huron shale. Production came from shales {{convert|1250|ft|m|abbr=on}} thick at depths from {{convert|400-1840|ft|m|abbr=on}}. Pressures were {{convert|3-135|psi|kPa|abbr=on}} flowing less than {{convert|20000|cuft|m3}} of gas daily, but was sufficient to furnish light for a house or two, and sometimes heat. As Cushing et al. pointed out in the 1930s, "there are vast amounts of petroleum in the Devonian shales." Since then, the Marcellus Shale and the deeper Utica Shale have shown their economic potential.{{rp|115–116, 123}}

File:Defiance Moraine.png|Map tracing the extent of the Defiance Moraine

File:Ohio glacial geologic map.png|Geological map of surface glacial features

File:Ohio glacial boundary.png|Ohio glacial boundary

File:CuyahogaValleyNationalPark geologic map.png|Geological map of rock outcrops

File:Cuyahoga Valley National Park geologic cross section.png|Geologic cross section

Visitor centers

The Canal Exploration Center is located along Canal Road at Hillside Road in Valley View, south of Rockside Road. The visitor center contains interactive maps and games related to the history of the canal, especially the years from 1825 to 1876. The canal-era building once served canal boat passengers waiting to pass through the Ohio and Erie Canal's Lock 38.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/canal-exploration-center.htm "Canal Exploration Center"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20180926170401/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/canal-exploration-center.htm archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. April 24, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

Boston Store was constructed in 1836 and is located just east of Riverview Road. The building was used as a warehouse, store, post office, and a general gathering place. The visitor center has a museum featuring exhibits on canal boat-building. A short video is available, as well as maps, brochures and NPS passport stamps.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080729185832/http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/planavisit/visitorcenters.htm "Visitor Centers"] (archive). nps.gov. National Park Service. July 29, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2018.

The Hunt House at Riverview and Bolanz Roads is typical of late-19th-century family farms in the Cuyahoga Valley. Visitors can obtain information about park activities and see exhibits about the area's agricultural history. The farm is an ideal starting point for a hike or a bicycle ride as it is adjacent to the canal towpath trail.

The Frazee House on Canal Road in Valley View south of Rockside Road was constructed from 1825 to 1826, during the same years the northern section of the canal was dug. The house is a fine example of a Western Reserve home and features exhibits relating to architectural styles, construction techniques, and the Frazee family.[https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/kidsyouth/western-reserve-pioneers.htm "Western Reserve Pioneers"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181114185233/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/kidsyouth/western-reserve-pioneers.htm archive]). nps.gov. National Park Service. April 10, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2018.

Points of historic interest

class="wikitable sortable collapsible" \|+ ! Site ! class="unsortable" scope="col" \|Image ! class="unsortable" scope="col" \|Description
Canal Exploration Center \| File:Cuyahoga Valley National Park model at the Canal Exploration Center.jpg	Exhibits related to the Ohio and Erie Canal history are available at the Canal Exploration Center. The exhibits are housed in a renovated canal-era tavern that had such a colorful reputation that it was called "Hell's Half Acre". Lock 38 is located in the front.
Ohio and Erie Canal related structures \| File:Lock 38 (II).JPG	The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832, providing Ohio with a transportation system that permitted residents to conduct trade with the world. While it stopped functioning after the Great Flood of 1913, remnants and ruins of canal-related structures can be seen alongside the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Wayside exhibits explain the function of many of the structures visible from the trail.{{cite web \| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Ohio and Erie Canal \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/planavisit/todo/recreation/ohioerie.htm \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703053422/https://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/planavisit/todo/recreation/ohioerie.htm \| archive-date=July 3, 2008 \| url-status=dead }}
Frazee House	120px	The Frazee House was under construction in 1825 when the canal was dug through its front yard. The house was built in the Western Reserve architectural style.
Boston Store (Boston Mill Visitor Center)	120px	This early canal-era building was owned by the Boston Land and Manufacturing Company. The store has numerous canal boat-building exhibits.
Peninsula Depot	120px	The Peninsula Depot of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is located on West Mill Street in the village of Peninsula. The depot was originally in the village of Boston, but was moved to Peninsula in the late 1960s. The building may be the only surviving combination station from the Valley Railway, which operated between Cleveland and Tuscarawas County in the late 19th century. The depot is an operating station for CVSR train rides.
Everett Covered Bridge	120px	The Everett Covered Bridge— one of over 125 in Ohio but the only covered bridge in Summit County—was constructed after a local resident was killed attempting to cross the swollen Furnace Run in 1877. The bridge was destroyed by storm floodwaters in 1975 and reconstructed by the National Park Service in 1986. The bridge is located on Everett Road about {{convert\|1/2\|mi\|m}} west of Riverview Road near Everett Village.{{cite web \| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Everett Road Covered Bridge \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/everett-road-covered-bridge.htm \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712234344/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/everett-road-covered-bridge.htm \| archive-date=July 12, 2017 \| url-status=live }}
Brandywine Village	120px	Brandywine Village was conceived and founded by George Wallace, who built a sawmill next to Brandywine Falls in 1814. He encouraged others to move to the area, including his brother-in-law, who built a grist mill on the opposite side of the falls. With inexpensive land available and the presence of mills to provide lumber, flour, and corn meal, Brandywine Village began to grow. A couple of buildings remain from the village, and historic photos and remnants of building foundations can also be seen.{{cite web \| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Brandywine Village \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/visitonline/brandywine/index.htm \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609024501/http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/visitonline/brandywine/index.htm \| archive-date=June 9, 2008 \| url-status=dead }}
Civilian Conservation Corps structures	120px	The Civilian Conservation Corps was responsible for the construction of several structures in the valley. Happy Days Lodge and the shelters at the Ledges, Octagon, and Kendall Lake were built of American chestnut in the late 1930s. All four structures are in the Virginia Kendall Unit of the park.{{cite web \| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Ledges Area Trails \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Ledges_2016.pdf \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016051216/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Ledges_2016.pdf \| archive-date=October 16, 2018 \| url-status=live }}{{cite web \| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Kendall Lake Area Trails \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Kendall-Lake-Area-Trails.pdf \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014002610/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/Kendall-Lake-Area-Trails.pdf \| archive-date=October 14, 2018 \| url-status=live }}
Stanford House	120px	James Stanford moved to Boston Township immediately after surveying and naming it in 1806. He and his wife Polly and son George were the first homesteaders in what is today Cuyahoga Valley National Park. His son George built the stately Greek revival home in about 1830. The house accommodates meetings and retreats as a day-use facility, and tourists as a moderately priced overnight facility with nine bedrooms. The house had previously served as a youth hostel.{{cite web \| title=The George Stanford House \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/friends/stanford.htm \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516161905/http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/friends/stanford.htm \| archive-date=May 16, 2008 \| url-status=dead }}{{cite web \| title=Lodging - Stanford House \| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior \| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/lodging.htm \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104161324/https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/lodging.htm \| archive-date=November 4, 2018 \| url-status=live }}{{cite web \| title=Stanford House \| publisher=Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park \| url=https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/experience/space-rental/meetings-retreats/stanford-house/ \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022085326/https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/experience/space-rental/meetings-retreats/stanford-house/ \| archive-date=October 22, 2018 \| url-status=live }}
Hale Farm and Village	120px	Hale Farm and Village is an outdoor living history museum. Costumed interpreters describe life in the Western Reserve. The village features 21 historic buildings and many talented craftspeople. The site is operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society. Craft demonstrations include glassblowing, candlemaking, broommaking, spinning and weaving, cheesemaking, blacksmithing, woodworking, sawmilling, hearth cooking, and pottery making. The farm also has oxen, sheep, cows, and gardens.{{cite web \|title = Hale Farm and Village \|publisher = Western Reserve Historical Society \|url = http://www.wrhs.org/sites/hale.htm \|url-status = dead \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030410105611/http://www.wrhs.org/sites/hale.htm \|archive-date = April 10, 2003 }}

{{cite web

| title=Points of Historic Interest

| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

| url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/history/PntsHist.htm

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617151133/https://www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/history/pntshist.htm

| archive-date=June 17, 2008

| url-status=dead

}}

=National Register of Historic Places=

{{see also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Cuyahoga Valley National Park}}

All properties listed here are open to the public, though some in a limited way—see Status column. Many of the NRHP sites found in the full list are in private ownership and are not listed here.{{cite web

| title=National Register of Historic Places - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

| publisher=National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

| url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/SearchResults/24f81219986b48539d90c0e4cafd0d27?page=1&view=list

| website=npgallery.nps.gov

| access-date=November 8, 2018

}}

class="wikitable sortable collapsible" \|+ \|Cuyahoga Valley National Park - National Register of Historic Places ! \|District or site ! \|County ! \|Locale ! \|Status ! \|Address ! \|Register date
\| Valley Railway Historic District \| Both	Independence to Akron	Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad scenic train rides	Cuyahoga Valley between Rockside Road and Howard Street at Little Cuyahoga Valley	1985/05/17
\| Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad Bridge \| Cuyahoga	Bedford		Tinkers Creek	1975/07/24
\| Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge (state highway bridge) \| Cuyahoga	Brecksville—{{coord\|41\|19\|17\|N\|081\|35\|14\|W\|region:US-OH_type:landmark\|name=Brecksville-Northfield High-Level Bridge}}{{cite gnis \|id=1073888 \|name=Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge \|access-date=2009-05-03}}		Ohio State Route 82 and Cuyahoga River (also in Northfield, Summit County, Ohio); best viewed from Station Road Bridge Trailhead on the Towpath Trail (Riverview Road just south of Ohio State Route 82)	1986/01/06
\| Brecksville Trailside Museum (Cleveland Metroparks Nature Center) \| Cuyahoga	Brecksville		Chippewa Creek Drive off Ohio State Route 82	1992
\| Stephen Frazee House \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	CVNP visitor center with limited open hours	7733 Canal Road	1976/05/04
\| Lock 37 and Spillway \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Fitzwater Road	1979/12/11
\| Lock 38 and Spillway \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Hillside Road	1979/12/11
\| Lock 39 and Spillway \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Canal Road	1979/12/11
\| Inn at Lock 38 \| Cuyahoga	Valley View—{{coord\|41.372624
81.613035\|region:US-OH_type:landmark\|name=Canal Exploration center}}	CVNP Canal Exploration Center	7104 Canal Road, Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail	1979/12/11
\| Tinkers Creek Aqueduct \| Cuyahoga	Valley View—{{coord\|41\|21\|53\|N\|081\|36\|32\|W\|region:US-OH_type:landmark\|name=Tinkers Creek Aqueduct}}{{cite gnis \|id=1073893 \|name=Tinkers Creek Aqueduct \|access-date=2009-05-03}}	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Tinkers Creek	1979/12/11
\| Wilson Feed Mill \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	feed and grain store	7604 Canal Road, Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail	1979/12/17
\| Ohio and Erie Canal \| Cuyahoga	Valley View	National Historic Landmark, 1966/11/13	Ohio State Route 631	1965/11/13
\| Hale, Jonathan Homestead - Hale Farm and Village \| Summit	Bath		2686 Oak Hill Road	1973/04/23
\| Boston Land and Manufacturing Company Store (a.k.a. Boston Store) \| Summit	Boston	CVNP visitor center with limited open hours \| Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, Boston Mills Road	1979/12/11
\| Lock 32 \| Summit	Boston	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	{{convert\|800\|ft\|m\|abbr=on}} north of Boston Mills Road	1979/12/11
\| Boston Mills Historic District \| Summit	Boston	most buildings are private	Boston Mills Road, Stanford Road & Main Street	1992/11/09
\| Lock 33 \| Summit	Boston vicinity	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	{{convert\|1\|mi\|km\|abbr=on}} south of Highland Road	1979/12/11
\| Hunt House \| Summit	Cuyahoga Falls	limited open hours	2049 Bolanz Road	1993/03/12
\| Station Road Bridge \| Summit	Brecksville vicinity—{{coord\|41.318618
81.58795741\|region:US-OH_type:landmark\|name=Station Road Bridge}}{{cite gnis \|id=1073892 \|name=Station Road Bridge \|access-date=2009-05-03}}		East of Brecksville at Cuyahoga River	1979/03/07
\| Lock 27 \| Summit	Everett	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Approx. {{convert\|400\|ft\|m\|abbr=on}} east of intersection of Riverview and Everett Roads	1993/03/12
\| Furnace Run Aqueduct \| Summit	Everett vicinity	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Furnace Run	1979/12/11
\| Everett Historic District \| Summit	Everett	village is open to the public; some buildings are private residences; NPS buildings have no visitor facilities	Everett and Riverview Roads	1994/01/14
Everett Knoll Complex \|Summit \|Everett \|Hopewell site dating to ~200 AD \|South of Everett Road \|1977/05/11
\| Lock 26 \| Summit	Ira	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	{{convert\|3.3\|mi\|km\|abbr=on}} north of Ira Road	1979/12/11
\| Wallace Farm \| Summit	Northfield vicinity	open to patrons of the bed & breakfast only (Inn at Brandywine Falls)	8230 Brandywine Road	1985/06/27
\| Everett Covered Bridge \| Summit	Peninsula	destroyed by floodwaters in 1975; reconstructed in 1986	SW of Peninsula on Everett Road over Furnace Creek	1973/05/23
\| Lock 28 \| Summit	Peninsula	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Deep Lock Quarry Metro Park	1979/12/11
\| Lock 29 and Aqueduct \| Summit	Peninsula	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	off Ohio State Route 303	1979/12/11
\| Lock 30 and Feeder Dam \| Summit	Peninsula	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	off Ohio State Route 303	1979/12/11
\| Lock 31 \| Summit	Peninsula	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	{{convert\|200\|ft\|m\|abbr=on}} east of Cuyahoga River and approx. {{convert\|0.5\|mi\|m\|abbr=on}} south of Ohio Turnpike	1979/12/11
\| Peninsula Village Historic District \| Summit	Peninsula—{{coord\|41\|14\|32\|N\|81\|32\|57\|W\|region:US-OH_type:landmark\|name=Peninsula Historic District}}	most buildings are private; some are retail stores	Both sides of Ohio State Route 303	1974/08/23
\| George Stanford Farm \| Summit	Peninsula vicinity	hosts meetings and retreats as a day-use facility; overnight accommodations	6093 Stanford Road	1982/02/17
\| Stumpy Basin	Summit	Peninsula vicinity	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	{{convert\|200\|ft\|m\|abbr=on}} east of Cuyahoga River and approx, {{convert\|0.5\|mi\|m\|abbr=on}} south of Ohio Turnpike	1979/12/11
\| Virginia Kendall Historic District \| Summit	Peninsula vicinity	shelter, restrooms, winter sports center	Truxell Road	1997/01/10
\| Lock 34 \| Summit	Sagamore Hills	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail	Highland Road	1979/12/17
Lock 35 \| Summit	Sagamore Hills	Formerly part of Ohio and Erie Canal, currently on the Towpath Trail \| Off Ohio State Route 82 \| 1979/12/11

References

{{NPS|url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/ohio-and-erie-canal-towpath-trail.htm}}

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

{{cite web

|title = A Green Shrouded Miracle: The Administrative History of Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, Ohio

|publisher = National Park Service, Department of the Interior

|url = http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/cuyahoga/

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070506223143/http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/Cuyahoga/

|archive-date = 2007-05-06

}}

{{cite web

| title=Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

| date=19 December 2005

| publisher=National Park Service, Department of the Interior

| url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/ohioeriecanal/

}}

{{cite web

| title=The Ohio & Erie Canal: Catalyst of Economic Development for Ohio, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan

| publisher=National Park Service, Department of the Interior

| url=http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/41ohio/41ohio.htm

| date=2001-08-24

}}

{{cite web

| title=Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Official Site

| publisher=National Park Service, Department of the Interior

| url=https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm

}}

{{cite web

| title=The National Parks: Index 2012–2016

| publisher=National Park Service, Department of the Interior

| url=https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/upload/NPIndex2012-2016.pdf

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113065657/https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/upload/NPIndex2012-2016.pdf

| archive-date=13 November 2018

| url-status=live

}}

External links

{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Cuyahoga Valley National Park|b=no|n=no|q=no|s=no|v=no|voy=Cuyahoga Valley National Park|species=no|d=no}}

{{Official website}} of the [https://www.nps.gov/index.htm National Park Service]
[https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/ Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park]
[https://www.cvsr.com/ Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20210918081927/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-vintage-zephyr Hit the Rails for the Best Cuyahoga Valley Experience] – a National Geographic Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad article

Category:Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Category:Protected areas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Category:Protected areas of Summit County, Ohio

Category:Protected areas established in 1974

Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in Ohio

Category:Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area

Category:2000 establishments in Ohio

Category:1974 establishments in Ohio

Category:National parks in Ohio