A River, a Valley, a Canal, and a Train – Cuyahoga Valley National Park (September 12-14, 2026)

The Cuyahoga River 

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an understated, lovely park preserving a stretch of the Cuyahoga River as it snakes and twists through a pretty valley with sometimes plunging sides.  The park is just outside Cleveland OH.

CVNP focuses on the social and economic transformation in the 1800s of the region and the fledgling United States by improved transportation of materials and manufactured goods through canals and then trains.  The Ohio and Erie Canal changed Ohio from subsistence small farms to a manufacturing powerhouse. 

 

Locks opening to the now dry canal

The O&E Canal was undertaken after the success of the Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie with the Hudson River and New York City.  The Ohio and Erie Canal connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River and the Mississippi and New Orleans.  Once completed, there was a continuous route from New York to New Orleans.  Raw materials and manufactured goods floated from Ohio to the East Coast and to the Gulf of Mexico, and vice versa.

 

Such a scenic river

The Cuyahoga River itself was so polluted by industrial waste and sewage that it caught fire in Cleveland 10 times.  The last time was in 1969.  It was one of the stimulants for the Clean Water Act of 1972.  This part of the Cuyahoga is smaller and faster moving, but also became polluted and neglected.

 

The Boston Mills Visitors Center was originally a store along the railroad

Over the years, local groups had purchased tracts of the Cuyahoga Valley to protect, preserve or restore.  Those bits of land were stitched together into this National Park in 1974.  The park is located in the outer suburbs of both Cleveland and Akron.  Consequently, the park surrounds and adjoins various established communities.  As you drive through the park, you pass through lovely villages and groups of buildings.  The park feels integrated, much like a patchwork quilt into the vitality of the region.  Unlike most National Parks that have visitors centers built specifically for the park, CVNP visitors centers are housed in historic buildings in these existing communities.

 

Is that a ski slope?  Yes, there are two in the park

Some National Parks are dramatic with geysers, sweeping vistas or dinosaur bones.  Some National Parks are more contemplative.  Lovely places to relax and renew in nature.  CVNP is one of these calm and restorative parks.

 

What Did We Do?

The Canal Exploration Center

 

The Canal Exploration Center has impressive exhibits explaining the history, economics and physics of the Ohio and Erie Canal and canals in general.  It is really quite wonderful.  Much of the canal was destroyed by a huge flood in 1913 and never rebuilt.  A part of the canal has been restored near the Canal Exploration Center, and they perform demonstrations of the locks there during the summer.  The center is housed in a former tavern and store that served food and drink to folks waiting to pass through the locks and sold goods to families living on the canal barges.  At the time we visited, it was only open to the public on weekends.

The Canal Towpath Trail is well used!

 The Canal Towpath Trail follows along the towpath route, even though the canal is no more than a ditch or has been obliterated.  It is very popular for walkers, runners and cyclists.

 

Here comes our Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad restores and preserves old train equipment.  You can ride along the canal path on old dedicated train tracks, seeing the river switch back and forth as well as wetlands and forests.  We rode in a restored California Zephyr car up in the domed seat section.  The train runs back and forth along 26 miles of track.  We got on in the middle at the town of Peninsula, and traveled South to Akron and back.  A 2 ½ hour trip.

 

Brandywine Falls - 60 feet down

Brandywine Falls is a dramatic waterfall where the Brandywine Creek drops 60 feet.  Early settlers to the area used the force of these and other falls in the valley to power mills and early industry.  It is now a scenic attraction in the park with a handy boardwalk along the cliff face to see the falls.

 

Looking out the dome window to the train behind us

Where Did We Stay?

(We often get asked this question, so we thought we would start including the information.)

 

We stayed at the Streetsboro/Cleveland SE KOA 10 miles (20+ minutes) from the Boston Mills Visitors Center.  It is convenient to both the park and to suburban amenities like grocery stores, Target and Lowes.  It is also near the charming town of Hudson that has bakeries, restaurants, etc.

 

Ecstatic to be on the road again!

Where Have We Been?

(It has been two years after all)

You may have noticed that we have not added to this blog since September 2024.  Our trip to Cape Cod in 2024 was cut short by a family emergency that sent us home.  Shortly after that, Dana injured her back.  That started a cascade of orthopedic adventures that resulted in 4 surgeries and 3 prosthetic joints between the 2 of us.  We traveled when we could.  We are now fit enough to run the roads again and discover and share places with you that are new to us.  Hooray!!!