Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Park Information

• Date Established: October 11, 2000
• Location: Cuyahoga and Summit Counties, Ohio
• Area: 33,000 acres

Overview

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the only national park in Ohio. Much of the park was built on land reclaimed from toxic waste dumping grounds and the site of an abandoned sports arena. The park was originally designated as a national recreation area in the early part of the twentieth century. Concerned residents pushed for the area to be converted to a national park to protect its natural resources from pollution and intrusion from expanding home and industrial construction.

The park is now a green space located between two large Ohio urban centers. The park includes space for farming and areas where people can hike, bike, and kayak in warm months and snowshoe, sled, and cross-country ski in winter. It also offers historic train rides and an opportunity to walk a towpath from the famed Erie Canal.

History

Cuyahoga Valley National Park takes its name from the Cuyahoga River, which was cut through the area by a retreating glacier more than thirteen thousand years ago. Native Americans from multiple cultures lived and traveled the river for centuries; it was their word for “crooked river” that gave the river and the areas around it their names.

The area that has become Cuyahoga Valley National Park has been used for recreational purposes for more than one hundred years. During the latter part of the 1800s, residents of the nearby cities would come to the Cuyahoga River to picnic, walk, and boat. This reputation for being a soothing oasis from city life continued in the 1910s and 1920s, and several metropolitan park areas were set aside in the area. One particular 430-acre site was donated to the state by the estate of Cleveland coal baron and industrialist Hayward Kendall in 1929 for permanent designation as a park.

Over the next several decades, a number of recreational businesses opened near the area, including camping areas, a music venue, ski resorts, and golf courses. These provided a buffer between industry and towns and the natural park areas, but were under constant pressure from development in the nearby cities of Akron and Cleveland. In the 1960s, residents began to look for ways to protect the green space, and in 1972, the area was designated as a national recreation area. It became only the third designated national recreation area in an urban space, along with Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco and Gateway National Recreation Area in New York City.

It was feared that there was not sufficient understanding of this term to protect the area from the advance of industrial and residential development, however, and some area residents began to push for the increased protection that would be provided by national park status. National parks are designated for conservation purposes and carry additional protection provided by the US government. On October 11, 2000, an act of Congress designated the area a national park.

Geology and Ecology

Those who wanted the 33,000 acres of Cuyahoga Valley designated as a national park had a number of challenges. Much of the area had become a toxic waste site, with everything from barrels of industrial waste to household trash dumped in its waterways and forests. The river had become so polluted in the area that it caught fire in June of 1969. A passing train shot sparks onto oil-soaked debris on the river, resulting in a fire that blazed five stories high and caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to railroad bridges. It was the thirteenth time on record that the river had caught fire since 1868; some previous fires had caused even more extensive damage or resulted in fatalities.

After a recreational area was designated in 1972, the National Park Service purchased some of the land that was filled with debris and waste. Volunteers and park service employees cleared the land of the toxic garbage and a colony of beavers moved into the area. Their natural activity created wetlands on the site. This was one of several reclamation efforts that resulted in the land that is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Another major effort to restore the land came when the arena that was once home to the National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers franchise was made into grasslands.

While reclamation has played a major role in the formation of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, natural and historic formations also play a part in its geography and ecology. The park includes the remains of the Ohio and Erie Canal, a 308-mile (495-kilometer) stretch of canals built in the 1800s that were once of vital importance to the life and economy of Ohioans. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath passes through the park and is a popular area for walking and biking. Another popular location in the park is Brandywine Falls, a 65-foot (19-meter) cascading wall of water that flows over a series of sandstone ledges.

The park also features many hiking trails that wind through rugged wooded paths and large forested areas that border on marshes full of wildlife, including birds such as ducks and herons and the beavers that played a role in reclaiming the park land. Also included within the confines of the park are nine farms where sustainable agricultural techniques are used to raise livestock, bees, eggs, produce, and blueberries.

The park also features a variety of other activities that take advantage of the natural beauty and serenity that come with its urban oasis location. In addition to historical and nature tours, the park offers scenic train rides and is home of the Kent State University Porthouse Theatre, where plays and musical events are held. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is also a favorite place for many people who want to enjoy the changing colors of foliage in the fall.

Bibliography

“Cuyahoga River Fire.” Ohio History Central, www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Cuyahoga‗River‗Fire. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“Cuyahoga Valley National Park.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University, case.edu/ech/articles/c/cuyahoga-valley-national-park. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“Cuyahoga Valley National Park.” National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/cuyahoga-valley-national-park/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“Cuyahoga Valley: Ohio’s National Park.” National Park Service, www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/upload/A-Park-for-All-People-2017.pdf. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“History of the Cuyahoga River.” Glenn Research Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration, www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/fenlewis/History.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“History of Cuyahoga Valley.” Cuyahoga County, cuyahogacounty.us/history. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“How a Toxic Junkyard Was Transformed into a National Park.” CBS News,27 May 2016, www.cbsnews.com/news/cuyahoga-valley-national-park-reclamation-from-garbage-dump/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.

“Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.” National Park Service, www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ohioeriecanal/oec.htm. Accessed 4 Oct. 2018.