"Ka-ih-ohg-ha" American Indians called it - crooked. And crooked it is, as it twists and turns through its short 100 miles. The Cuyahoga River begins 30 miles east of its mouth in Cleveland and flows in a great "U" along the base of the escarpment on which the city of Akron sits. Deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands frame the river valley. Hamlets with historic homes and barns dot the area, giving a sense of times past. Locks, spillways, an aqueduct, and other canal features provide clues to a brief but important period in America's transportation history.

Cuyahoga Valley preserves 33,000 acres along 22 miles of this crooked river between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, and features scenic train rides, sight-seeing at the many historical sites, hiking along wooded trails, bicycling, picnicking, bird watching, golf, fishing, winter sports, ranger-guided programs, concerts, and special guest speakers.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs through the middle of the park, from north to south, alongside remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal. The Buckeye Trail and Metroparks Bike and Hike Trail connect with the Towpath Trail. There are numerous other hiking and equestrian trails (over 125 miles of them!).

• Hike a beautiful and historic segment of the original Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath, a vital link in the settlement and commerce of frontier Ohio.
• Join a ranger naturalist on a walk to learn about wetlands being re-created by over 100 beavers, two large heron rookeries, and other wildlife that is repopulating this beautiful, and now protected, valley.