• Photo of the Beaver Marsh by Jeffrey Gibson.

    Cuyahoga Valley

    National Park Ohio

  • Canal Road Partially Closed Monday May 14, 2012

    Canal Road will be closed to all traffic from Hillside to Tinkers Creek Road beginning Monday, May 14 until early September, 2012, for construction. Although Hillside Road will be open, the recommended route to Canal Visitor Center is from Rockside Road More »

  • Ice Box Cave Closed

    Ice Box Cave, located in the Ritchie Ledges, is now closed in an effort to slow the spread of a disease to our bat population. More »

Having Fun

Boy fishing.

NPS Collection

During each season, children found time to take advantage of the Cuyahoga Valley's natural resources. After working under the beating summer sun, friends rang a bell to announce a swimming party. At the pinnacle above Hale Farm, children had pretend adventures, scaling the hill and forging new paths. Waterfalls, riverbeds, wildflower fields, and other natural features became a childhood paradise between two of Ohio's largest urban areas.

Many longtime residents of the Cuyahoga Valley have vivid memories of their childhood adventures (see below). Also click to hear additional stories about having fun in Everett.

 
Oral history audio.
In Their Own Words
Click the topics to hear stories about Cuyahoga Valley life.


Rope Swing (30 seconds)
Playing with Fire (1 minute 16 seconds)
Pat Morse tells stories about a rope swinging game she and her childhood friends invented, and the near disaster of building a dangerous bonfire.

Fishing and 4H (13 seconds)
Daniel Emmett of Richfield lists some of the fun activities he remember sharing with his childhood friends.

A Little Paradise (51 seconds)
Josephine Davis describes the natural features that made her family's farm in Brecksville so special.

Music at Home (48 seconds)
Children also found entertaining activities indoors. Marjorie Osborne Morgan, who grew up in Everett, describes playing and listening to musical instruments with her family.






Did You Know?

Image of Civilian Conservation Corps statue outside Happy Days Visitor Center.

During the Great Depression, the "boys of Company 567" of the Civilian Conservation Corps helped shape the landscape that would later become Cuyahoga Valley National Park by constructing buildings, playfields, and a lake, as well as planting over 100 acres of trees.