• Image of bluebells in the spring

    Cuyahoga Valley

    National Park Ohio

There are park alerts in effect.
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  • Canal Visitor Center Closure

    Canal Visitor Center will be closed for construction, starting Monday, May 6, 2013. It will reopen with new exhibits in early 2014.

  • Riverview Road Closure

    Riverview Rd from the Cuyahoga Falls line north to the Peninsula line will be re-paved, beginning the week of April 22. Expect delays. Flaggers will direct traffic. Work is expected to be completed by Memorial Day weekend.

  • Towpath Trail Closure

    NPS has closed the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Hillside Road to Stone Road in Valley View. A section of the trail is not passable due to hazardous conditions caused by erosion. Towpath is expected to be open by Memorial Day, May 27.

  • Bald Eagle Closure in Effect

    RR tracks, and 30 foot right of way on either side, are closed to all foot traffic from the Rt. 82 Bridge at Station Rd, north to the RR tracks at. The Cuyahoga R. downstream of the Brecksville Dam to the Fitzwater Rd Bridge is closed to water activities.

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard - Alliaria petiolata

General Description
This is a biennial herb, meaning that it completes its life cycle within two years. Habitat ranges from moist ravines to dry roadsides, from forest edges and interiors to floodplains. Garlic mustard out-competes native spring wildflowers for light, nutrients, and water.

Identification
First-year plants exist as a rosette of kidney-shaped, coarsely serrated leaves. Crushed leaves and stems smell of garlic. Second-year plants form a shoot, which flowers in the spring. These mature plants reach 2 to 5 feet in height and produce clusters of cross-shaped, small, white flowers.

Origin
Garlic mustard came to the Unites States from Europe, accompanying settlers who used it for food and medicinal purposes.

How It Spreads
A second-year plant may produce and disperse thousands of seeds. White-tailed deer may contribute to its spread by selectively eating only native wildflowers and leaving garlic mustard untouched.

Control Methods
From May through June, plants should be pulled before seeds and flowers develop. If pulled before flowering, plants can be left on site to decompose. If plants are pulled after flowering, they should be bagged and removed. Spraying plants with glyphosate is effective during spring and fall when most native vegetation is dormant, yet garlic mustard is green. Spray when air temperatures are above 32ºF.

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.