• 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. Final resurfacing and striping will take place following the Memorial Day holiday.

  • 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.

Lakes and Ponds

Visitors take a moment to enjoy the reflection of fall trees in the glassy waters of Sylvan Pond.

Sylvan Pond offers a serene setting for fall color viewing, birdwatching, and other activities.

(NPS Photo by Hedy Jones)

More than 100 lakes and ponds dot the landscape within the park, with approximately 70 existing on federal land. Pond sizes range from less than one-tenth of an acre to more than 10 acres.

All ponds are human-made, with many originally created to serve as small farm ponds. Long-abandoned ponds usually have reverted to a more natural state and now have wetland characteristics. Such ponds are considered wetlands, assigned protective buffers, and managed for natural resource values. Other ponds are used as water sources for agricultural activity or managed for recreational uses (e.g., fishing) according to the CVNP’s Pond Management Plan. Kendall Lake, the park’s largest lake at 12 acres, is large enough for fishing and canoeing.

The water quality of park ponds is monitored every five years. Pond water quality is considered good, as all ponds meet State of Ohio warm water habitat standards. The next sampling is scheduled for 2003.

Did You Know?

Historic photo of canal boats along the Ohio & Erie Canal.

The Ohio & Erie Canal, which runs through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was a 308-mile waterway connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River. This transportation route, which influenced local and national prosperity, was dug entirely by hand by mostly German and Irish immigrants.