• 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.

Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at Your National Park

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Date: April 23, 2012
Contact: Mary Pat Doorley, 440-545-5995

Junior Ranger Logo

Brecksville, Ohio - On Saturday, April 28, 2012 celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) with a day full of FREE programs and special events. The National Park Service (NPS) sponsors the Junior Ranger program to help children explore and discover their national parks. Through park-specific activities, children learn about the special places preserved by NPS and in turn become "Junior Rangers" to help protect these areas for the future.

Child-friendly activities and games will be on going from noon to 2:30 p.m. at Happy Days Lodge in Peninsula. Enjoy cake and ice cream, visit station activities, learn about questing, and have fun with other Junior Rangers! Participants can earn a Junior Ranger badge by attending any of the day's programs and activities and/or completing Junior Ranger Handbook activities or Junior Ranger, Junior activity cards. If you've earned badges from other parks, wear them, too. We will award prizes for the most badges and patches, the youngest and oldest Junior Rangers, and more! A Junior Ranger swearing in ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

The new 2012 Junior Ranger badge will be unveiled during the festivities. This new badge with a hiker icon can be earned by attending three Junior Ranger Family Programs throughout the year.

Happy Days Lodge is located at 500 West Streetsboro Road (SR 303), 1 mile west of SR 8, Peninsula 44264.

In addition to the activities and swearing-in ceremony at Happy Days Lodge, there are other free Junior Ranger programs on Saturday, April 28. Space is limited and registration is necessary. To register, call 800- 642-3297ext. 100. Locations provided when registering. These special, Junior Ranger Day programs include:

- Dirty Jobs
Learn the scoop on those rotten decomposers! Join a park ranger as we search for members of this clean-up crew. Free. For ages 7 - 12. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

 

- Spring Fishing Extravaganza
Junior Rangers, are you ready for serious fishing fun? We'll learn to fish, try our luck, earn prizes, and have a blast! Free. For ages 7 - 12. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.


- Junior Ranger, Jr.: What's Green and Gray and Wears a Flat Hat?
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a park ranger? Have fun learning about their different duties through crafts, activities, and a short hike. Free. For ages 4 - 6. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Junior Ranger Spring Family Programs

Program locations are given upon registration. Fee: $8 per child, $5 for Conservancy members. A parent or guardian is required to attend programs with participating children; no charge for adults. To register call 330-657-2796 ext. 100.

Saturday, May 5

Slime Time

Through hands-on activities and a story, learn all about snails, slugs, and other slimy forest creatures. Be prepared for a hike following our own slime trail. For ages 4 - 6.9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, May 19

Rambling Along the River

Become a water-quality scientist. Take a walk along the Towpath Trail, put on goggles and gloves, and test the water of our crooked river. For ages 7 - 12. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Junior Ranger Spring Bird Watching

Bird watching is not as hard as you think. Join a park ranger for these FREE adventures to see and hear what you've been missing! Each month we explore a different birding hot spot. For ages 7 and older. 9 - 11 a.m. No registration required.

Saturday, March 3

Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center

Saturday, April 14

Kendall Lake Shelter

Saturday, May 12

Station Road Bridge Trailhead

Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center is located at 3675 Oak Hill Road, south of Major Road, Peninsula 44264.

Kendall Lake Shelter is located at Truxell/Kendall Park Road, 2 miles west of Akron Cleveland Road, Peninsula 44264.

Station Road Bridge Trailhead is located at13513 Riverview Road, 1/8 mile south of SR 82, Brecksville 44141.

CVNP encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural activities in one setting. For more information visit www.nps.gov/cuva or www.dayinthevalley.com or call 330-657-2752 or 800-257-9477.

-NPS-

Download a pdf of this news release.

Did You Know?

Aerial view of the winding Cuyahoga River.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park's namesake river flows north and south. The Cuyahoga River begins its 100 mile journey in Geauga County, flows south to Cuyahoga Falls where it turns sharply north and flows through CVNP. American Indians referred to the U-shaped river as Cuyahoga or "crooked river."