• 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.

Canoeing and Kayaking

CVNP does not encourage or facilitate public use of the river within the park.

The primary waterway within Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the Cuyahoga River. Please use caution when contacting Cuyahoga River water. The river receives discharges of storm water, combined-sewer overflows, and incompletely disinfected wastewater from urban areas upstream of the park. These discharges result in a threat to the health of visitors who come into contact with river water during recreational use (e.g., wading or canoeing). Recreational use of the river is not prohibited, but due to the the threat posed to human health by sewage and pathogen contamination, the park discourages any canoeing, kayaking, swimming, or wading in the river.

If you choose to use the river, be aware there are no formal put-in points for canoes/kayaks. Two low-head dams exist within the river at Peninsula and south of State Route 82 that require a short portage.

There are currently no canoe liveries serving the segment of the Cuyahoga River that flows through CVNP. There are canoe liveries upstream in the Mantua and Hiram areas. That portion of the river is upstream from the sewage treatment plant and is therefore much more consistently clean.

The ponds in the park are open to canoeing. Motorized canoes and boats are not permitted on the ponds.

Visit Friends of the Crooked River website for scheduled canoe outings on the Cuyahoga River.

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."