Indigo Lake Station

The train heads north past the Indigo Lake Station on a snowy day in early spring.

© J.J. Prekop, Jr.

Quick Facts

Location:

Park at 4300 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264 and follow the trail toward the lake.

Significance:

The structure here is not original to the Valley Railway. The National Park Service built Indigo Lake Station to evoke the many small depots once found along the railroad. Today it stands within the Valley Railway Historic District, a scenic railway whose viewshed has changed very little in over a century. Today it supports visitors who access the park's recreational amenities by train.

Designation:

Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area; Valley Railway Historic District

Amenities

7 listed

Audio Description, Benches/Seating, Canoe/Kayak/Small Boat Launch, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Toilet - Vault/Composting

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad passengers can get on and off the train at Indigo Lake Station. The small, bucolic lake was once a sand and gravel mine. Paths lead around the lake and over to Howe Meadow, the park’s special events site.

Explore further using connector trails that lead east to the Towpath Trail and west to Hale Farm & Village, a living history museum. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad coordinates a tram to Hale Farm & Village for select train excursions. Nearby parking is limited. The Beaver Marsh is a short walk or bicycle ride south on the Towpath Trail. This rich wetland is among the most popular wildlife viewing locations in the park.

The Indigo Lake Station is not historic. When the Valley Railway first opened in 1880, a train depot served every small community in the valley. Some of the communities and most of the original depots are now gone. The National Park Service chose locations for the current stations based on where people recreate in the park today. The closest historic depot was located north of Indigo Lake in the hamlet of Everett.

How can you distinguish between historic and modern stations? Modern stations follow the scale and borrow architectural details from the historic architecture. However, the original depots were red. Yellow paint used on modern stations signals a new building.

From Indigo Lake Station, you can walk or bike a connector trail east to the Towpath Trail. A quarter mile north on the Towpath is Hunt House in the village of Everett. A quarter mile south is the Beaver Marsh.

Parking associated with Indigo Lake is limited. Visitors using Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s shuttle service for runners, hikers, and bicyclists are advised to park in other locations. The Cuyahoga River Water Trail is not accessible from this location for people using the kayak shuttle service.