| Cuyahoga
Valley National Park
Whether
you want to hike, bike, bird-watch, picnic, golf, fish, ski, ride the
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, explore the history of the Ohio &
Erie Canal, or attend some National Park ranger- guided programs,
concerts, and art exhibits, Cuyahoga Valley National Park may be a very
desirable stop. To quote the NPS brochure: "Though such a short
distance from urban environments, the park is worlds away.
The winding Cuyahoga—the "crooked river," as named by American
Indians — gives way to rolling floodplain, steep valley walls and
ravines, and lush upland forests. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a
refuge for flora and fauna, and provides both recreation and solitude for
Northeastern Ohio's residents and visitors.
Cuyahoga
Scenic Railroad
One
attraction in the Park that has been very popular with visitors is the Cuyahoga
Scenic Railroad. This is not a toy train but a full-sized, restored,
vintage assemblage including climate-controlled coaches obtained from the
Seaboard Railroad in the East and the Santa Fe in the Southwest. Your trip
will include the Peninsula Depot (see
top of col. 2 for directions),
the Hale Farm and Village, Inventors' Hall of Fame and the Canal Visitors'
Center. This is a round trip ride and gives you an excellent opportunity
to see a good portion of the park in air-conditioned comfort - First Class
all the way!
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How
to get here
From the
Ohio Turnpike (I-80) eastbound, take exit 173, turn left and follow UH-21,
crossing I-77. to OH-303. Turn
left and follow 303, eastbound, crossing the I-77 and I-271 Interstates,
to the Peninsula Visitors Center.
From the Ohio
Turnpike (I-80) westbound, take exit 180 and follow the ramp to OH-8
southbound (this is a freeway). Follow OH-8 southbound to the OH-303 exit.
Exit and follow 303 westbound to the Park and the Peninsula Visitors
Center.
At the
Peninsula Visitors Center you can determine what you would like to see and
get directions (this is a big park). The train depot is also here in case
you would like to take a ride. (Note: due to flood damage, the Cuyahoga
Scenic Railroad will be closed until 1 August 2003.
Lodging around the
Park
Lodging is
available in the area around the Park. Boston
Heights, Macedonia
and Richfield
are
near the Peninsula Visitors' Center boarding site. If you'd rather be up
in the I-480 area,
Independence
is near the Independence boarding site. If you'd rather be down at
the southern end of the route near the Akron boarding site, here is a list
of the hotels
in Akron
offering discounts.
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