Ohio's Wild and Scenic Rivers and Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The Trip

As the winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, narrow ravines, rocky ledges, wetlands, and open farmlands, there is an area of amazing diversity, where one scenic landscape gives way to another -- and another -- just a short distance away from each other. Towering waterfalls crash down into the forest below; caves hide among rock outcroppings, boulders, and ledges; living history comes to life depicting daily mid-19th-century life; trails on both land and water beckon you to walk or paddle them -- Cuyahoga Valley National Park is truly a destination for exploration.

Join us on this exciting multi-sport Sierra Club National Outing to Ohio’s only national park -- Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). Originally established as a National Recreation Area in 1974, CVNP gained designation as a national park in 2000. CVNP is unique when compared to other national parks, as it is surrounded by urban areas. It combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural activities in one setting. The park lies along the Cuyahoga River, protects 33,000 acres between the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Akron, and has over 125 miles of trails, including the 85-mile Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which is popular for both hiking and biking. A section of the 1,440-mile-long blue-blazed Buckeye Trail that encircles the state of Ohio runs through CVNP. CVNP also provides refuge for many plants and wildlife species. Wildlife in the park is abundant, including raccoons, muskrats, coyotes, skunks, both red and gray foxes, beavers, river otters, frogs, and other amphibians, many species of fish, bald eagles, great blue herons, cardinals, and more!

11 active farms in CVNP are part of the Countryside Initiative Program. One such farm, Hale Farm and Village, is an outdoor living history museum depicting daily mid-19th-century life. CVNP Scenic Railroad passes through 26 scenic miles of the park. A series of canals and locks are located throughout the park. As you become familiar with these, you will discover the importance of their role in the 19th-century transportation infrastructure that connected Ohio to the rest of the United States. The Canal Exploration Center is a great place to learn more about this. Twenty-two miles of the 100-mile-long, U-shaped Cuyahoga River flows within park boundaries. Just below the headwaters of the river, a 25-mile section called the Upper Cuyahoga River has been designated as an Ohio State Scenic River, an American Heritage River, and a National Heritage Corridor. Due to its constant flow, gentle current, and great water quality, the Upper Cuyahoga River is a very popular stream for both paddling and fishing.

Whether we are hiking, kayaking, or sightseeing, you will discover that Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a unique destination with an incredible diversity of things to see and do!

This is a sample itinerary. Itineraries can change for several reasons, but we intend to have you experience as much of the park as possible, as safely as possible. We may have a few long days with late dinners to accomplish this. If you are flexible and have a sense of adventure, you will enjoy this outing!

Day 1: We will provide airport pickup at 2 p.m. outside the United Airlines baggage claim area at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). It is a roughly 30-minute drive to our lodging from the airport. We will assign rooms, make introductions, go over the itinerary for the week, and enjoy a huge welcome dinner and happy hour. Time permitting, we can do a loop hike and explore Brandywine Falls.

Day 2: After a hearty breakfast, we will pack lunches before heading out to explore and hike several highlight areas within the park, including The National Park Visitor Center, Canal Exploration Center, Blue Hen Falls, The Ledges, Indigo Lake, Beaver Marsh, Everett Covered Bridge, The Buckeye Trail, and Hale Farm and Village. We will enjoy the incredible diversity within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including forests, fields, wetlands, river scenery, rolling hills, narrow ravines, ledges, caves, and historic canal locks. Total hiking today will be 5-7 miles, which will be split up throughout several areas, with breaks in between hikes. A ranger presentation or historical lock demonstration may also be part of our day.

Day 3: After giving paddle and safety instructions and getting everyone fitted with a kayak and paddling gear, we will travel outside park boundaries to kayak a 10-mile beautiful and scenic stretch of the Upper Cuyahoga River. This will be a one-way, downriver shuttle trip. A 25-mile stretch of the Upper Cuyahoga River has been designated as both an American Heritage River and Ohio State Scenic River, with excellent water quality and extensive wetlands that provide great wildlife habitat and an abundant variety of wildflowers and plants. Aquatic biodiversity in the river is abundant, with 50 species of fish and many mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians being present. Time permitting, we can also do a short hike and/or explore the historic and charming small town of Peninsula, and Lock 29, on the way back to the farmhouse.

Day 4: The Grand River flows for 102 miles before emptying into Lake Erie -- 55 of those miles are designated as Wild and Scenic, including the area we will kayak in today, water level permitting. We will kayak for 3-4 hours today, as well as do a short hike. 

Day 5: We will start the day with a 3- to 5-mile loop hike, which will include a stop at 65-foot-tall Brandywine Falls. After lunch we will hop on board the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to tour the park via scenic train ride. Time permitting, we will bike the Towparh Trail. Bike rentals will be available. For those driving, you may also bring your own bike.

Day 6: After breakfast and packing things up, we plan to have folks back at Cleveland Airport (CLE) by noon.

Getting There

We will provide pickup and drop off at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) as well as transport to daily activities. Those wishing to drive will be given directions to the lodging. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

We will spend five nights in a historic farmhouse within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, built in the 1830s. The farmhouse has a shared bathroom and shower facilities and a full kitchen. Participants coming alone will share rooms and couples will room together. Participants will take turns helping to prepare meals and clean up.

Trip Difficulty

We will paddle intermediate routes, averaging 5-10 miles in distance, and spend a total of 2-4 hours on the water (with breaks and lunch) on days that we are kayaking in Ohio. You should be comfortable sitting in a kayak for up to 3-4 hours at a time. You need not be an expert paddler, but you should have some previous paddling experience. Basic paddling and safety instructions will be given on the first day of the outing. Hikes will be 2-7 miles on uneven terrain that will be rocky in some spots and level ground in other spots, with many ups and downs. Each participant should understand that this is a group outing and that they will be required to stay with the group while we are on the water and trails. You should be flexible as plans and itineraries often change due to weather, group ability, or other unforeseen reasons.

Equipment and Clothing

We will provide rental kayaks, paddles, and life jackets to each participant. We provide all cooking gear and dinner plates, utensils, etc. You will need a lunch container and water bottle(s). A dry bag and a day pack will be needed to carry your gear throughout the week. A full gear list will be sent to all confirmed participants.

References

• Bobel, Peg and Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council, Trail Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Gray and Company Publishers, 2007.
• Holland, Jerry, Cuyahoga Falls: River of Memories. Kindle, 2016.
• Platt, Carolyn V, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Handbook. The Kent State University Press, 2016.
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park website: https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
• Upper Cuyahoga River website: http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/uppercuyahogasr

Conservation

Cleveland and Akron, Ohio have been major industrial cities since the 1880s. By the late 1960s, the last few miles of the river leading to Lake Erie were lined with steel mills and factories. People did not think about the future and just figured that the river was there to be used as a dump. Many of the industries that lined the river just dumped their waste into the river untreated.

The Cuyahoga River caught fire a total of 13 times between 1868 and 1969. The 1969 river fire was different -- it was a river-catching fire shown on the national news. The whole country took notice of this and decided that enough was enough and something needed to be done. The 1969 river fire helped spur environmental action and became a rallying cry for America to protect its waterways. In late 1969, Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act, and in 1970 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established and the first Earth Day was celebrated. People turned out in droves for the first Earth Day celebration in the area at the University of Akron, with The Sierra Club being one of the major sponsors. In 1972, The Clean Water Act was passed, establishing the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges and setting water quality standards for all waters of the United States. The EPA was also given authority to implement pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. Over the years, many other laws have been added to or changed parts of the Clean Water Act. In 1990, Title 1 of the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990, resulted in an agreement between the United States and Canada to reduce certain toxic pollutants in the Great Lakes. More recently, since 2011, organizations and agencies within the Cuyahoga River Watershed have been meeting to create a network of water trails along the river called the Cuyahoga River Water Trail.

While things have come a long way since 1969 on the issues of water pollution and water quality, we need to continue to implement new laws and programs that further eliminate pollutants in our nation’s waters and achieve water quality levels that are fishable and swimmable.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.