|
|
|
23 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Boston Store Visitors Center
1550 Boston Mills Road, Peninsula, OH 44264
330.657.2752 or 800.257.9477
Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter, spring, and fall
Open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer
Public Access
Most areas open all day year-round, some close at dusk.
All visitor centers are closed on Thanksgiving Day,
December 25, and January 1.
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Equestrian Trails, Restrooms, Visitors
Center, Picnic Area, Handicap Accessible Trails,
Checklist Available, Primitive Camping,
Scheduled Events, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad,
Ohio & Erie Canalway
GPS Coordinates
N 41° 15.803'; W 81° 33.512'
Driving Directions
(To Boston Store Visitor Center)
From Cleveland, take I-77 South for 15.5 miles. Take exit
147, Miller Road, turn left onto Miller Road for 0.6 miles.
Turn right onto OH-21/Brecksville Road for 0.4 miles.
Turn left onto Snowville Road for 2.8 miles.
Turn right onto Riverview Road and proceed for 1.7 miles.
Turn left onto Boston Mills Road and the entrance to the
visitor center parking lot is immediately on the right after
crossing the Cuyahoga River. |
|
What To Look For
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is Ohio’s only national park and encompasses 33,000 acres extending from southern Cuyahoga County to Akron in Summit County. The park is linear, running north-south, and is centered on the Cuyahoga River, a designated American Heritage River.
There are many access points and trails throughout the park, and the park website is an excellent source of information for visitors who are planning trip logistics. Boston Store Visitor Center in Peninsula and Canal Visitor Center in Valley View have maps and other information available. There are two other visitor centers in the park, and they are clearly indicated on the excellent map that can be viewed and downloaded at the park's website.
Audubon Ohio has designated Cuyahoga Valley National Park as an Important Bird Area and it is one of the best areas near Ohio's Lake Erie coast to record large numbers of breeding birds. About 250 species have been found in the area and about 110 breed in the park. Some of the more noteworthy include pileated Woodpecker, cerulean, prothonotary, and yellow-throated warblers, Louisiana waterthrush, red-breasted nuthatch, winter and marsh wrens, purple finch, alder and willow flycatchers, and black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos. More recently, bald eagle and peregrine falcon have nested. An easily viewed great blue heron rookery is along Bath Road, between Riverview and Akron Peninsula roads. Birding can be outstanding in any month.
Hemlock gorge habitats support rare nesters such as winter wren, dark-eyed junco, black-throated green warbler and hermit thrush. Hooded warblers and ovenbirds are frequent nesters of upland forests. Area wetlands have hosted American and least bitterns, and Virginia and sora rails.
One of the region's best grasslands is part of the park, on the site of the former Richfield Coliseum. Breeders include savannah and Henslow’s sparrows, eastern meadowlark, bobolink, and on occasion, sedge wren and grasshopper sparrow. Le Conte's and Nelson's sparrow and Wilson snipe have been found in fall migration, and raptors such as northern harrier, rough-legged hawk, and short-eared owl can occur in winter.
|
 |
Noteworthy Rarities
Boreal irruptives such as red and white-winged crossbills are very rare winter birds. There has been one record of a Bohemian waxwing in the Oak Hill area. Ohio's only record of common ground-dove was found near the administrative headquarters at Jaite. Western kingbird and blue grosbeak have also been documented in the park.
|
|
Natural Features
Cuyahoga Valley National Park contains the greatest diversity of habitat of any site included on the Lake Erie Birding Trail. Plant enthusiasts will find much of interest, as a tremendous variety of plant species occur, including a number of rare species. The spectacular tiger spiketail dragonfly (Cordulegaster erronea) can be found patrolling shady streams in summer, and smooth green snakes are sometimes found in meadows and a real delight to see. The beaver, and more recently river otter are now inhabitants.
|
|
|
|
|