Trails abound in CVNP and Independence

by Laura Bednar

John Muir, known as the “Father of the National Park,” once said, “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” Residents of Independence have the opportunity to do just that with trails in the city and nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Hemlock Creek Trail opened in 2019 and is an almost 2-mile trail with a 200-foot bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River, according to West Creek Conservancy. Residents can access the trail behind the Cleveland Clinic Business Operations Center on Brecksville Road across from city hall or at the bottom of Stone Road by the former Haydite Mine. City Recreation Director Tom Walchanowicz said people can also pick up Hemlock Trail from the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

Independence Parks and Recreation is responsible for maintenance of the year-round trail, including trimming trees, cutting vegetation and clearing fallen trees and winter snow in the pathway. The trail previously had flooding issues, which have since been rectified through improved drainage, according to Walchanowicz.

The city has added benches, picnic tables and dog stations throughout the trail. Ryan Wancata, parks and recreation manager, said about 26,000 people walked on the trail in 2023, an average of 90 people per day. Walchanowicz said all age ranges visit the trail to walk, hike, bike and jog.

“It’s a benefit to everyone,” he said. “Just another amenity that’s a reason to be in Northeast Ohio.”

A comfort station for the trail, which would include restrooms and water fountains, is still in the planning stages. Walchanowicz said city council has allotted money for the project in the capital plan but the difficulty lies in finding a good location. One potential area has sanitary and stormwater hookups but is owned by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

“It’s hard to build on federal property,” said Walchanowicz.

Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail

The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs for 20 miles in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park but in total stretches 98 miles from Cleveland south to New Philadelphia. The Cleveland-to-Akron section of the trail was completed in 1827. The trail as a whole was named because horses and mules would walk along the trail, towing a boat along the Ohio and Erie Canal.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Interpretive Park Ranger Rebecca Jones Macko said almost all the 98 original miles of trail are preserved.

“In some places, it doesn’t follow exactly because rivers move and we’ve moved roads,” she said.

The trail had historical significance prior to horse-drawn boats. Macko explained that Native Americans first used the Cuyahoga River for trade and travel. She said the trails were being used for trade as far back as 2,000 years ago and visitors may find obsidian from Yellowstone National Park or copper from Peninsula along the trail.

The canal allowed goods and people to easily travel; people could go from Ohio to New York in a matter of days.

“It made the world smaller,” said Macko.

After the emergence of railroads, traffic on the canal dipped. From 1905 to 1909, the state closed the canal and towpath for reconstruction. Macko said the state claimed it needed to be redone “for national security.”

The flood of 1913 caused millions of dollars in damage to the trail, canal and rail lines.

“It was almost a smear on the map of Ohio,” said Macko.

She said people used the remains of the trail for years before it was reconstructed again with a mix of gravel and asphalt paths. Today, visitors can be seen walking, hiking, biking, bird watching and in winter, cross-country skiing along the towpath. Macko also mentioned the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s train explorer program, in which a biker can ride one way along the trail and take a train back to their starting point.

Macko reiterated that the towpath is a shared trail and everyone should stay to the right and announce if they are passing someone.

“It’s a great way to explore the parks,” said Macko. “You can see a smattering of history and wildlife [along the trail].”

Lock 39 trailhead

Along the towpath at 8000 Rockside Rd. in Independence is one of 13 trailheads on the portion of trail in the CVNP. Lock 39 was once used to raise and lower boats traveling along the canal. It is now a historical marker that includes information, maps and restrooms. It is also a launch point for kayaking, canoeing or other water traveling on the almost 90-mile Cuyahoga River Water Trail. The trail begins in Burton and travels through four counties, eventually flowing into Lake Erie, according to cuyahogariverwatertrail.org. Lock 39 allows for a long paddle, nearly 12 miles into Cleveland.

Elmwood Park fitness loop

An existing walkway throughout Elmwood Park was recently dubbed the Elmwood Park Fitness Loop and given markers to denote each quarter mile of the one-mile loop.

“People had been asking for years to have a measured mile in the park,” said Walchanowicz.

He, along with Wancata, drove around the park in a golf cart with a rolling wheel to find the best route for people to follow. The loop begins and ends in the Civic Center parking lot and an aerial map is posted at the beginning of the loop.

“The loop doesn’t cross any streets and is all in the park,” said Walchanowicz. “It’s safe. We wanted people to have different things to look at while they were walking.”

The sidewalks along the loop are currently 5 feet wide, but Walchanowicz said the department hopes to upgrade them to 6- or 7-foot walks. Other future upgrades include adding reflective bollards along the path when it’s adjacent to the road and outdoor calisthenics equipment, like pull-up bars, along one section of the loop, though Wancata said this is a few years out.

In the meantime the loop does feature water fountains, restrooms and a bike repair station. ∞

Editor’s note: All trails mentioned in the article can be found on alltrails.com, a site that offers maps and information on trails nationwide.

Elmwood Pond is one of the attractions people will see as they walk the fitness loop. Photo by Laura Bednar.

There are four mile markers throughout the fitness loop in Elmwood Park. Photo by Laura Bednar.

Hemlock Creek runs underneath bridges along the Hemlock Creek Trail. Photo by Laura Bednar.

On our cover (photo): The Hemlock Creek Trail opened in 2019 and connects to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In Independence’s Elwmood Park, a new one mile fitness loop was created for residents with a map at the starting point in the Civic Center parking lot. Photo by Laura Bednar.