Cuyahoga Valley National Park looking at Towpath improvement and rail service expansion
by Dan Holland
As Cuyahoga Valley National Park celebrates the 50th anniversary of becoming a unit of the National Park Service in December, officials are looking toward future improvements in the park, which stretches through the Cuyahoga River Valley for 25 miles between Cleveland and Akron.
Several partner organizations that work in tandem with CVNP serve as a key component in the future vision of the 33,000-acre park that was first established as Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation area in December 1974.
The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit philanthropic partner to CVNP, raised $7.1 million to fund construction of the Boston Mill Visitor Center, located at 6947 Riverview Rd. in Peninsula. The site includes a 200-foot-long pedestrian bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River that opened in July 2023. The Summit County Engineers Office partnered with CVNP to secure federal funding for the $1.4 million bridge project.
The conservancy recently received a $3.8 million gift from the estate of James Hower, who was an assistant fire chief for Bath Township. The gift was designated for improvements and maintenance of the 21-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs the length of the park. Park officials are currently discussing which methods to employ to preserve the historic trail, which consists mainly of a compacted limestone surface.
“We know the surface needs to be considered, and we’re looking at options to best maintain it going into the future,” said Pamela Barnes, public information officer for CVNP. She added that an earlier community access study revealed that a long-term solution is needed to keep the Towpath Trail in good shape.
“There are some sections that aren’t in good shape right now because it’s expensive, and it’s a lot of maintenance to keep the trail up,” she continued. “We’re not going to say that we’re going to immediately do something that we think will be a short-term solution. There are pros and cons to whatever surface we end up choosing. So, one of the things we’re considering is what surface would be best for maintaining it throughout the year.”
Portions of the trail were closed in 2023, and intermittently in 2024, to complete a riverbank stabilization project just north of the iconic state Route 82 bridge, which carries motorists over the Cuyahoga River. The work also affected excursions offered by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, a popular nonprofit that operates in the park. Railroad tracks utilized by CVSR are owned and maintained by CVNP.
“The riverbank stabilization work in that area was done both to protect the towpath trail and the railroad tracks, and there were several different sites that the contractor worked on,” said Barnes.
Funding for the stabilization work was provided through the Legacy Restoration Fund of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act.
Barnes said the restoration will allow for trips along the full length of the route between the Rockside Road Station in Independence and downtown Akron and the CVSR is expected to resume full service for the upcoming winter excursions.
Rail lines into Cleveland
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency awarded a $450,000 contract in January 2024 to the engineering firm AECOM to study the feasibility of extending CVSR’s route 10 miles north from Rockside Road into downtown Cleveland using existing railroad tracks owned by CSX Transportation Inc. The Towpath Trail was extended north into downtown Cleveland in 2020.
“When you talk about the connection between CVNP and downtown Cleveland, it already exists for the towpath,” said Barnes. “We’re dreaming of it happening for CVSR also.”
The park is also working with the Conservancy to create a new trailhead along Stanford Road, for auto and horse trailer parking, intended to improve access to trails, including one leading to Brandywine Falls.
A project to repave the large parking area at Station Road Bridge began in early November. The project will include a drainage improvement project along the section of Chippewa Creek Drive that leads to the parking area. For updates and information on the park, visit nps.gov/cuva.
Main Caption: A project to repave the large parking area at Station Road Bridge began in early November. The project will include a drainage improvement project along the section of Chippewa Creek Drive that leads to the parking area. For updates and information on the park, visit nps.gov/cuva.