Cuyahoga+Valley+National+Park

by: Jacob S.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located right between Lake Erie and the Erie Canal. Because of this, there are lots of fun things to do for kids and adults alike! Visit this park now, and love the nature and history around it!!

Location, Size, and Distance
Cuyahoga Valley is located in Brecksville,Ohio. It is 51 miles long, and is 32,861 acres. It is 678.17 miles from Oskaloosa, Iowa. It would take 15 hours to drive there, and would cost you almost 200 dollars in gas money.

Park Hours
The park is open all year, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The entire park in general is open 24 hours a day, with some areas closing in the evening. The visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If there are extreme weather conditions, the center is open 24 hours a day to serve as a shelter.

Climate
The year-round climate of Cuyahoga Valley National Park is as fallows:

Winter: The temperature ranges from the upper to lower 30's and gets about 13 inches of snow. Spring: The temperature ranges from the upper 50's to the upper 70's and gets about 11 inches of rain and maybe trace amounts of snow. Summer: The temperature ranges from the lower 70's to the upper 80's and gets about 16 inches of rain. Fall: The temperature ranges from the lower 60's to the lower 30's and gets trace amounts of rain and 18 inches of snow.

History
Humans have occupied the land for about 12000 years. The very first settlers were the American Indians. They settled here from 100 B.C. to A.D. 700. When the Erie Canal was built, the Cuyahoga River was used to flood parts of it. In 1974, U.S. Congress deemed the the area a national recreation center. Then, in 2000, Congress deemed the area a national park. Just recently, the Icebox bat cave was closed because a fungus known as white-nose syndrome started to kill bats. The disease was spread from bats flying from the northern U.S. Also, the fish population was endangered in one of the lakes. It is restocked and is closed until 2013.

Facts
During the Great Depression, a company planted 100 acres of trees in the area because they thought that during the depression, the world could use a color other than gray. Former president James A. Madison worked as a mule boy on the Erie Canal. The Jonnycake loch on the Erie Canal is named after an incident that happened when a boat ran aground. The supplies ran low and the passengers ate nothing but corn meal pancakes called Jonnycakes.

Things to See
Drive across the Everett Road covered bridge. It was built in the 1800's, and is one of the few left in Ohio. (It is closed due to construction.) Visit the Frazze house. This two story brick house was built by hand by JohnFrazze and his family in 1825. (Also closed for stabilization repairs.) Finally, go see the Ritchie Ledges. These were formed millions of years ago. They became popular in the 1800's, but theyare still a nice sight to see! (Fortunately, these are open, with the exception of the area by the bat cave.)

Things to Do
Bikers are a normal sight in the park. The biggest trail is the Towpath trail. It winds its way through the entire park. Hiking is another popular activity in the park. All of the trails add up to 125 miles of hiking. One of the most popular trails is the Brandywine Falls Trail. Finally, the best thing to do in the park is ride a boat on the Erie Canal. With low admission and 3 docks, you could ride all day.

Resources:
[|**http://www.nps.gov/cuva/naturescience/index.htm**] [|**https://www.google.com**] [|**http://photobucket.com**] [|**http://cuyahoga.valley.national-park.com/**]