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Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A recovered river valley between Cleveland and Akron
Few national parks sit between two major cities, and fewer still owe their existence to a river once synonymous with pollution. Cuyahoga Valley National Park follows the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, protecting about 51 square miles (132 km²) of forest, farmland, wetlands and small villages. The river's 1969 fire in industrial Cleveland, downstream of the park, became a national symbol that helped spur federal clean water laws. Today beavers, herons and bald eagles have returned to a valley that was heavily farmed, logged and quarried.
Congress created Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in 1974 and redesignated it a national park in 2000, the only national park that began as a recreation area. Its spine is the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which follows the route of the 1820s canal that linked Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs through the park, and about 100 waterfalls drop into the valley, the tallest being the 65-foot (20 m) Brandywine Falls. Easy access from two metro areas makes it one of the most visited national parks.