Discoveries…America National Parks: Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley & Other National Park Service Units

Cuyahoga Valley National Park and other Ohio natural attractions are the focus of this latest entry from Jim and Kelly Watt's beautiful high-definition-filmed Discoveries…America National Parks series. Located between Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an oasis of nature with Lake Erie-fed canals and a railway (the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad) that runs along parts of the waterway network. A ranger interviewed here notes this park is a little different since it is not a standalone entity, but rather a conglomeration of properties (both private and business, scattered throughout) that make it markedly different from traditional parks with defined entrances and large stretches of contiguous areas. The canals here—and associated locks—play a big part in the park's history, which attendees can learn about in the visitor's center, where a hands-on model allows people to manipulate toy boats and water levels to demonstrate how the locks were used to help deliver goods along the canals. Other sites of interest here include Beaver Marsh (once a junkyard and now a diverse wetland) and the sustainable Greenfield Berry Farm. An interesting travelogue on an unusual national park, this is recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)