The Cuyahoga River is now officially the 13th water trail in the state of Ohio. The designation was celebrated with a ribbon cutting at Water Works Park in Cuyahoga Falls.
Some of the participants in the designation ceremony paddled to the site at the Peninsula shelter next to the river.
Fifty years after it last burned the crooked river’s transformation from ecological disaster zone to water trail will lead to better management and a better user experience, according to Andrea Irland. She is an outdoor recreation planner for the National Park Service.
“The Cuyahoga River is a symbol of efforts to clean up America’s waterways," Irland said during the ceremony. "Famous for catching fire, the Cuyahoga is now sparking excitement about how far we have come and what the future holds.”
A water trail has better markings for hazards in and around the river as well as marked entry points and maps and guides along the river’s shores.
Before the ribbon was cut, some volunteers shared river-related poetry. A sampling is below:
