CUYAHOGA VALLEY, Ohio — Officials at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park are looking to hikers for suggestions and input on what changes should be made to the park.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a gem in Northeast Ohio that sees more than two million visitors from in and out of state. It sits between Akron and Cleveland and is more than 50 miles lying along the Cuyahoga River. Park officials agree it's amazing but there’s still so much unmet potential.
As a national park, protection, preservation, and updates are very crucial.
“We realized we have a lot of issues with crowding and congestion and that a lot of the most popular attractions. Some days it is nearly impossible to find a place to park,” said Pamela Barnes with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Park officials are also discussing adding activities outside of hiking and sightseeing.
“People are very interested in camping,” Barnes said. “We'd like to improve not only the physical access to the river but the access to recreational opportunities on the water.”
But they can't do it alone, they want the public input.
“What do you want? What kinds of experiences do you want? What kind of issues have you had? What would you like to see,” said Barnes.
So for the next few weeks, they will be holding virtual and in-person meetings.
“We’d like for everyone to feel like this is their park,” said Barnes.
Where hikers can look at possible plans. Give yay or nay and add any suggestions. Hikers have until September 16 to participate and help preserve this Northeast Ohio staple.
Once those comments roll in, the next step would be to create a final plan and look at the environmental impact. That process will be in December. For info on the meetings click here.
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