Since the 1800s, the Cuyahoga Valley has been a place where people from nearby cities relax in nature. Building on this tradition, local residents worked tirelessly to preserve what became Cuyahoga Valley National Park, created in 1974 to protect open countryside, a canal that helped build the nation, and the river that sparked the Clean Water Act. At Ira Trailhead, the gateway to Beaver Marsh leads to an extensive wetland popular for seeing and photographing wildlife. Once a dairy farm and then a salvage yard, the marsh reflects nature’s resilience.
