Cleveland Metroparks was established in 1917 to provide open spaces, recreation and outdoor education for the people of Greater Cleveland, as well as to conserve and preserve the natural valleys of the area.
Today, Cleveland Metroparks manages nearly 21,000 acres in 16 reservations, their connecting parkways and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It also manages 7.2 miles of Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The Park District is commonly referred to as the “Emerald Necklace” because the reservations encircle the city of Cleveland.
Seven of the reservations as well as Cleveland Metroparks Zoo fall within the Cuyahoga County Section of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area:
- Bedford Reservation - Home of Tinker’s Creek Gorge – a National Natural Landmark
- Brecksville Reservation
- Brookside Reservation
- Garfield Park Reservation - Home of 48’ Mill Creek Falls – tallest in Cuyahoga County
- Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation - Leonard Krieger CanalWay Center – Official Visitors Center
- Washington Reservation
- West Creek Reservation
A hallmark of Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation is the Leonard Krieger CanalWay Center — the official Canalway Visitor Center in Cuyahoga County. Overlooking the canal, river and valley, the center features an exhibit hall, a classroom, meeting rooms and more, including EarthWords, a Cleveland Metroparks nature shop. The reservation itself is an industrial valley- turned-green space that stretches through the villages of Cuyahoga Heights and
Valley View.
Just north of the Canalway Center, many people begin their trip along the 7.2 miles of paved Towpath Trail — managed by the Park District — at the Harvard Road Trailhead, currently the northernmost Trailhead in the National Heritage Area.
Learn more about Cleveland Metroparks at www.clemetparks.com.