Byway Driving

Traveling Through Time

Driving through the Canalway is made easier, and quite fun, by following the signed America’s Byway route to key Canalway locations.

On the ride through Summit County, you can wander from one century to the next, as you wind your way through the canal-era towns of Boston Mills (1811) and Peninsula (1835), pull off to observe the natural wonders of Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Beaver Marsh, an IBA & State Watchable Wildlife location, or stop at the Bath Road Heronry, just east of the Byway (Riverview Road) in this section, and home to iconic 4-foot Great Blue Herons.

Explore our National Park, Important Bird Areas & Iconic Canal-Era Sites

Visit the canal-era Mustill Store and travel through the heart of Akron - whose very name, “high place” in Greek, came about because it sat atop the highest point of the historic Ohio & Erie Canal. Visit the beautiful Hower House on the UofAkron campus, stop at the Zoo, tour the buildings of historic Anna Dean Farm in Barberton - perhaps making a wish in the Wishing Well, and so much more. 

Finding Your Way

The nationally designated route is not a single road - but a carefully mapped route to key regional destinations. Blue and orange signs bearing the “Ohio & Erie Canalway America’s Byway” name guide you on this driving journey. 

America’s Byway Fast Facts - Summit

• Key North/South Roads
• Through the National Park - Canal Road, Riverview 
• Through Southern Summit - Merriman, Manchester, S. Main (through the heart of Akron), Robinson Ave., Van Buren, Cleveland-Massillon Road

Visitor’s Tip: You’ll find that most Canalway journeys involve a combination of our three travel components - America’s Byway, Scenic Railroad and Towpath. They often travel side-by-side or interconnect. This is especially true in the Summit County section. 

Byway Drivers - NOTICE - Current road construction projects are temporarily affecting portions of the Byway in the National Park. Please check Park Closures & Constuction Projects on the National Park site, prior to using the Byway in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Use our Maps page for workarounds.

You may want to combine your drive with a Towpath walk/run or hop aboard CVSR when it returns to service in August for a double-your-fun Canalway day. Travel side-by-side link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWbCnsLtilQ 

How to get there

Map Your Trip! - Use the map to find the route the America’s Byway takes through this section of the Canalway. The roads above can act as potential starting points.

Visitor’s Note: This is NOT a bicycle trail & often follows two-lane roads without berms or bike lanes. 

How to follow the route

• Byway Signs - are posted along both sides of the route - to guide you north and south.
• Follow the signs - Simply follow any left, right directionals on the signs.
• Haven’t seen a sign in awhile? That’s OK - signs appear occasionally on straightaway sections of the route - but primarily occur prior to intersections where a turn is needed.

Summit Highlights

Along the Summit County Section of the Byway, you’ll find:

• Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Riverview Road takes you through one of our country’s “Top 10” most visited parks.
• Birding Delights - Both Deep Lock Quarry, managed by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, and the National Park’s Beaver Marsh - are designated Important Bird Areas
• Peninsula - a small canal-era town located in the heart of the National Park. You’ll find a mix of food/beverage, a local museum and art/antiques in a charming setting. It’s also a major depot for the Scenic Railroad and the site of a Towpath Trail Trailhead.
• Merriman Road - Large Tudor Revival Mansions created by the wealth of the industrial boom economy of the 1920s can be found along the Merriman Road portion of the Byway.
• Stan Hywet Hall & Museum (Akron), a National Historic Landmark and former home of F. A. Seiberling, founder of the Goodyear Rubber Company, is nearby. www.stanhywet.org/
• Akron's Main Street - Running parallel to the Towpath Trail, you can find great restaurants, lodging, Lock 3 Park & the Akron Aeros baseball Canal Park stadium as well as the atmospheric Akron Civic Theater here.
• The Richard Howe House - The city of Akron partnered with one of our founding organizations - the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition - to save the historic home of Richard Howe, chief engineer for the Ohio & Erie Canal. Find it at 47 W. Exchange Street - two blocks up from the Byway in downtown Akron. 
• Other historic sites just off the Byway route:
  • The John Hower House, U.ofAkron campus - this stunning 28-room Victorian mansion, circa 1871, contains a collection of antiques from around the world and a lovely gift shop! www.uakron.edu/howerhse
  • The Summit County Historical Society manages Perkins Mansion and John Brown House, which offer collections of regional history http://summithistory.org/ 

Did You Know?

In Akron, you’re crossing a Continental Water Divide. According to nps.gov/cuva: 

• Rivers north of the divide flow to Lake Erie and the Atlantic Ocean.
• Rivers south of the divide flow to the Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Learn more: http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/upload/geology.pdf

More On the America’s Byway

To learn more - we invite you to read the Ohio & Erie Canalway America’s Byway Management Plan Update - a 77-page comprehensive Byway guide.