Big Birds & Bigger Birds & Big Fun, Oh My!
Outings are naturally fun in this section - whether learning how to become a Junior Ranger for our Top 10 National Park, taking in wildlife along the Towpath in Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, or spending a day at the Akron Zoo. And that’s just for starters!
Ride the Rails and Trail to the National Park
Train Rides on the Scenic Rail - the regular excursion fee is good for round-trips or all day adventures; on-board audio tours tell stories and keep kids entertained.
Hale Farm & Village - Take the early train - from the north or south - deboard at Indigo Lake - and a shuttle will be waiting to take you back in time to Hale Farm & Village. Admission fees apply.
Bike Aboard! - lets you and the kids bike one way on the Towpath and ride the rail the other - for a $3 fee
Canalway Sampler #16 - Bike Aboard! Family Style -
suggests a mini-version of Bike Aboard! for families with
small children.
Scenic Rail Visitor’s Note: Boarding Station Changes
Currently, ticketed boarding is only available at:
Brecksville Station, Peninsula Depot or Akron Northside.
Rockside & Canal Visitor Center are temporarily
closed to all boarding.
Bike Aboard! riders can board at any station from
Brecksville heading South.
Head to the “Rail” section for full details.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Szalay’s Sweet Corn Farm, located along the Byway in the National Park, is a great place to take a break. On weekends in the summer, cool off with home-grown roasted sweet corn and freshly squeezed lemonade.
One of the National Park’s most popular spots is the Beaver Marsh, located north of the Ira Road Trailhead. (Park at Ira, walk to the Trail and turn left.) Once an abandoned automobile junkyard, the space was taken over by beavers that built a dam across the canal, flooding the area and creating the wetland you see today.
Junior Rangers - Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Children ages 7 -12 can earn badges while learning to care for our National Park.
(Ages 4 to 6 have their own program!)
Learn more: http://www.nps.gov/cuva/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm Free!
Family Outings in the Parks
Big Birds at the Bath Road Heronry - just off the Byway (Riverview Road in this section) - Here’s a great place to find Great Blue Herons nesting in the treetops. At just over 4’ tall - and not much more than 4 pounds in weight - they truly are natural wonders.
Quest away any number of
summer and fall afternoons
More than 17 Quests from our fun, free outdoor adventure series are available in Summit County - through Nov. 15th:
Peninsula is the starting point for 14 Quests -
Head to Questing to learn more
1,2,3 Come Quest With Me - is designed especially for
Toddlers and their grown-ups
For a full day of fun, combine this Quest with:
Canalway Sampler #25 - A Toddler’s Walk Through
the National Park
Canalway Samplers can turn Quests into full days of fun
Samplers are a collection of our favorite outings - numbered
for easy reference
Check out Canalway Sampler #23 for Peninsula and
Canalway Sampler #24 for Akron
Check what’s on the schedule for fun - anytime - on the NPS Schedule of Events!
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County
Towpath Trail wanderings - anywhere along the 21.5 miles of Towpath Trail managed by MPSSC makes for a great day out - don’t forget the sunscreen and the water!
Camping - primitive style! Kids will love camping year-round at two primitive sites along the Towpath Trail — the Big Bend Trailhead in Akron and at a spot 1/4 of a mile south of Franklin Trailhead on Center Road in New Franklin.
Swimming & Fishing too - Families can swim at Munroe Falls and Silver Creek or fish for trout, bass, bluegill and more throughout the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County system.
You’ll have them eating out of your hands - birds that is - at the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm. Check the Key Viewing Sites - Summit in Bird Watching & Wildlife for details.
Making natural friendships - We’re big fans of the Park District’s Kinderealm series that teaches little ones about the great outdoors while making it fun to learn, too.
Key Tips from those who’ve gone before you :)
On Towpath Trail outings bring maps, water, sunscreen, be aware of weather conditions, and your child’s limitations.
Canalway Alerts
Check before you go! Each of the Park Districts and the National Park post temporary trail closures. Find them here.
More Tips
Before You Go
Plan & Expand Your Visit - using site features
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What will your family discover today?
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Follow the Canalway
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Dates: Winter & Spring Saturdays - 9 a.m. - Noon Nov. 17th, Dec. 8 & 22, Jan 26, Feb 9 & 23, March 9 & 23, April 6 & 27 Enjoy fresh food in winter and support local farmers, Grab lunch while you’re there, and then Head over to the Towpath Trail for a brisk winter’s walk. On snow-covered days, bring your cross-country skis for a great Towpath experience! Looking for fresh food and warm times during a long Canalway Winter? Head on over to the Countryside Winter Farmers Mark... More »
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A Towpath was a Towing Path Bicyclists and walkers on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail today follow the same path that in the 1800s was used by mules and mule-drivers to pull canal boats—with some exceptions. Canal Fever , KSU Press, 2009 More »
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Sep
21
Sat.
9/21/2013 - 9/21/2013
1:00 PM
550 Copley Rd., Akron, OH 44320
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Jun
15
Sat.
6/15/2013 - 6/15/2013
11:00 AM
550 Copley Road, Akron, OH 44320
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Jun
08
Sat.
6/8/2013 - 6/9/2013
10:00 AM
615 W. Park Ave., Barberton, OH 44203
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May
24
Fri.
5/24/2013 - 5/26/2013
Multiple - Check ticket link!
Intersection of Boston Mills Road and Riverview Road, Peninsula, OH 44264
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May
19
Sun.
5/19/2013 - 5/19/2013
1:30 PM
248 E. Robinson Avenue, Barberton, OH 44203
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May
18
Sat.
5/18/2013 - 5/19/2013
Multiple - Check ticket link!!
Intersection of Boston Mills Road and Riverview Road, Peninsula, OH 44264
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Apr
06
Sat.
4/6/2013 - 5/31/2013
Daily Excursions
Rockside Road pinned on Event Map, Peninsula, OH 44264
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Jan
26
Sat.
1/26/2013 - 11/23/2013
10:00 AM
1600 West Mill Street, PO Box 171, Peninsula, OH 44264
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Jan
19
Sat.
1/19/2013 - 12/14/2013
10:00 AM
1600 West Mill Street, PO Box 171, Peninsula, OH 44264
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Jan
12
Sat.
1/12/2013 - 5/26/2013
10:00 AM
1600 West Mill Street, PO Box 171, Peninsula, OH 44264
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