The City of Cleveland grew up on an unprotected bluff of sand and clay on top of Lake Erie. Beginning in 1865 land began to be set aside on the lakefront for parks. In 1977 the four Cleveland lakefront parks were leased to the state of Ohio. Edgewater Park on Lakeshore Boulevard is a melding of a lower and upper sections connected by a multi-use path. Youll find most paths in the park paved and many shady, with fine views of the frisky waves in Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline.

Just 15 minutes south of Cleveland is the dog-friendly Cuyahoga Valley National
Park. To the first people who came here 12,000 years ago the Cuyahoga was the
crooked river. Its steep valley walls inhibited settlement as easterners poked into
the region in the late 1700s.

But a navigable water link between Lake Erie and the Ohio River was a priority in the
early American Canal Age and in 1832 the Ohio & Erie Canal became a reality. Ohio
boomed and settlers poured into the area. The canal was put out of business by the
Great Flood of 1913 and the Cuyahoga Valley was left to recreational purposes.

Once a national recreation area, the 33,000 acres of protected land along the banks
of the Cuyahoga River became Americas first national park in this century in 2000.
As befits its history as a recreation destination, Cuyahoga is a national park that
permits dogs on its trails.

The main trail to hike with your dog through the park is the nearly 20 miles of the
Towpath Trail along the route of the historic canal. Ten trailheads make it easy to
hike the crushed limestone path in biscuit-size chunks. The trail is a mix of
meadows and forests and the remnants of locks and villages.

Another long distance trail through the park is the Buckeye Trail that circles the
entire state of Ohio for over 1200 miles. About 33 miles of the blue-blazed pathway
wander the ravines and ridges of the valley.

Some of the best canine day hiking in the park is in the north end of the Cuyahoga
Valley, in the Bradford Reservation. A five-mile all-purpose trail traverses the
Tinkers Creek Gorge area, exploring Ohios most spectacular canyon. The gorge is
a National Natural Landmark, noted for its virgin hemlock forests. Short detours off
the main trail include an easy walk to Bridal Veil Falls and the Hemlock Creek Loop
Trail.

To get to Canal Visitor Center from Cleveland, exit I-77 at Rockside Road. Go 1 mile
east to Canal Road; turn right. The visitor center is approximately 1.5 miles on the
right.

copyright 2006

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hikers Bible.
To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy
of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit
http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes
for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking
adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit
parks, historical sites and beaches.