September 2026, 64 pp
Paper, $19.95
ISBN 978-1-60635-504-6
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Cuyahoga Valley National Park Handbook-3rd Edition
Third Edition, Revised and Updated
Forthcoming, Nature, Regional InterestCarolyn V. Platt and Bob Downing
Published in cooperation with The National Park Service
Exploring Ohio’s only national park, 50 years later
In 1969, the polluted Cuyahoga River burned, attracting negative national media attention. Then, only three fish species were found to be living in those contaminated waters. Now, in 2026, 77 fish species are thriving. Otter, beaver, and blue heron have also returned to the river’s banks. And people, too, are benefiting from the cleaner waters, enjoying water sports like canoeing, kayaking, and paddling.
This new edition of an essential resource for visitors to Cuyahoga Valley National Park features stunning photos of the park from its past and present, showcasing its geology and rich history—including early interactions between the First Peoples and European colonists. Also prominently featured is the Ohio & Erie Canal, which was established 200 years ago, and once ran through the park.
At its heart, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Handbook: A Photographic Tour is both practical and poetic, updated to present a more robust account of the river’s renewal and how plants, animals, and people alike have benefited from a healthier Crooked River.
Carolyn V. Platt is a former professor of English at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. She is the author of Birds of the Lake Erie Region and Ohio Hill Country: A Rewoven Landscape, both published by Kent State University Press.
Bob Downing was the environment reporter at The Akron Beacon Journal from 1990 to 2016. He won numerous awards from the Cleveland Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Associated Press for coverage of various topics including Ohio’s coal-burning power plants, E-Check vehicle testing, and a Superfund site in Stark County. He contributed to the book Canal Fever: The Ohio & Erie Canal from Waterway to Canalway and Akron’s Daily Miracle: Reporting the News in the Rubber City.
