Cuyahoga Valley Trail Areas Closed: Five sections of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail will be temporarily closed for repaving.

On Monday, the trail will be closed for asphalt resurfacing near the Stumpy Basin between Peninsula and the hamlet of Boston. The closing will extend from the Ohio Turnpike bridge south to the tunnel under the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad track.

On Tuesday, the trail will be closed from Lock 25 south of Ira Road to the Conrad Botzum Farmstead driveway off Riverview Road in Cuyahoga Falls and from the Pine Hill Road area near the Station Bridge Trailhead south to the northern junction with the Old Carriage Trail in Sagamore Hills Township.

On Wednesday, the trail will be closed near the Wilson's Mill area of Valley View. The closing will be between the Fitzwater Bridge and the Frazee House along Canal Road and near the Canal Visitor Center from Hillside Road to the Stone Road bridge.

The closings will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will be posted with trail signs. The schedule could be modified because of rain. (Source: www.ohio.com)

Portion of Towpath Trail Closed Until Friday: The towpath trail under state Route 21 in Massillon and Perry Township will be closed Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting.

State Route 21 is reduced to one lane in each direction at the Tuscarawas River for bridge work. This work is part of a $10.2 million project to resurface Route 21 from the southern Massillon corporation limit to Finefrock Road and from the northern Massillon corporation limit to the Lawrence Township line. The project also includes the re-decking and painting of the twin bridges on Route 21 over the Tuscarawas River. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by mid-August.

The Works dredging relics from old Ohio & Erie Canal bed: Children and adults recently have unearthed relics from the old bed of the Ohio & Erie Canal in downtown Newark.

Discoveries are being made daily during The Works' Adventures in Archaeology summer camps.

"It's been very exciting -- we have found some really interesting artifacts," archaeology educator Allison Galbari said.

The dig is taking place near the intersection of South First and Canal streets at the site of Lock No. 9. The lock was a water-filled chamber that raised and lowered canal boats to compensate for the rise and fall of the terrain.

Some of the more intriguing artifacts found include a child's tiny metal teacup that measures about a half-inch in diameter, a metal token that appears to be from the B&O Railroad and a shaped stone that might be an American Indian gaming piece.

"Historically, the old canal beds were used as a dumping place for all kinds of items," Galbari said. "We've also found broken bottles, pieces of ceramic dinnerware and even a rust-encrusted horseshoe."

Digging opportunities for children and adults still are available. There are a few openings left for 7- and 8-year-olds in next week's camp, which runs from 1 to 4 p.m. July 27-31. The cost is $100 for members of The Works and $120 for nonmembers. Registration is required. To register, call or visit The Works. Adults are invited to dig on two upcoming Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The cost is $10 per day for members of The Works and $15 for nonmembers. Registration is requested.

Participants will employ standard archaeological techniques under the direction of Galbari, who is a graduate of Heidelberg College and a trained archaeologist with extensive field experience. Attendees are required to wear a hat, clothes that can get dirty, gloves, shoes with closed heels and toes (tennis shoes would be fine) and a water bottle. Participants must be physically able to bend, kneel and walk around on uneven ground. There will be a break for lunch. Each attendee is responsible for providing his or her own lunch and beverage.

For more information, call (740) 349-9277 or visit www.attheworks.org. (Source: www.newarkadvocate.com)

Trail news: Wednesday, Metroparks, Serving Summit County:

• Agreed to negotiate a lease agreement with Metro Regional Transit Authority for 8.5 miles of abandoned rail line in Akron and Tallmadge. The park district wants to improve and extend what's called the Freedom Secondary Trail that would run from Akron's Northside Station to the Tallmadge-Kent border, where it would tie into Kent trails. (This rail line roughly follows the route of the Pennsylvania & Ohio Canal)

The park district has more than $1.1 million for the project and is seeking additional funds, said park planner David Whited.

• Is close to an agreement with the Barberton & Lake Erie Railway Co. for one of the last legs of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The 1.25-mile leg would run from Snyder Avenue to Eastern Road in Barberton. The price tag is $2.2 million, of which $431,000 in grants have been lined up.

The project will require a tunnel under the active rail line, a boardwalk, a bridge over the Tuscarawas River and a bridge over the canal. Once the railroad approval is complete, the park district will be able to seek bids, Whited said.

• Agreed to spend $118,096 on trail repairs to the Sand Run Jogging Trail near Revere Road and three sections of the Towpath Trail: at Pancake Creek in New Franklin, at Fairview Road in Barberton and north of Snyder Avenue in Barberton. (Source:  www.ohio.com)

Adult Archaeology Experience offered at "The Works" in Newark: The Works museum is offering an opportunity for adults (age 16 and older) to participate in an actual archaeological “dig” at the historic site of The Ohio & Erie Canal Lock #9 in downtown Newark. The dig will be held on three consecutive Saturdays, July 18, 25 and August 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. Attendees can sign up for one, two or all three Saturdays. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.

The fee to participate on one Saturday is $10 for members of The Works and $15 for non-members. The fee to attend all three Saturdays is $25 for members and $40 for non-members.

Participants will employ standard archaeological techniques to explore the remains of a 19th century canal lock under the direction of trained archaeologist, Allison Galbari.

“This will be a great learning experience for anyone who has ever wondered about archaeology or those that have experience to share,” Galbari said.

Galbari is a graduate of Heidelberg College and has extensive archaeological field experience. Attendees are required to wear a hat, clothes that can get dirty, gloves, shoes with closed heels & toes (tennis shoes would be fine) and a water bottle. Participants must be physically able to bend, kneel and walk around on uneven ground. There will be a break for lunch. Each attendee is responsible for providing his or her own lunch and drinks.

The dig will explore the fill dirt between the walls of the canal lock. Likely finds will be small pieces of ceramic plates, broken glass, bits of wood, brick, metal and other items that may have found their way into the canal over the last 175 years.

The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology is a family fun and learning destination located at 55 S. 1st Street in Newark, Ohio. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 740-349-9277 or visit the web site at www.attheworks.org. (Source: Ohio Archaeology Blog)

ODOT plans for new Inner Belt bridges to replace deteriorating span: Plans for two new Inner Belt bridges over the Cuyahoga River are under way as the current deteriorating bridge is repaired so it can remain open to all traffic.

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While pedestrians and bicyclists will not be allowed on the bridge, ODOT will work on bike/pedestrian routes, which may include helping to extend the Towpath Trail from Tremont to downtown, said Tim Donovan, executive director of the Ohio Canal Corridor. (Source: www.cleveland.com)

Park service seeks comment on Tinkers Creek Aqueduct plan: The National Park Service is seeking public comment on replacing the historical Tinkers Creek Aqueduct in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The park is weighing two options for the structure on the old Ohio & Erie Canal along Canal Road in Valley View in the northern part of the park:

• A no-action alternative.

• Installing a new aqueduct with girders and a new canal trough, a pile foundation system, rehabilitating the existing abutments and center pier and removal of the steel pipes and overflows now in place.

But it's no secret that the park has been looking at replacing the old aqueduct for years.

The proposed replacement, the second phase of the overall project, would cost between $1 million and $2 million, said park engineer Rob Bobel. A contract could be awarded by late this year and work could get under way next spring, he said. The proposed project would be funded with federal stimulus funds, he said.

The metal structure had carried the old canal over Tinkers Creek. It was deemed unsafe and closed in 2000. In 2002, trail traffic was routed on the nearby vehicle bridge over Tinkers Creek. In 2007, the remnants of the aqueduct were removed and a new trail bridge was built over the creek next to the aqueduct. That work included temporary piping to carry canal water across Tinkers Creek. Those repairs allowed park officials to maintain water in the northern part of the canal.

That Phase 1 work cost about $550,000, officials said.

The 90-foot-long aqueduct was built in 1915. It was the third aqueduct at that site. The old aqueduct was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was one of four in the Cuyahoga Valley. The only other surviving aqueduct is on Mill Creek in Garfield Heights.

The park service will accept public comment on its environmental assessment until July 31. Comments may be mailed to Superintendent, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141. A draft plan is available for public review at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cuva. For more information, contact Bobel at 440-546-5972. (Source:  www.ohio.com)

Trail news: LINK TO THE LAKE: The Link to the Lake trail will be an important connection from the future Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail to Wendy Park on Whiskey Island. The Trust for Public Land is partnering with Cleveland’s ParkWorks and Building Cleveland by Design to facilitate the acquisition of almost a mile of railroad corridor along the Cuyahoga River. City residents, especially those who reside in public housing at Lakeview Terrace as well as the Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods will have recreational trail access to the future Canal Basin Park and the Lakefront.

Location: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County

Size: 1 Mile

Features: Connects future Towpath Trail to Wendy Park on Whiskey Island. Provides Trail and lakeshore access to underserved inner city neighborhoods. Provides opportunity to connect the future Canal Basin Park with Whiskey Island.

CANAL BASIN PARK: Canal Basin Park is an extraordinary opportunity to create public green space in the heart of the City of Cleveland, where the Cuyahoga River curves through the industrial Flats. Canal Basin Park will celebrate Cleveland’s industrial past and ethnic heritage while bringing much-needed green space to the city. It will provide city neighborhood access to the hike-and-bike Towpath Trail that will extend for 110 miles through the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor and offer trail connection opportunities to Wendy Park at Whiskey Island. The Trust for Public Land is working in cooperation with the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Canal Corridor and other private and public entities to establish Canal Basin Park.

Location: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County

Size: 30 acres

Features: Creation of urban green space along the Cuyahoga River. Offers trail connection opportunities to Wendy Park at Whiskey Island. Provides access to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s via the hike-and-bike Towpath Trail.

CONFLUENCE PARK WETLANDS: Located in the fast developing Portage Lakes region of Summit County, the 116-acre Confluence Park Wetlands is located in the headwaters of the Tuscarawas River. The property contains 42 acres of the highest quality wetlands, providing crucial habitat for a diversity of plant animal communities. The Confluence Park Wetlands is essential to maintaining the quality of the Tuscarawas River and preventing downstream flooding. It is also a critical trail linkage corridor located between the Firestone Metro Park and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The Trust for Public Land worked with Metro Parks Serving Summit County to protect the vital Confluence Park Wetlands for public enjoyment, water-quality protection, and plant and animal habitat.

Location: Coventry Township, Summit County

Size: 116 acres

Features: Protects 46 acres of the highest quality wetlands in the Upper Tuscarawas watershed. Increases river buffer protection. Provides a trail linkage opportunity between Firestone Metro Park and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. (Source:  to follow...)

Uncovering clues of the canal: Children in brimmed hats and dusty gloves dug in the dirt and sifted through rocks Tuesday to uncover clues to the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal. The young archaeologists were participating in summer camp at The Works museum, which intends to redesign the excavation site -- once Lock No. 9 -- as a transportation park.

After skimming off layers of dirt, the children, ages 7 and 8, carried buckets of earth to screens to separate the soil from any potential artifacts.

Ethan Hile, 8, handed a lumpy object he found to camp counselor Allison Galbari, an anthropology graduate of Heidelberg University and Licking Valley alumna, and asked what it was. As Galbari turned the object in her hand, she said, "If it's magnetic, it's a clinker -- that's melted coal. We'll test it in the lab."

Gathered in plastic bags were their finds so far: bricks, bits of ceramic plates, wood, nails, glass and pipe.

The weeklong camp, also being offered to kids ages 9 to 11, began with a lesson on the canal's history, continues with the excavation and culminates with cleaning the artifacts and creation of a museum display. The campers also learn about recycling and landfills. The canal reputedly once was a popular receptacle for trash.

"The kids first learned the history of the canal so they could form a hypothesis of what they would find out here," Galbari said.

The children speculated they would find wood pieces from the lock or boats and railroad parts (a track once ran alongside the canal). Hile, who wants to be a paleontologist one day, said he was having a good time and enjoyed the digging. "I wanted to find spears, like arrowheads," Hile said. "We found lots of glass, and we found two pieces of parts of plates."

Galbari, who has studied with archaeologist Brad Lepper and worked on digs for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, said one of the hardest things to teach the children was to remove dirt in thin layers. "It's hard for anyone to do because they just want to dig down," she said.

Jacob Sellers, 7, said he had found pottery and glass, but hoped to find dinosaur bones too. As the other campers grabbed a snack and a reprieve from the sun, he returned to his dig site, diligently searching for more artifacts. (Source: www.newarkadvocate.com)

Are you hooked on Facebook like I am? Well, this site now has a page on Facebook! If you're on Facebook, so a search for the "Inquisitive Visitor's Guide to the Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail" and become a fan. You can post pics and info on the page as well as find out about the latest updates to this site. There are also various discussion threads there. Feel free to leave comments about the site, including things you'd like to see me include. Enjoy!

Happy 182nd birthday, Ohio & Erie Canal!

I took a trip down to the Cuyahoga Valley today and I was simply amazed at all of the people that were out enjoying the beautiful day on the Towpath Trail. I wished I could have been out with them but my schedule didn't allow for it. But it was a cool sight nonetheless.

Hope your Independence Day was a good one.

OK, so on to some personal news. I guess the biggest news I've had lately is that we completed our fifth Towpath Expedition in June. This year, four of us rode from Cleveland to Roscoe Village over three days using more Towpath Trail than ever before. We made overnight stops in Canal Fulton and New Philadelphia and rode approximately 60, 40, and 40 miles over the three days. I'm hoping to get my recap up on the site very soon before I forget some of the details. It was a lot of fun and got me pretty stoked for next year's planned ride from Cleveland to Portsmouth. That's right - 300 miles on a bike following the old canal route. Should be a good time, assuming I get myself in shape before the ride!

Here's a bit of Towpath construction news. I checked out the Wilbeth to Waterloo leg today and from what I can tell, the bridge over Ley Ditch is in place. I don't know if it's surfaced yet, but the frame appears to be there. I couldn't explore for more info as I was on a bit of a schedule. The trailhead at Wilbeth Road is coming along as well.

I got word while on my ride through Bolivar that construction of the trail from Ft. Laurens to downtown Bolivar would begin the following week, but when I drove past the area on my way to Newark earlier this week, I didn't see anything going on. When I get more info, I'll let you know.

I posted a new video on my (aptly named) video page. It's called "Angel of the Canal" and it's quite good. Hope you enjoy it.

I tried my hand at RSS feeds today to hopefully get more info about canal events in other parts of the state. I hope it's profitable so this site can be more complete for the length of the canal.

The Canal Society of Ohio's fall tour will take place on the Ohio & Erie Canal in southern Ohio. I'll post more info as I get it.

Welcome back to the Inquisitive Visitor's Guide to the Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail!

Well, that's not entirely the correct thing to say. It's not you that's been gone, it's me. I hadn't updated this site in almost a year for various reasons. But I've gotten a bit of Canal Fever lately and decided it was time to get back in the game.

The news pieces listed above have been collected over the last year and updated to our current point in time. I changed the format of the page just enough to allow me to post new information as it "comes across my desk" much more easily (and hastily!).

I've got plenty more to talk about, but I'll have to save it for another day. Stay tuned as I get back into getting this site back to what it once was and what I've hoped it could be since its inception. Enjoy!

Cleveland: According to the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, the final 6 miles of the Towpath from Harvard Avenue to Lake Erie are in the planning stages. The trail will be built in phases starting at Harvard Avenue and heading north. Phase I is in the planning stages and construction is scheduled to begin in 2010. Hopes are that the whole thing will be completed by 2015. A very interesting web site showing the path of the trail can be viewed here. Phase II is complete through Steelyard Commons. Preliminary planning for Phase III and the Canal Basin Park are underway (August 2008).

Akron: Coming from the north, the Towpath Trail is completed and open to just behind the Spaghetti Warehouse on Main Street.

Construction of  the trail between AES and the trailhead south of  Bartges Street is scheduled for 2009 (2008 City of Akron Capital Investment and Community Development Plan). The project consists of demolishing the existing 4 lane bridge structure, and constructing two new pre-manufactured concrete bridges that will allow for the canal bridge and bikeway underpass to coexist as separate adjacent bridge structures. Ultimately this will provide the pedestrian/bikeway crossing under Bartges Street avoiding a traffic conflict. The target date is 2009 for construction of the bridge to start (OECC April 2008).

Although it has not been formally dedicated, the trail itself at Summit Lake is complete to Wilbeth Road. Some landscaping and waysides still needs to be completed. You can follow the completed Towpath Trail from West Bartges Street to Wilbeth Road.

The Waterloo Towpath Trail project consists of constructing a central portion of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Wilbeth Road to Waterloo Road adjacent to the Ohio and Erie Canal, along with the construction of approximately a 100-car parking lot at Wilbeth Road. Construction of this section from Wilbeth to Waterloo is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2009 (July 2009). It will include a bridge over Ley Ditch (2008 City of Akron Capital Investment and Community Development Plan).

The Towpath Trail is open from Waterloo Road south to Snyder Road in Barberton.

Barberton: Discussions into building a trailhead at East Tuscarawas Avenue have been opened again.

PPG Phase 2: Phase IIA of the Towpath Trail at PPG, which extends north about one mile from the trailhead at Vanderhoof Road to Eastern Road, is complete. Phase IIB of this trail will run from the north end of Phase IIA, at the maintenance building on Van Buren, to the Snyder Avenue trailhead (Metroparks Serving Summit County February 2008). Early clear cutting is underway for this section (July 2009).

Massillon: The county went back to the drawing board to determine the location of the unfinished Towpath Trail through downtown after reaching an impasse with the railroad on how to cross the tracks between Lincoln Way and Walnut Rd.

Stark County: Construction of the trail bridge at the Tuscarawas Aqueduct site will be handled by Stark County.

Tuscarawas County: Land has been acquired to construct the Towpath Trail from Bolivar to its current terminus south of I-77. Land has also been acquired to build the Towpath from the Tuscarawas-Stark County border to Bolivar along the original alignment of the canal.

In Bolivar, the trail will enter the county after crossing the bridge at the aqueduct site. A new trailhead will be constructed at an expanded city park off of the CanalWay Ohio National Scenic Byway. The trail will follow the historic route of the towpath until it gets to where I-77 runs in that location. There will be a connector trail that will serve as a historic homes walking trail. A new Canal Park will be built in the historic district between I-77 and SR 212 and it will serve as a trailhead. Eventually, the park will also be the start of the Sandy and Beaver Canal Trail that will run east from Bolivar. West of the intersection of I-77 and SR 212 will be a wetlands boardwalk and the trail will follow next to I-77 until it crosses to the north side of the canal on the bridge at Ft. Laurens. The existing visitor center at Ft. Laurens will be a Towpath trailhead and the trail will connect to the bridge crossing I-77.

At the end of the existing trail in Zoarville, the Towpath will join with the Zoar Valley Trail on the east side of the Tuscarawas River. It will reach that point by crossing the historic Zoarville Station bridge. The trail will continue into Dover following part of the Old Zoar Trail which connects Ft. Laurens with Shoenbrunn Village.

The Towpath Trail in Dover will pass near the Reeves House and Museum. A new trailhead will be built near there. The trail will also split at that point. The main trail will continue past the county fairgrounds to the edge of the Tuscarawas River where it will continue south into New Philadelphia. But another section of the trail will head north to the river, follow a riverside trail and existing roads to the Tuscarawas Avenue Bridge, cross the bridge and head back to the east. A new trailhead and Canal Park will be constructed on the north side of the river in the original location of the canal. This trail will also connect with the Buckhorn Creek Trail.

The trail will enter New Philadelphia and cross the Tuscarawas River at Mill Avenue and then split into two sections that will re-converge to cross US 250 on a pedestrian bridge. The trail will split again and the eastern end will go to Lock 13 where a southern gateway and visitor center will be built.

The Tuscarawas County Trail and Greenways Plan calls for improvements to SR 416 and US 36 to allow for bicycle traffic which would essentially be a continuation of the Towpath Trail through Tuscarawas County even if it isn't officially designated as such.

Zoarville:The Ohio Public Work Commission has awarded OECC a grant to assist in purchasing 78.5 acres of land needed to complete the Towpath Trail to Route 800. The property is situated along the Tuscarawas River and will be used for the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail and a trailhead. This project will preserve flood plain land and habitat.