Terra Vista Nature Study Area news article
Cuyahoga Valley National Park website
Cuyahoga Valley National Park map
Cuyahoga Valley National Park trail maps
Also, see Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cuyahoga Valley National Park-Lower Cuyahoga River Important Bird Area
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eBird Hotspot
Cuyahoga Valley NP–Terra Vista Nature Study Area
Coordinates: 41.3705287, -81.6054153
eBird links: Hotspot map – View details – Recent visits
My eBird links: Location life list – Submit data
The trailhead is on the north side of Tinker’s Creek Road. Just west of the Valley View Village Church parking lot there are a driveway and a small lot that accommodates five or six cars. The entrance to the park leads to a 100-foot ascent on a gravel road. On top is old scrub field habitat with wetland remains of a sand and gravel mining operation, long out of operation. The area has been recently cleared of significant quantities of Autumn Olive. It is a nature study area with a butterfly loop trail, a fishing pond, and an old cemetery but no formally declared trails.
From Fred Losi
About Terra Vista Nature Study Area
The northern portion of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is relatively narrow. It is easy to think the corridor with the Ohio & Erie Canal, Cuyahoga River, and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is the extent of the park. This assumption might be reinforced by the absence of designated trails beyond the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. However, there is a very interesting area marked on more recent versions of the park map — the Terra Vista Natural Study Area. It is worth the trip to Terra Vista, especially if you are curious about places found off the beaten path.
When the National Park Service acquired Terra Vista in 1985, the site hosted an active sand and gravel mining operation. You would not have considered visiting there for nature study. But, like many areas of the park that share a history of mining, dumping, and other heavy uses, its recent past is barely recognizable. Today, this once disturbed landscape is a thriving home for many plants and animals.
From Terra Vista Nature Study Area news article
About Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal.
From Cuyahoga Valley National Park website
There are no restrooms in the study area, but the Canal Road Visitor’s Center is just north with permanent restrooms. Bedford Reservation (Hemlock Creek Picnic Area) is a short distance to the east along Tinkers Creek Road with permanent restrooms.
