Cycling the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

Our AirBnb in Peninsula is a block from Century Cycles, which is located right across the tracks from the Peninsula Depot.  This is a stop on the historic Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, a nonprofit heritage railway operating in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  We were very excited about the Bike Aboard program, which allows visitors to bring bikes on the train, ride any number of stops, then disembark and bike back.  I am a huge fan of train rides (of course) and this option would allow us to see a greater length of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail then if we had to ride out and back.  We were planning to dedicate a full day to Bike Aboard fun, so it worked out really great when we discovered that several of the Junior Ranger activities Frankie needed to complete were right along the Towpath Trail.  Perfect!

We started the day walking down to Century Cycles and getting set up with bikes.  We weren't sure how long this would take and had a little extra time before the train would arrive.  We decided to explore the Towpath Trail for a short distance south of Peninsula, since we would be boarding a northbound train and seeing that section of the trail on the way back.  We crossed a bridge over the Cuyahoga River, then rode for about a mile before turning back just past the spur trail to Deep Lock Quarry Metropark (we couldn't resist continuing through the tunnel before turning around). 

It turns out we could have ridden further.  We arrived back at the depot 10 minutes early, as directed by the Bike Aboard website.  Then we stood on boiling hot tarmac for the next 40 minutes waiting for a very late train.  This was somewhat frustrating as it was extremely hot and there was no shade, but we did our best to put the unpleasantness behind us and enjoy the rest of the day. 

We were thrilled to finally board and get out of the sun, and enjoyed the beginning of the ride very much.  But as much as we'd been looking forward to the train ride, it is a slow journey and we were somewhat restless and eager to disembark when we finally got to Rockside Road, the northern-most stop.  We managed to snag our bikes and zipped off quickly, leaving the crowds behind.  Other riders gradually passed us as we pedaled south; there were many interpretive signs and Frankie wanted to read every single one. 

We made a longer stop at the Canal Exploration Center so Frankie could do some Junior Ranger stuff.  The visitor's center was closed due to COVID, but there was enough interpretive information posted outside that Frankie was able to figure out most of what he needed.  I gave him a snack and we drank some water, then pedaled on. 

The Towpath Trail passes under a number of very dramatic bridges.  None of the interpretive signs even mention them though, so I guess they must all be modern. 

our alien overlords have arrived

When we got to the Boston Mills area, we made another lengthy stop for Junior Ranger activities.  This one had Frankie following clues on a sort of a scavenger hunt that led to a hidden stamp that he had to ink into his booklet.  He loved this! 

After completing the Junior Ranger activities, we popped into the gift shop to get something cold.  Frankie was thrilled with his SpongeBob popsicle, and I was equally pleased with my choice: locally made key lime pie ice cream.  So refreshing! 

After enjoying our treats, we pedaled the last few miles back to Peninsula.  This section featured another dramatic bridge, along with a wooden boardwalk and tunnels on the Towpath Trail. 

Before we knew it, we were back at the lock we pedaled by this morning on our short excursion south.  We crossed back over the Cuyahoga River and returned the rental bikes.  We made a quick stop to order takeout from a restaurant in between the bike shop and our AirBnB, then walked back to the apartment, where Frankie hung out enjoying the AC while I went back to fetch the food.  We tore through our dinners, took some quick showers, then spent the rest of the evening playing the new board game I bought Frankie yesterday at the visitor's center.  We ended up biking 15.8 miles AND enjoying the historic scenic train ride.  This is a great way to explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park!