When visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Beaver Marsh Boardwalk Trail is a must see. It’s on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and is an exceptional stop to make on your visit. The trail from the parking lot to get to the boardwalk is smooth and easy to access off of the Ira Trailhead.
This area is known for its abundant wildlife with everything from snakes, blue herons, beavers, turtles, ducks, minks, muskrats and otters along with various types of birds. The elevated boardwalk stretches across the marsh where many of the wildlife live.
This puts you right in the middle of the action from a variety of viewpoints. It gives you an opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat without interfering or disturbing the critters that live there. You can take some time and observe the water and after a few minutes you’ll likely find something interesting.
The boardwalk is a good distance so even when there are several people out especially in the summer months it never feels crowded. Throughout the vast Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this is one of the can’t miss spots.
It’s great to visit during the summer when everything is green and so many of the animals are active. However it is also great to come in the fall when vegetation hasn’t fully grown and covered the marsh. It’s during this time that it’s much easier to see what’s floating and moving around in the water under you.
Our Family’s Visits to the Beaver Marsh Boardwalk Trail
Our family loves visiting this spot because it seems that every time we visit we see something new. No matter when we go something is moving around and playing around us. Going during the spring especially will mean that you’ll more than likely be serenaded by a cacophony of various birds and frogs which adds to the experience.
We’ve had the opportunity of visiting in spring, summer and fall. Our favorite is probably summer because of the greenery even though it can be a bit more difficult to see the animals in the marsh at times.
For families with young children, this is an easy short walk from the parking lot with plenty to see on the way to the boardwalk.
This is the type of location that young children will love because it’s so full of life and sound. Kids find it very exciting to spot something moving around under the water and then trying to locate and identify the animals.
How to Get There
If you’re driving, you can park at the Ira Trailhead parking lot which is off of Riverview Road. This is located in the south end of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
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From the parking lot, you’ll head to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and turn left. The boardwalk is just a couple of minutes down the path. This path from the parking lot to the boardwalk is smooth, easy to walk and quite scenic.