Eldon Russell Park
/
It is easy to launch small, non-motorized watercraft onto the Cuyahoga River at Eldon Russell Park.
Eldon Russell Park is part of the Geauga County Park District in northeast Ohio. It has one short trail that walks you through open field, into mature forest and along the Cuyahoga River. It is a fantastic place for birding. With the variety in settings, you can spot field birds such as swallows. In the woods you are likely to see woodpeckers and the like. Along the river you will find an array of warblers and, if you are lucky, some cuckoos. It is also possible to spot river otter that have been reintroduced to the area within the last several years.
On warm weekends, Eldon Russell Park is chocked full of canoes and kayaks. There is an easy slope into the river from the parking lot. You will not get too far going up stream before running into obstacles. With a fair share of portaging you can make your way to Route 168 and then Route 87, where there is another place to park and get your boat in or out of the water.Going downstream from Eldon Russell Park is a pleasant, gentle, easy float. The river is incredibly mild for a few miles. The scenery is ever changing. Lots of open marsh land with many great flower species like bullhead lilies, white water lilies, cardinal flowers and much more. If you stay on the river until later in the day, you will begin to hear a chorus of bull frogs serenading their potential mates. You are also likely to see muskrats and will certainly come upon a beaver den or three (depending on how far down the river you venture).
White water lilies are common on the Cuyahoga River in Geauga County, Ohio.
Bumble bees, dragonflies and hummingbirds can be spotted amongst the pickerel weed.
If you do not have your own canoe or kayak, you can rent one from Camp Hi Canoe Livery. They have half day and full day river floats. The full day begins at Eldon Russell Park.
Eldon Russell Park and the Cuyahoga River are notorious for mosquitoes, so come prepared. Ticks have also become a problem in the last couple of years. There is no running water at Eldon Russell Park, but there are a picnic shelter, small playground and outhouses. Eldon Russell Park is a great place to stretch your legs, anytime of year, on a long car ride between Cleveland and Warren. It is just a couple of miles north of Route 422, a busy thorough way. If you visit the park during the wet season of spring, there is a great possibility that the trail will be flooded along the river. But the scenery is just as beautiful if you double back.
