PADDLE: Cascade Valley to Northampton Point
Sunday, August 3, 2025
We’ll use two new boat launches for this paddle. The first--our put-in--is in the Valley View area of Summit Metro Parks’s Cascade Valley Metro Park; it opened last summer. Our take-out will be the brand new Northampton Point access point, which just opened this July.
This section of the Cuyahoga shows mixed use: wooded parkland with intrusions from agriculture, recreation, and commercial and residential development. Akron's wastewater treatment plant discharges into the river just upstream of a large, active heron rookery. A lively current adds interest, and in-stream downed trees (strainers) demand caution. Only for paddlers who can control a boat in moving water.
Don't forget your water, sunscreen, and hat. And, as always, your PFD!
Looking forward to paddling with you!
5.5 miles, about 3 hours
Note: We'd earlier scheduled this section for our July outing, but high water led us to paddle in the Upper Watershed instead. We're reinstating this section in place of the Boston-to-Station-Rd. trip that had been scheduled for August 3. If you were really intent on paddling that section, we're sorry. We're just really eager to paddle this section and use these new boat launches.