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Cuyahoga Valley National Park (3)
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Towpath Trail
One of the most noteworthy and heavily used features of the park is the Towpath Trail. This trail, which is composed of crushed limestone or asphalt, is built along the route of the towpath once trod by the horses and mules which pulled the canal boats. A section of the trail, running along the canal, is shown below.
The trail was generally located between the river and the canal. It was supposed to be 10 feet in width. The horses or mules which pulled the canal boats were tended by young men known as "hoagies" or "mule boys." These lads earned a salary of $14 a month. Interestingly, one person who served time as a hoagie was a future president of the United States, James A. Garfield.
The Towpath Trail runs through a number of types of landscape along its course, including wooded areas of oaks, elms, and maples. The Towpath Trail was originally opened for recreation purposes in 1993.
The Towpath Trail is heavy used for recreation purposes. Popular activities on the trail include hiking, running, and bicycling.
The picture below shows a section of the Towpath Trail as it passes next to the Boston Store. Although this is not longer the case, portions of the trail were used for automobile traffic in the twentieth century.
The Towpath Trail continues to run along the route of the canal to the north after it leaves the park, running into Cleveland.
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