Cascade Valley Metro Park (Valley View Area)

Cascade Valley Metro Park is a 526-acre park located in central Summit County, Ohio, between downtown Akron and the city of Cuyahoga Falls. The Valley View Area is a recently developed section of the park, opened to the public in 2024.

The Valley View Area was formerly a 200-acre golf course that was acquired by Summit Metro Parks in 2016. Since then, it has undergone extensive ecological restoration to transform the landscape back to its natural state. Where once only 100 species called the golf course home, the restored area now supports nearly 1,000 species of plants and wildlife.

One of the key features of the Valley View Area is its connection to the Cuyahoga River. As part of the restoration efforts, nearly one mile of the river has been returned to its natural state, significantly improving this section of the waterway and benefiting both people and wildlife downstream.

The park offers scenic vistas of the Cuyahoga River Valley and provides free public access to the river itself. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails that wind through the restored natural areas, including meadows, wetlands, and forested sections. The trail system in this area connects to the larger network of trails within Cascade Valley Metro Park and even extends to neighboring parks, creating a contiguous green space of nearly 1,900 acres.

In addition to its natural features, the Valley View Area includes several amenities for visitors. A renovated historic barn serves as a focal point, while new facilities such as restrooms and an open-air shelter have been added to enhance the visitor experience.