CVNP runs from Cleveland to Akron along the Cuyhaoga river. It is the busiest national park in the country and is one of the closest to a major urban area. CVNP is such an asset to Cleveland/Northeast Ohio area and I hope the people living there appreciate it.
Before trains, intrepid American engineers built canals to ship goods across the country. The most famous is the Erie canal in New York. Well, they also built a canal connecting Lake Erie and the Ohio river via the Cuyahoga with the aptly named Ohio-Erie Canal. Canals aren't really used anymore, but the park follows a good portion of the old canal. In fact, the old paths used by mules to pull the barges down the canal has now been smartly converted into paths for bicycles.
Traveling along the river you can see remnants of the old canal system. At Boston, you can see where the barges were built and an old general store. At the Canal visitor center you can find a museum regarding the canals and their locks and see an example of a lock outside. There is a farm you can visit to see what life was like in the 1800s. In addition, the park has numerous walking, hiking, biking trails that could satisfy any outdoor enthusiast.
Ranger stations and visitor centers dot the park along the river. They are friendly and helpful in answering any questions.
The park itself is beautiful and quite impressive. It's perfect to spend an hour or days in and it is literally in someone's back yard.