About Us
Canalway is one of two founding organizations of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area.
The Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area preserves and celebrates the rails, trails, landscapes, towns and sites that grew up along the first 110 miles of the canal that helped Ohio and our nation grow. There are four counties represented within the National Heritage Area’s 110 miles, Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas.
Canalway focuses on preserving and promoting the National Heritage Area in Cuyahoga County. This includes 11 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, 50 plus miles of America’s Byway, and all of Cuyahoga County’s trails, parks, waterways and historic assets that make the Ohio & Erie Canalway a nationally important landscape.
11
miles of the Towpath Trail
15+
miles of connector trails
4.4
miles of watered canal
23
historic districts
National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. Through their resources, NHAs tell nationally important stories that celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage. NHAs are lived-in landscapes.
The Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area recognizes the impact the Ohio & Erie Canal had on the growth of Ohio and the nation. The Ohio & Erie Canal was dug by hand between 1825 and 1832 and followed trail routes once used by Native Americans.
The Ohio & Erie Canal was the first canal west of the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Upon completion, people and products flowed across America – from New York City to New Orleans.
You can learn more about the country’s 61 National Heritage Areas via the Alliance of National Heritage Areas.
