Once considered one of the most polluted regions in the United States, Cuyahoga is now a shining example of what humans can do to save our environment.

For over a century, the Cuyahoga River was known not for its beauty but rather its pyrotechnics: between 1868 and 1969, the river literally “caught fire” at least 13 times due to the amount of pollution in the water- with a 1969 article by Time Magazine noting that a person was more likely to “decay” than “drown” in the river.

These fires- caused by a blatant disregard for waste management- would eventually jumpstart the environmental movement in the United States, leading to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a nearly 30 million dollar settlement with companies including Ford, General Motors, 3M, and Chrysler.

Today, nearly 50 years later, the region is a shining example of the positive impact we can have on our environment if proper measures are put in place to regulate pollution. While the Park- established in the year 2000- only represents a small portion of Cuyahoga County, its beautiful forests and roaring white waterfalls are a testament to everything both the citizens of Ohio and the country as a whole has fought for over the past half century.

Here are my photos from my trip:

-Morgan