Officials with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park urged area residents in a press release Thursday to stay at home April 8 or in their own neighborhoods to get “the best seat in the house” to view the eclipse.
“We are doing our best to be prepared, and we are looking forward to welcoming unusually high numbers of visitors,” said Lisa Petit, the park superintendent. “If you are traveling to CVNP, we have some suggestions to help you plan a safe and enjoyable experience.”
The park officials recommend that visitors:
- Plan for a long day and visit the park website before heading out.
- Come early and stay late. Consider staying for a hike after the eclipse.
- Download the NPS app ahead of time and save CVNP information for offline use. (Always good advice when traveling away from home in the national parks.)
- Consider carpooling and have a full tank of gas or charge for your vehicle.
- Park in official spaces only. Parking lots will close when they are full.
- Pack it in, pack it out. Take any trash out of the park, since the facilities may be overwhelmed.
- Be aware that emergency response could be delayed due to traffic.
Parking lot hours:
These lots will close at sunset (8 p.m.) April 7 and re-open at sunrise (7 a.m.) April 8:
- Boston Mill Visitor Center
- Canal Exploration Center
- Crow Foot Gully
- Happy Days Lodge (south of state Route 303)
- Hines Hill Center
- Ledges Shelter
- Little Meadow
- Octagon Shelter
- Pine Hollow
- Station Road Bridge Trailhead
- Kendall Lake
The following parking lots will close at 8 p.m. April 7 and remain closed until April 8 at 8 p.m., so they’re not available for eclipse watching:
- Boston Trailhead
- Boston Store limited mobility lot
- Brandywine Falls (parking lot only, Brandywine Falls is still accessible via the Stanford Trail or Bike & Hike Trail)
Refer to the CVNP map for locations. For more park information, visit www.nps.gov/cuva, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or call 440-717-3890.
