Cuyahoga Valley National Park to close some lots for eclipse and asks locals to stay home
The National Park Service has joined the growing chorus of government entities encouraging northern Ohio residents to stay home on the day of the eclipse.
Summit County was among the first to encourage residents to not stray far from home on the day of the eclipse.
Officials fear a crush of out-of-town visitors could clog roads and strain services as northern Ohio experiences its first total eclipse since 1806.
One of the top destinations will likely be the Cuyahoga Valley National Park that stretches from Akron to Cleveland.
Although the park encompasses roughly 30,000 acres, officials say there is fairly limited parking within the park.
And for this reason, park officials are restricting parking and asking local residents to stay home.
“If you live in the area, your home or neighborhood is where you’ll have the ‘best seat in the house’ for eclipse viewing," said CVNP Superintendent Lisa Petit in a statement. “We are doing our best to be prepared and we are looking forward to welcoming unusually high numbers of visitors."
Cuyahoga Valley National Park restricts parking on eclipse day
The park on Thursday announced that some parking lots within the park will be closed for the entirety of the eclipse.
These parking lots within the park will be closed from 8 p.m. April 7 to 8 p.m. April 8:
Boston Trailhead
Boston Store limited mobility lot
Brandywine Falls (parking lot only, Brandywine Falls accessible via Stanford Trail or Bike & Hike Trail)
The following parking lots will close at 8 p.m. on April 7 and reopen at 7 a.m. on April 8 to discourage visitors from camping overnight in their vehicles:
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
Pamela Barnes, public information officer and community engagement supervisor for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, said they are already receiving calls and emails from folks interested in viewing the eclipse from inside of the park.
"Closing the lots overnight will give us a chance to get staff and volunteers in place in the morning to monitor parking, close full lots, and help visitors," she said. "The lots that are completely closed are so staff can focus on the major eclipse hubs of activity."
What visitors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park should know
Barnes suggests potential visitors review the park's website ahead of time to become familiar with the available parking sites.
"Areas that are normally open to the public will be open until they are full," she said. "Most staff will be helping in some capacity, and yes, we are likely bringing in staff from other parks not in the path of totality and many volunteers will be helping out as well."
The park service says they expect heavy traffic and potentially long waits on roads in and around the park so they suggest visitors carpool as they expect parking lots will fill up early.
Other suggestions include:
Try to have plenty of gas or charge for your vehicle if you plan to drive.
Bring plenty of food, water, and any required medications. Consider these same needs if traveling with pets.
Cell service may be limited. Charge your phone and write down key phone numbers just in case.
In the park, in case of emergency dial 911 or 440-546-5945. Responses could be delayed due to traffic.
Get to know the area before you visit and bring a paper map.
Let others know where you will be.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cuyahoga Valley National Park expects big crowds for solar eclipse
