Last updated: June 15, 2026
Place
Stumpy Basin
NPS/Arrye Rosser
Quick Facts
Location:
Park at Boston Trailhead, 1508 Boston Mills Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264. (Accessible parking at Boston Store Trailhead.) Walk south on the Towpath Trail.
Significance:
Historically, Stumpy Basin was a wide spot in the Ohio & Erie Canal where boats could turn around or get out of the flow of traffic. Today, it is one of the most biologically diverse areas of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Designation:
Ohio and Erie Canal District; Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area; Ohio to Erie Trail; Industrial Heartland Trail Network
Amenities
5 listed
Audio Description, Benches/Seating, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
The diverse wetland known as Stumpy Basin was once a wide spot in the Ohio & Erie Canal. Canallers needed basins to turn around because their boats were typically longer than the 40-foot-wide canal. Canallers also used them as parking lots. They could pull out of the flow of traffic to spend the night or wait to load or unload in Boston or Peninsula.
In winter, canal boats could not operate on the frozen canal. Stumpy Basin became a boat storage area. In later years, the area became an ice-harvesting hub. Once the ice reached a thickness of 12 inches, it was cut into 24 x 48-inch blocks. It was then stored in nearby icehouses, covered by thick layers of sawdust from local mills. When the weather warmed up, the blocks of ice were shipped out to Cleveland or Akron for use in ice boxes. Before refrigeration, ice boxes offered a way to keep foodstuffs cool.
Today the wetland is one of the more diverse in the park. The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail passes through on a boardwalk, scheduled for replacement in 2026. Take a moment to do what canal boats once did: pull over on a wide spot and take a break. It will give you a chance to enjoy the wetland plants and look for wildlife.
Stumpy Basin is one mile south of Boston and 1.5 miles north of Peninsula.