Photo Gallery (U.S. National Park Service)

On May 24, 2021, Cuyahoga Valley National Park closed the Buckeye Trail between Riverview and Snowville roads for a major trail improvement project. At the same time, Summit County closed the nearby section of Boston Mills Road for repairs. The trail construction addressed severe resource damage due to increased trail use. Visitors can now safely hike to the popular Blue Hen Falls.

*The copyright status of these images may vary. Check the copyright status on the image detail pages before you download them.

Two excavators operate on a steep road through green forest. The asphalt has already been removed. On the right edge is a trench with a new storm sewer pipe.

Boston Mills Road Repairs (202...

1280 x 960
0.6 MB

A wooden sign painted brown stands left of the gravel and dirt trail surrounded by green forest. Text reads “Blue Hen Falls 1/16 M” and “Buckeye Trail to Jaite,” both with an arrow pointed up.

A Trail in Danger (2020)

870 x 1304
0.3 MB

At the edge of a road, left, an orange cone and a sign mark a trail that disappears into dense woods. The white plastic push in sign reads “Blue Hen Falls” with an arrow pointed right. Down the road on the far left, a yellow road sign warns drivers to curves ahead.

Safety Hazard (2020)

2975 x 4456
6.7 MB

A wide, dry dirt trail leads though a green forest. The edge of the trail is lined with trampled vegetation. A social trail stems off to the right.

Erosion and Trail Widening (20...

4016 x 6016
14.6 MB

A long wooden staircase with a railing on the right leads up a green, wooded hillside. The top of the stairs disappears into the trees and undergrowth.

A Steep Staircase (2020)

6016 x 4016
14.0 MB

A group of volunteers move and unload stone onto a trail surrounded by green forest. One man pushes a regular wheelbarrow full of trail material. Another man dumps a blue power assisted wheelbarrow as a third man rakes out the stone. Others stand waiting. The volunteers wear tan uniform shirts and hats, work pants, and gloves. Some have muddy rain jackets.

Moving Rocks (2021)

3024 x 4032
6.9 MB

A man wearing a volunteer hat and work clothes lifts a shovelful of small rocks. He stands in mud to the left of the new hardened trail crossing. The crossing is covered in small rocks and rock slabs. Beyond, the dirt trail curves away through the green forest.

Installing a Hardened Crossing...

3024 x 4032
5.7 MB

View down a steep hillside construction area with stacks of lumber. Old straight stairs with a railing are on the left. New wider stairs disappear out of view on the right.

Goodbye Old Stairs (2021)

3024 x 4032
6.9 MB

A worker in a neon yellow shirt and helmet stands on a red “Ditch Witch” that lifts one end of a large piece of lumber. He looks over his shoulder at the ground as he drives backwards on a dirt trail. In the foreground, water bottles and other personal items rest on stacked lumber.

Hauling Lumber for Stairs (202...

2526 x 4491
2.0 MB

Hoisting the Lumber Uphill (20...

3012 x 4512
2.9 MB

View down a forested hillside. The worker in the right foreground leans back as he pulls the rope that moves the lumber uphill. New lumber is stacked neatly on either side of him and on either side of the two workers below. The old lumber lays in haphazard stacks on the bare slope in between.

Downhill View of the Rope Syst...

3012 x 4512
2.9 MB

Closer view of the upper crew tending the ropes beside stacked lumber. Under a white tent, they have been cutting the lumber into new steps. To the left, the old and new staircases wind uphill.

Staircase Construction Site (2...

3213 x 4813
2.9 MB

View uphill with the newly built stairs in the foreground. Four long handled tools rest upright on the far side. A short stack of cut lumber is wedged between two trees. The old wooden staircase goes straight up the steep slope and has a railing on the right side. The new trail route to the right has been staked out through the forest, but not roughed in.

Progress on the New Staircase ...

3414 x 5114
3.3 MB

A trail is under construction along a forested hillside. This view looks straight down a
section that bend right out of view. Short planks of wood are stacked in the foreground, waiting to be added to the new boardwalk. Two trail workers stand behind a skid steer at the far end. The caterpillar tracks of the skid steer run beside the boardwalk.

A New Boardwalk Takes Shape (2...

2381 x 3567
1.6 MB

View down a partially constructed bridge with a steep, wooded trail in the background. Nine men work on either side of a ravine.

Building a New Footbridge (202...

4032 x 3024
4.4 MB

Side view of a gray metal bridge with a wooden deck spanning a small ravine; on the far side, wooden stairs ascend a steep, wooded slope.

The Footbridge is Finished (20...

3024 x 4032
4.7 MB

Back to top | View All

Tags

ohio midwest buckeye trail hiking landscape stewardship monitoring erosion natural resource management natural resources research environmental