Cuyahoga River, river mile 57.9

The name Cuyahoga is believed to mean "crooked river" from the Mohawk Indian name Cayagaga, although the Senecas called it Cuyohaga, or "place of the jawbone". It begins its course in northern Geauga County and heads south until it runs through the City of Akron in Summit County, where it turns and begins heading north until it meets Lake Erie. The Cuyahoga River, at times during the 20th century, was one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. The reach from Akron to Cleveland was devoid of fish. The river is famous for having been so polluted that it caught fire several times before the famous fire of 1969. These events helped to spur the environmental movement in the US that eventually lead to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act.

The Cuyahoga River of today demonstrates proof that environmental stewardship can bring a dead river back to life, and in 1998 was designated one of 14 American Heritage Rivers. On June 26, 1974, 25 miles of mostly undeveloped river in the headwaters of the river were designated as State Scenic River by the State of Ohio Division of Natural Resources. The Cuyahoga River was also designated as a National Heritage Corridor in 1996.