We started at the Red Lock parking area near the middle of the national park part of the towpath and went north. The only facility here is a portable toilet (no water). The towpath in the national park is not paved but is smooth stone dust. We used mountain bikes, but road bikes with fairly heavy tires would probably be okay. The path was near the canal all the way and close to the Cuyahoga River most of the way. For the first few miles the river was slow moving, the path was moderately shady and the condition of the canal varied between filled with water, dry, and filled in with ground. We went in August and the canal had a scummy look in many places. After a few miles, the river became some what faster moving and looked better.