Rocky River (Ohio)

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The Rocky River in the Cleveland Metroparks' Rocky River Reservation on the boundary of the cities of Cleveland and Rocky River

A shale cliff along the Rocky River in the Rocky River Reservation on the boundary of the cities of Lakewood and Rocky River

The Rocky River is a relatively short river that forms the western boundaries of the cities of Cleveland and Lakewood, Ohio. The city of Rocky River, on the west bank bordering Lakewood, is named after the river.

The river itself is formed at the confluence of two tributaries; the western branch rises in southeast Lorain County and flows north through the town of Olmsted Falls. The eastern branch rises in the Cleveland suburb of North Royalton and flows northwest through Strongsville and Berea. The two branches converge at a point known as Cedar Point (no relation to the theme park north of Sandusky) just west of Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport.

The Rocky River flows through a V-shaped valley; the valley and the river are part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. The valley is heavily forested, and a parkway along the river provides access to many different activities available in the park. Given the heavy population density of Cleveland and its older suburbs, many of which border on the valley, the valley provides a popular location for recreational activities that would be difficult in other parts of the city.

From Cedar Point northward, the valley is quite deep, at times approaching 150 feet below the ground on either side of the valley. This depth has required a number of high level bridges to cross the valley. Among the routes that cross the valley via these bridges are Interstates 480 and 90, U.S. Highways 6 and 20, and various other local roads. Several low-level bridges also cross the river within the valley, but these are almost exclusively used by local traffic.

Unlike other rivers in Northeast Ohio, the Rocky is largely free from industrial pollution and maintains a rustic character that is surprising given its proximity to Cleveland and its suburbs.