Botzum Station

Botzum Station is a covered platform on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, beside the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail just north of Botzum Trailhead. It is useful for hikers, runners and cyclists using the seasonal Explorer shuttle; by car, it is a brief stop for the shelter and its exhibit. Park at Botzum Trailhead and walk north along the path to the platform. The station is designated wheelchair accessible, but train-boarding details are limited, so check before relying on a step-free boarding.

The open-sided yellow shelter has a gray-shingled roof, benches and a wooden platform beside the track. Panels inside explain how the railroad shaped valley communities, with old photographs of Botzum. Accessible vault and composting restrooms are available. Beaver Marsh is 2.5 miles north along the Towpath, a natural next stop by foot or bike.

Botzum was a crossroads hamlet named for the prosperous Botzum family. It grew during the 19th century as a canal-era shipping and supply point; when the Valley Railway arrived, the hamlet had its own depot. Rail service began in 1880, carrying coal from the Tuscarawas Valley toward Cleveland, Akron and Canton, along with passengers. The present shelter echoes the former depot, but it is not historic, and the hamlet itself no longer survives.