Veterans Find Healing and Connection Through Fly Fishing at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

On Saturday, April 12th, 2024, National Park Trust, in partnership with the National Park Service and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), hosted an inspiring day-long fly fishing event at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. With 40 veterans from Pennsylvania and Ohio participating—each paired with a dedicated PHWFF volunteer—the event offered an opportunity to experience the therapeutic power of nature through fly fishing, education, and connection.

Despite cool, cloudy spring weather, spirits were high as participants gathered near the Everett Covered Bridge, a scenic landmark in the heart of the park.

Four National Park Service rangers led engaging sessions about the park’s rich ecosystems and history. From glacial geology and forest ecology to the stories of the Ohio & Erie Canal, the rangers’ insights deepened the group’s appreciation for the natural and cultural landscapes surrounding them.

After welcoming remarks, the group spent the morning casting lines into Furnace Run, a peaceful stream teeming with aquatic life. For many veterans, this was their first time fly fishing in a national park, a new way to engage with the outdoors and find moments of calm and focus.

Participants connected over a shared lunch as the day unfolded, swapping stories and reflecting on their experiences. In a heartfelt moment, 21 veterans were presented with lifetime military passes, granting them free access to over 2,000 public lands nationwide.

This event at Cuyahoga Valley National Park is part of a series of outdoor recreation experiences organized by National Park Trust, National Park Service, and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in 2025. Each of these programs creates opportunities for veterans to reconnect with nature, community, and themselves, one cast at a time.