Later this month, a pop-up store for visitors will open inside of an historic railroad car in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The store, called Trail Mix, will be housed on a spur track along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in the town of Peninsula. It will feature snacks, refreshments, books, souvenirs and other items.

Then, later this year, Trail Mix will move into its permanent location at 1600 West Mill Street, adjacent to the Winking Lizard and the tracks where visitors hop aboard the Scenic Railroad. Peninsula has become a hub for visitors to the 33,000 acre national park, which draws more than three million visitors annually and is considered to be one of the most popular national parks in the country.

The store will be operated by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help educate the general public about the park, protect and conserve its national resources, market the park to visitors, and promote the activities and amenities that exist within the park.

"This is an opportunity for us to really introduce people to all the wonderful things that exist within the 33,000 acres of the park," says Janice Matteucci, Chief Operations Officer for the Conservancy. "We're also partnering with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad so that people can buy their tickets here."

The new, 3,000 square foot store will provide a larger storefront space for both organizations and add to the retail offerings in downtown Peninsula. Trail Mix will have outdoor seating and serve local foods such as cookies baked at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center and Mitchell's Ice Cream.

Source: Janice Matteucci
Writer: Lee Chilcote