Summit Lake North Shore
The new boat ramp and dock on the North Shore of Summit Lake is pretty nice. The boat is a 1967 Century, made of mahogany wood. Admittedly, it’s a little big for this lake, but the canal channel is plenty deep, and we were able to clear the bridge with just under a foot to spare.
In earlier times, Summit Lake was full of boats. Rubber workers and their families operated canoes and motorized launches on Akron’s waterways as a pastime. There were several canoe liveries and boat clubs extending from the North Shore of Summit Lake, up the canal, and into downtown; the last of these closed in the 1960s.
Akron is now reinvesting in its neglected waterways, and the progress brings a feeling of rediscovering something that has been lost. Here’s to hoping that the ongoing revitalization gets more people onto the water.