The Cuyahoga River ( , or kuy-a-HAW-ga) is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught on fire"—which has actually happened more than once—helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s. It begins its 100 mile (160 km) journey in Hambden, Ohio, flowing southwards to Cuyahoga Falls, where it turns sharply north and flows through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). It then flows through Cleveland to its northern terminus, emptying into Lake Erie. The river drains 813 square miles (2,105 km²) of land in portions of six counties. Native Americans called this winding water "Cuyahoga," which means "crooked river" in the Iroquois language.