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The D&L Trail runs for more than 140 miles through Eastern Pennsylvania, from just north of Philadelphia to Mountain Top in the Poconos Region. It follows historical canal and railroad routes at the core of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, where natural resources and human ingenuity combined to power the nation’s Industrial Revolution.
Delaware Canal State Park Segment: 58 miles
The southern section of the D&L Trail from Bristol to Easton passes through the linear Delaware Canal State Park for nearly 60 miles. This is the longest section of trail, with only minor interruptions. The crushed-gravel surface follows the towpath that dates to the early 1800s, when Bristol was chosen as the terminus of the canal that carried huge shipments of anthracite coal to drive regional industries.
Travelers through here will find canal locks, aqueducts, and other historical structures and homes. Between Bristol and Morrisville, the trail passes near Levittown, an early example of the modern American suburb. Dining and lodging are available in many towns along this route. The tree-lined waterway supports bald eagles, herons, and ospreys, as well as smaller bird species and other wildlife. Walleye, bass, and shad thrive in the Delaware River.
Technically, the starting point for the trail begins at Bristol Lions Park (100 Basin Park, Bristol, Pennsylvania); however, a gap currently exists between the park and the trailhead at Jefferson Avenue (near Prospect Street), making the Jefferson Avenue trailhead an excellent starting point.
Several short gaps occur in the first 9 miles to Morrisville: in Tullytown by Levittown Town Center; at Tyburn Road in Morrisville; at the CSX rail corridor, just farther north of Tyburn Road; and at Lincoln Highway/Bridge Street in Morrisville. The gaps at Tyburn Road and at the CSX corridor are expected to be resolved by the end of 2019, though fixing the gaps at Tullytown (incomplete but passable) and at Bridge Street (not passable) is expected to take longer. Trail users can detour on the road around the Bridge Street gap.
Along the D&L Trail, Washington Crossing Historic Park, a major attraction, lies 8 miles up from Morrisville. It marks the spot where General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776 for a successful surprise attack on British forces.
As the trail arrives in New Hope, cross PA 32/River Road/Main Street, and take a sidewalk for about 300 feet to a short flight of steps back up to the canal path. The trail goes through downtown, which features dining and specialty shops. A popular stop here for exploring local history is the Locktender’s House (which serves as an interpretive center) and Lock 11.
From downtown New Hope, the trail follows the canal 35 miles to Easton, where it turns to head up the Lehigh River from its confluence with the Delaware.
Lower Lehigh River Segment: 16.7 miles
This section of the D&L Trail follows the path of the Lehigh Canal from Easton to Bethlehem and Allentown, the most populated section of the trail. Barges primarily hauled coal and iron from mines and foundries upriver beginning as early as 1818.
The pathway is paved at the beginning of this stretch but later is surfaced with crushed stone. Just before crossing the Lehigh River on the Hill Road bridge 2.3 miles past Easton, history buffs might enjoy continuing straight to Hugh Moore Park, home of the National Canal Museum, where visitors can ride a mule-drawn canalboat.
About 6 miles farther down the trail from the bridge, trail users can find the Freemansburg Canal Education Center, located in a restored mule barn from 1829. The historical site features a canal lock, lock tender’s house, and the ruins of a gristmill. Passing through neighboring Bethlehem, trail users have a clear view of the towering Bethlehem Steel chimneys across the river. Once a major steelmaker, the site is now home to an entertainment and cultural events venue named SteelStacks. This section of trail ends at Canal Park in Allentown.
Following the bend in the river north begins an 8-mile gap in the trail, where most of the route, except for a 0.5-mile path through Allentown’s Overlook Park, is on shared roads.
Middle Lehigh River Segment: 31.7 miles
An unimproved, but open, 1.4-mile section of the D&L Trail runs along the east side of the Lehigh River in Catasauqua and North Catasauqua. The path resumes at the intersection of Canal Street and West 10th Street in Northampton.
From the Northampton trailhead, the D&L Trail is paved for 1.3 miles through Canal Street Park and crosses the Lehigh River on the PA 329/West 21st Street bridge (bicyclists are encouraged to walk). On the west riverbank, the crushed-stone pathway—which follows the former railbed of the Lehigh Valley Railroad—travels upstream around a few bends through lush forests and towering cliffs with breathtaking views of the river. In 11 miles the trail reaches Slatington, where trail users will find the Slate Heritage Trail junction; both are named for the abundant slate deposits mined here.
Across the Lehigh River via the PA 873/Main Street Bridge is the 3.9-mile Walnutport Canal Spur that passes through Walnutport, where old locks, a lock tender’s house and museum, and ruins of an aqueduct are visible.
Northampton to North Catasauqua Segment: 1.5 miles
Running through the North Catasauqua and Northampton boroughs, this paved section of off-road trail features a new pedestrian bridge over a historic lock gate, a “living wall” that will support and protect the trail with green infrastructure, and gentle grading to make the trail accessible for all. Completing the D&L Trail in Northampton County, this trail is a momentous step towards finishing the 14 miles of loop trail known as the D&L Trail’s Lehigh Valley Gap. This new 1.5-mile trail section connects North Catasauqua with the existing 55+ miles of D&L Trail that runs north to White Haven.
Lehigh Gap and Lehigh Gorge State Park Segment: 24.3 miles
Staying on the main D&L Trail for 2 miles after the Main Street Bridge, the trail here enters the narrow Lehigh Gap. The Lehigh River and a highway also squeeze through the Kittatinny Ridge water gap, and the Appalachian Trail crosses the river here too. The trail also passes the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, which sits on a 750-acre toxic cleanup site left behind by a zinc processing company. This area represents an environmental success story, as it has been revegetated and returned as a habitat for native birds and wildlife.
From the nature center, it’s another 7 miles to Weissport. Note the 1-mile-long section of shared roadway on Riverview Road between East Penn Township and PA 895. Lehighton to Weissport has another 1-mile on-road segment that heads north on Lehigh Drive and then east across the river at Bridge Street to a section of trail heading 1.7 miles south to Parryville or 3 miles north toward the borough of Jim Thorpe. Just before crossing the river, trail users can also head 0.5 mile north to Lehighton on a spur that provides access to the downtown area, where there is a variety of restaurants and the headquarters for the Lehighton Outdoor Center, a biking and whitewater rafting outfitter.
On the east side of the river, the route from Weissport ends just before Jim Thorpe, but local shuttle services serve those passing through. The D&L has been working on a pedestrian bridge to remove this gap in the trail, which is anticipated to be completed in late 2019 or early 2020. Jim Thorpe, formerly named Mauch Chunk, is the burial site of the legendary Olympic athlete. It’s also home to an 1888 train station that’s the base of operations for the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
The trail picks up again in Jim Thorpe on the west side of the river, just south of the North Street bridge. Dramatic river gorge views greet D&L Trail users as they cross the Nesquehoning Trestle and continue the next 25 miles on crushed stone through Lehigh Gorge State Park and state hunting grounds. (There are no services for 22 miles on this stretch, so stock up in Jim Thorpe). Trail users will likely see kayakers and rafters in the river and scattered waterfalls in the steep rock face.
The next borough is White Haven, a former transportation hub during the coal-mining era and a good place to find food or lodging. Snowmobiling is allowed on the segment between Penn Haven and White Haven. At White Haven, a 0.3-mile section shares the road with Main Street and travels by restaurants, stores, and a bike rental shop.
Black Diamond Segment: 11.5 miles
The on-road segment in White Haven leads to the next section of the D&L, known as the Black Diamond Trail due to the region’s coal mining heritage. The trail climbs a slope for the next 10 miles, parting company with the Lehigh River along the way, to the Black Diamond Trailhead on Woodlawn Avenue south of Glen Summit. Most riders end (or start) their long-distance rides at the Black Diamond Trailhead, as this is the current end of the main section of trail.
There’s about a 4-mile gap from this trailhead north to the isolated 1.2-mile last section of the D&L Trail in Mountain Top. Studies are underway to find the best route through the mostly forested landscape. If trail users desire to continue to Mountain Top, they may consider a shuttle, as PA 437 has narrow shoulders.
The trail’s eventual destination is the river commons of the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre. The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is working with multiple partners to complete this trail.
Connections
In Walnutport, the D&L Trail connects to the Slate Heritage Trail.
In Coplay, it connects to the Ironton Rail-Trail and in Northampton, it intersects with the Nor-Bath Trail.
In Easton, it intersects with the Palmer Township Recreation Trail (Towpath Bike Trail).
The Delaware and Raritan Canal Path parallels the D&L Trail on the other side of the Delaware River for a majority of its length.
The D&L Trail is a part of 3 trail networks, the Circuit Trails, encompassing Greater Philadelphia, the LINK, connecting Bethlehem, Easton, Allentown and the East Coast Greenway which stretches from Maine to Florida.
The D&L Trail runs between Lehigh St at Woodlawn Ave (Mountain Top) and 603 Jefferson Ave. (Bristol), with parking available at both endpoints.
Additional parking is available at:
There are numerous parking options along this route, see the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Rode 10 miles north from Jim Thorpe parking lot today. Very nice ride along the Lehigh River. Parking lot was 2/3rds full so easy to off load bikes and pay the $8 at the kiosk. Trail is well marked and easy to navigate. The only issue is the compacted stone has turned into several inches of loose sand in some areas. Between miles posts 110-112 it was most noticeable. My wife and I have regular 2 inch mountain bike/cruiser tires, so the sand slowed us down but did not stop us. Roadbikers may have more trouble. All in all it is a great section and worth Another vists. And some really nice old trains to He k out.
Truly a magical and wonderful place.
The wide crushed stone trail is nestled on a shelf between the Lehigh River and the vertical gorge wall of red/purple/brown shale and sandstone. The rushing river alternates between white water and calmer sections. North of Rockport, there are a number of remnants of the locks that were built with the local rock during the industrial revolution. The vertical gorge wall is exposed rock in many parts and covered with mountain laurel in others. The wider sections of the valley are forested with hemlock and hardwoods. Throughout the entire trail waterfalls and rushing streams cascade down the gorge wall and into the river. Even during the this rainy spring, the trail was puddle and mud free and in great condition from Glen Onoko to White Haven.
Love this trail in the Bethlehem area. You can access downtown Bethlehem from the trail at Main Street. From there, it's about a 10 minute walk up where you can grab a bite to eat and some refreshments. Only downside last time we were there, saw dozens of people long-term "camping" along the trail east of Bethlehem. Probably not allowed but also does not seem to be disallowed. Just want to make people aware so they are not surprised by this while on the trail.
Portions of the trail were super narrow to navigate and are almost more of a footpath. Signage isn’t the greatest, quite a few homeless camps along this section.
Was excited to check it out. It was a mixture of paved, gravel and dirt with exposed roots so it went from smooth to pretty bumpy. Our group had a mix of mountain and gravel bikes and it was slow going on the rough sections. The drought made it a bit less scenic but nice pass under a trail trestle. Trail ends at Race St. and after a brief stint on roads, continues at the back of Taylor House Brewing. After that, goes on for the smallest bit before going back up to road.
The trail is wonderful, very scenic. Wonderful for biking and hiking further north of Jim Thorpe, if possible, more benches along the trail to stop and take a rest would be nice.
This trail is in no way shape or form complete. 40+ miles are marked closed all along the shown "trail". several areas with no way around the closures. Fine for attempting a day trip but if you were going to use the whole "trail" you would be in for real trouble. Not knocking the trail itself but TrailLink, really makes me question its usefulness. Good thing I was in the area and decided to do a day out and back trip on the D&L before attempting to ride the whole thing.
I just discovered the trail and rode it for a few miles earlier today, starting in Bristol. I thought the trail would have gone right next to the Delaware River (like the Schuylkill River Trail), but the path is a bit inland from the river. The path is small gravel. It’s not the most scenic path, but it’s in decent shape. I’ll probably only ride it again if I have the time to make it up to. We Hope.
The bridge over high falls creek north of ringing rocks Park is out. The creek gorge is 20-25 feet deep. It’s extremely difficult and dangerous to carry bikes up and down the sides of the gorge.
Yesterday I rode the section of trail from the trail head at the west end of the 21st street bridge in Northampton to the Gap above Slatington. The round trip was a little under 24 miles. The terrain to the gap is mostly up hill with a gain of 475 feet. Most of the trail is in deep shade which made the heat tolerable. The entire atmosphere is really great. This section of the D&L trail is in very good condition. The fine stone base is well compacted yielding a nice hard surface. It may have rained recently because there was almost no dust. There is a nice little park area in Slatington with rest rooms and a food trailer only a short distance from the trail. I didn't stop this time, but plan to stop for food on my next ride. I only have one complaint about this section of trail. There are a couple of gates where the trail crosses country roads. The gates are closed and have poles on both sides to block motorized vehicles. The polls are too close together and pose a hazard to people on bicycles. Other than that, this and the Lehigh Gorge section are my favorite sections of the D&L trail.
We planned a multi day ride from Black Diamond to Bristol. Currently we have biked as far as New Hope.
From Black Diamond to Jim Thorpe, with the exception of the White Haven work around which has no signage, the trail is in excellent-to-good condition. In White Haven there is a section of the trail that is being improved, however, there is NO signage and no local dependable local knowledge. If you're there, take Tawanda Rd into White Haven. Turn left onto River St. Bridge, cross the Lehigh River and take an immediate right onto River Road. Go several miles, turning right onto Tannery Rd. Cross back over the Lehigh River and the Tannery Trailhead is immediately on your left. Its smooth sailing and beautiful in the gorge to Jim Thorpe after that.
From Jim Thorpe to Weissport is gorgeous. Weissport to Cementon the trail has very large gravel in sections and degrades. The trail basically drops out in Cementon. Its not completed yet. We could not find signage nor a safe work around. Perhaps people who know the area know the back roads to take. We found Saylor Park which was interesting.
From Allentown to Easton, some sections were okay, some were in poor condition especially just north of the National Canal Museum.
We encountered very poor trail conditions from just south of Easton to just north of Uhlerstown. Much of the trail is large gravel, single-track, rutted, rocks and roots. Between lock 20 and 19 there is a huge wash out which is poorly marked without detour signage approaching from the north and no signage approaching from the south. River Road is an easy work around, if you know the area, but it has a lot of traffic and no shoulder. By the time we arrived in Uhlerstown, we decided to take the D & R trail south out of Frenchtown. This trail is well-maintained, shaded and follows the Delaware River. There is a short detour from a washout just north of Lambertville that is an easy work around on New Jersey's River Road which has a nice shoulder. Tomorrow we'll try another section of the D & L south of New Hope to George Washington Crossing, we'll see if the trail is in better condition in that section.
We have biked many multi-day canal trails over the years. We find this trail quite frustrating due to its poor detour signage and lack of cautions about trail conditions. In our experience this information is routinely provided on other trails. The reason I'm giving this review 4 stars and not 3 is because of the scenic and historical value of the trail.
From Stockton to Bulls Island is treacherous. Several washouts and rocky with ruts. Single track and not very wide. Wife hit a rut and fell down the embankment. Only a tree saved her from hitting the water.
Started in White Haven and were disappointed that there was No listing of the trail construction and closure at either end of White Haven. We did approximately 3 miles of road biking to the Tannery trail entrance. The trail to Jim Thorpe was awesome Jim Thorpe to Leighton was more of a greenway with lots of views of the canals on one side and the river on the other. Bowman’s town Area ( Marvin’s Garden area was not well marked with signage that could be seen from a bike on which direction to go) The shops and gas stations were not bike friendly . Would not allow a bathroom usage. Northampton we picked up the Nor-bath trail into bath
June 19, 2022 biked north from Jim Thorpe to near White Haven. The trail is under construction just north of the trailhead at Tannery. The rest of the trail was beautiful and largely in excellent shape for a crushed stone path. Beautiful scenery. Keep in mind that the railroad next to the path is an active railroad. Went to Allentown the next day and that was nice but not nearly as pretty. The connection to the Ironton trail is awkward at best.
Recently I rode on the canal path from canal Park in Allentown to Freemansburg PA. Numerous homeless encampments along the trail. Four young ladies running and people with families riding bikes on the trail it is super scary something should be done . The homeless encampments have tripled within one year
We biked from Easton to Bristol and this part of the trail is terrible with washouts, rough spots and places where bridges are out. We biked it because was awarded trail of year in PA. We've been on many other trails in PA that far exceed this trail.
Driving west on I-80, we chose this trail as our midday recreation stop, and were looking forward to discovering the gorge. So we were very disappointed to find it closed in both directions at White Haven. Reconstruction? No information seemed available, and the local bike shop was also closed. Guess we should have read the trail reviews more carefully; I don't remember seeing anything about this closure in the Trail Details.
Oct 11, 2021. Parked in Glen Onoko parking lot. Lots of parking, but we could not find any toilets anywhere. Seems like with all that parking for visitors, the town or park should at least provide some porta-potties. We rode north for about 15 miles. Almost all of the trail was in great condition. There were a few spots near Glen Onoko with very loose fill that required walking (32 mm wide tires). Very nice scenery, and not crowded on a holiday Monday. Nice facilities at the Rockport trailhead. Overall a great ride!
My brother, my wife and I transported our hybrid bikes from Chicago, IL to eastern Pennsylvania to bike on the D&L trail from from White Haven, PA to Morrisville, PA on July 26-30, 2021. We carried our clothes and minimal supplies on the 132 mile trip, spending one night in each of these PA towns along the way: Jim Thorpe, Bethlehem, Frenchtown (NJ), New Hope and Morrisville. We are experienced bikers, and have taken similar multi-day trips on the GAP trail (Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD) and Paul Bunyan Trail in MN. This is an account of our experiences along the way — both good and bad.
Day One: White Haven (mile 130) to Jim Thorpe. A driver ferried us up to White Haven from our home base in Morrisville. We biked 25 miles that afternoon to Jim Thorpe (mile 105). The trail was well marked, had mile markers, crushed stone trail conditions were good, and the scenery along the Lehigh River was beautiful.
Day Two: Leaving Jim Thorpe toward Bethlehem, the trail was good to Northampton (mile 82), but a little less graded (w more stones on path) and less even. There were a few very narrow bridges going over small creeks with steep ramps. These bridges should be improved, or at a minimum need warning signs like “Walk Your Bikes”.
We were aware from the D&L trail maps that the trail was under construction from Northampton to Allentown. When we got to North Catasauqua (mile 80) the trail abruptly ended, with a jersey barrier. There were portions of the trail under construction, but no signage. We had expected a detour in this portion with a map to give us directions on how to proceed to the next section of finished D&L trail. No maps or directions were to be found. This was very frustrating! We finally turned on our phones and used Google Maps to route us on roads suitable for biking for the last 10 miles that day to get to our hotel in Bethlehem (mile 70).
Day Three: From Bethlehem, we crossed the river and picked up the trail along the Lehigh River. There were no more mile markers along the way. The ten miles into Easton (mile 60) were paved and in very good condition. Signage was good in this section.
From Easton south, where the Lehigh meets the Delaware River, we pick up the towpath trail along the canal. Here the trail was loose and rocky, not well graded and had several washouts and ponded water. It was very hard to ride this portion of the trail. Then the trail narrowed to two gravelly rutted lanes, with grass in the middle (see pic). There were no mile or trail markers. We left the trail (approx. near mile 55) to ride on River Road to Riegelsville (mile 50). Then we rejoined the trail, still mostly gravelly and rutted, to Delaware Canal State Park (mile 40) and crossed the Delaware River to get to our next lodging place in Frenchtown, NJ. It should be noted that Frenchtown is shown in the wrong place on the D&L trail overview map, but we had figured that out before leaving for the trip!
Day Four: While on the NJ side, we decided to take the D&R Canal trail south, and then cross the river at our next destination, New Hope, PA. Most of this ride was on a rails-to-trails path. The NJ trail was in good condition, well marked, and very scenic. The condition of the D&L trail from mile 40 to 25 was unknown to us, since we rode this day on the NJ side. We crossed back over the Delaware to New Hope (mile 25).
Day Five: We bike south from New Hope to Morrisville (mile 9) on the D&L trail on our last day.The crushed stone trail was in good shape, but still no mile markers. There were town directional signs along the way. Some of the bridge underpasses were very low, and the trail was slippery and narrow under the bridge. There were signs to “Walk Your Bike” at some of the underpasses, but these signs should probably be at all underpasses. The trail narrowed to a small gravel path the last mile of our trip (at mile 9), where we got off the trail again to reach our final destination.
I am writing this review to let others know about the current condition of the D&L trail. I have read several 5 star reviews of this trail. The section from White Haven to Jim Thorpe deserves this rating, but the rest of the trail does not measure up to this standard. I would not recommend this trail to others for an end-to-end multi-day trip, under it’s current conditions. Portions of the trail are good to very good for day-bikers.
—Ray Ames
Sent from my iPad
Great ride. Trail was in great shape. Did 8 mile stretch from Tannery to State Park.
July 18th 2021 Fun ride with lots of sights and history to take in. Rode with my Nephew, it is his local trail. Parts of our ride were awesome smooth wide trail and other parts were very rough narrow and bumpy. I will ride more of this trail next time that I am in the area.
Great for a moderate bike ride, did and out and back in about 2.5 hours. Started in Easton where the North/South Trail meets the East/West Trail. Nice combination of different trail optionsz
Nice ride along this part of the trail. Beautiful views of the Lehigh River and along the canal. Some color on the foliage is looking awesome. Road our EBikes round trip 29 miles.
Beautiful section for a long run in the morning. Very serene and peaceful
The section from Jim Thorpe to Weissport was probably the most scenic as you were riding along side the old canal but also the roughest.From there down to Cementon was very pleasant riding even though there were a few steep grades. A lot of nice history on the trail. I was a bit dissapointed in the Cementon trail head. I guess I expected more than just a packing lot. I am looking forward to riding farther south once the gaps are closed.
Exquisite ride. Bring the whole family. Excellent packed gravel trail. We went north to south so really no uphill grades makes it sweet for the little ones. So much to see. Wildlife, history, waterfalls, trains, you really can’t beat it.
Nice piece of trail, much better than leaving Morrisville. There is a lot of narrow single and double track so be aware if you’re planning on riding a trike or pulling a trailer. That would be a tough ride. Also, really need some signage around New Hope to help with getting through there. Still, it was a pretty nice scenic ride. The trail is in good shape but you can see it could be a bit muddy after rain.
One of my new Favorites. But people need to stop littering the trail with used surgical masks and hand sanitizing wipes.
Path was great cinder. Delaware all the way. Places to stop. Blessed to have this path near home.
We started at the Delaware State Park site off Jefferson Ave. There’s plenty of parking. Unfortunately, there are zero trail signs. There were no signs on the trail either. TrailLink noted some missing sections in the first 9 miles. I’d suggest NOT starting at this trailhead and saving yourself a lot of headaches. The trail is not marked and goes through a lot of bad areas AND along/across a very busy street. It’s just not worth the effort. We’re gong back on a few weeks to check further up the trail, but not this section. I’m sure it’ll get better.
Very scenic, started at lehigh canal park in weissport, great parking.Took up past glen onoko.Thanks Brian for recommending!!
Great trail until you get close to tinicum. Trail completely closed. Had to go down and up steep embankment to get onto road. It reopens after 100 yards or so. We went up pa side from Stockton and returned on Nj side to avoid it on return. Nj side much wider.
Nice, quiet and flat ride along the canal. First time riding this portion. Unfortunately, saw trash in the canal including soccer balls, basketballs, diapers, red stool with a yellow seat, plastic bags, styrofoam containers and other debris. It wasn't a lot of trash but just enough to sully the view of the canal. Could have been blown in by storms but some of it looked like it was placed there by humans. Positive side: peaceful with cool-looking large turtles and ducks :) There are probably volunteers that work very hard to take care of this part of the trail. If I could have somehow fished out the trash, I would have done so to help them out!
This was primarily a recon mission planning for a longer ride. The trail does not disappoint, with lovely views and a lot of interesting wooden bridges (they break up trail monotony), locks, spillways and a farm market.
I initially was going to park one access north from the park. However, there is a sewage processing plant there. Need I say more? I doubled back and parked at Wy Hit Tuk.
A couple of notes about Wy Hit Tuk: You have to enter the trail by crossing a small, wooden bridge. I had forgotten about this by the time I got back and blew right by it. The landmark of I-78 crossing overhead --- which I had NOT passed under on the way in --- tipped me off that I had overshot. Also, the gates to this park are closed at sunset. Your car will be locked in, or so the sign says. So if you are heading back, set your watch. I don't know if they go by astronomical sunset or just when it gets dark. Either way, play it safe.
I'll be back to do a lot more on this trail.
My wife and I rode the Switchback this past weekend for the first time, and it was her first time off-road on a bike. The only part she had difficulty with was the last stretch of the downhill rock garden. This was a very fun ride, and I don’t recommend riding the whole 18 miles unless you’re in a mountain bike.
Since I recently moved to within walking distance of a trailhead, I’ve been on the D&L at least twice a week. To mix it up, I have started my routes at different points. Should I ever return to marathon training, I’ll probably run a point-to-point and have a friend drive me home. I can’t wait to see the trail in fall, along with the foliage all around me. It is a well-kept PA treasure.
Pedestrian bridge complete south of Jim Thorpe! Rode approx 28 miles round trip from Slatington to Jim Thorpe and back. Trail head at Slatington had bathrooms, picnic tables, and food truck. The ride was mostly on trail with small sections on roads-not much traffic at all (note we were there on an overcast Tuesday-not sure what a sunny weekend would be like). With the Pedestrian Bridge we were able to go into Jim Thorpe for lunch with no problem! Flat trip although we thought perhaps slight grade going south to north. Scenic ride with river on one side and canal on other. Worth the 2 hour drive.
Biked from North to South, White Haven to Jim Thorpe, July 2019. Trail is gradually downhill. But you still have to pedal. You will see some old locks along the trail. There really isn't much else to see. The Lehigh River would be on your left and it's over the hillside and through the trees so if you are looking for a riverview the entire trip, it's not going to happen over the Summer. Buttermilk Falls is near the Rockport access. You pass through Glen Onoko just before Jim Thorpe. In Jim Thorpe there are various places to eat and interesting history to see. Spend time in Jim Thorpe if you get a chance.
Overall a very positive experience! The trail is quite diverse. We started at the Black Diamond Trailhead near Glen Summit and finally got off at Morrisville with a few interruptions.
Section 1- Glen Summit to Jim Thorpe beautiful downhill easy ride with very nice mostly compacted gravel trails. Jim Thorpe should be renamed Jim Thorne because they are a thorn to get around. Trail closes at bridge and resumes on other side of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The town provides no access to connect the trail. We actually drove down to Lehighton and backtracked the trail from Lehighton to the WWTP.
Section 2- Lehighton to Northhampton. This trail was very nice mostly compacted gravel with a few side bar road sections which were low traffic and fairly safe. Trail was well marked and have regular mileage markers. In Lehighton we parked at the Lehigh Canal Park. From there the trail runs along Bridge St. a short section to get across the River. At the T-intersection of Bridge st. the trail loops down and under to the right. Trail sign shows two directions here but down and under is correct. We got off the trail at Northhampton at the Hokendaqua Creek and resumed at Canal Park at East Allentown, we did not try to forge a path through the neighborhoods. To be honest area seemed quite scary.
Section 3 - Canal Park to Delaware St. Park at Easton - This trail was highly varied and sometimes hard to follow as it intertwines with numerous other trails. Surface varied from gravel to dual lane towpath too paved to single path almost mountain bike course. Hybrid bike was perfect for all would not attempt portions on a street bike. The Palmer townships sections were like paved superhighway compared to some sections.
Section 4 - Easton to Morrisville - This trail was also highly varied from wide compacted gravel to narrow single lane gravel or dirt. Trail at times was poorly marked, especially at the Friend of Delaware Canal property on the south side of New Hope. Here the trails ends abruptly at the top of a stairs which would have been a killer if we didn't get stopped. From here you need to walk bikes down the stairs and along the brick sidewalk along mainstreet for about 500 feet, then try to cross mainstreet to enter what looks like an alley which then returns to towpath.
This section abuts many high end properties with buildings right-up-to the trail. Also has many low clearance bridges requiring either dismounting or ducking real low.
Many beautiful sections along the river early on the trail, once the high-end properties start, not much to see.
This section had very few if any mileage markers to speak of
Several small quaint little towns along the way offering many services, access is somewhat limited.
Access to Washington's Crossing Historic Park was nice.
Overall we rode for three days as we had a pick-up ride at the end of each section.
Aside, you can shunt over to the NJ side via a pedestrian/ bike bridge at Lumberville. Trail on the Jersey side was wide and well compacted gravel for most sections except in the towns where it was similar to the PA side. You can cross back to PA at either Bridge St. in Stockton, NJ or Bridge St. in Lambertville, NJ.
Happy trails.
Trail is in great shape. The only Negative was that their was no signage to help you traverse the incomplete section in Allentown.
My friend and I rode round-trip from White Haven to the abandoned railroad tunnel near Great Onoko, 44 miles. It was virtually uninterrupted. The surface is crushed gravel and easy to ride for the most part. For several miles before the tunnel, there are patches of loose gravel so be careful in this section. This part of the trail follows the Lehigh River for most of the way. You can hear the screams of the rafters riding the whitewater. There are many small waterfalls along the way. The abandoned tunnel is worth a walk-through. If you start at the southern trailhead in White Haven, be prepared to start with a lot of people, as this is the location where the bike train and shuttle buses drop off one-way riders. There is a strip mall located at the trailhead if you need snacks or drinks for your ride.
Canal trails are some of the best riding. They are long with few interruptions and non-stop water views. My friend and I rode the segment from Morrisville to New Hope. We parked in the parking lot for the Morrisville Little League on North Delmorr Avenue. The trail is at the end of Hillside Avenue, which is right across the street from the parking lot. It was really easy access. This segment passes several locks and the town of Yardley. There's a part of the trail that has the canal on the left and the Delaware River on the right. There are ducks, geese, herons, and turtles along the way. At New Hope, the trail goes onto the road for a small segment, which is where we stopped. If you continue past this point, the trail shortly comes to an end at the river. The surface is crushed stone for the most part and easily ridable with any kind of tire. This distance for this segment is 30 miles roundtrip.
Wanted to let traillink users know that the bike train ride/shuttle on the Lehigh Gorge section of D&L 2019 schedule is set. 1 weekend a month May-Nov, Saturday and Sunday. For pricing, dates, times, etc. go to Pocono Biking.com website. Enjoy your ride.
Paul
A great day of x-c skiing on the D & L from Rockport north and back. Trail is in Great shape
The only section I have not ridden on this trail is the 10 mile section from Mtn. Top south to White Haven but I'm told it's rough and single track - best for a mountain bike. There's a little strip mall at the trail head in White Haven, pizza, ice cream, drinks, bike rentals and restrooms all available. The 26 miles section from White Haven to Jim Thorpe is smooth, compact gravel with sections of shade, making it an enjoyable ride for any style bike. Quite scenic with numerous water falls. Restroom and water is available in Rockport, about the half-way point of this section. 1 star deduction for the following: tourist crowds on the weekends that don't know bike etiquette, it's a little rough for about the 1st mile south of White Haven and there's a soft spot or two as you approach Glen Onoko right after your cross over the railroad tracks. Follow the trail into Jim Thorpe, you have plenty of places to get something to eat and drink. The newly constructed bridge at the end of the parking lot will eventually connect the gap between JT and Lehighton. Once completed (2019, 2020?) you'll be able to bike about 3 1/2 miles of the eastern section of the trail, cross over the vehicle bridge in Weissport
and re-connect to the trail in Lehighton. Be careful of traffic on the bridge.
The 20 mile section from Lehighton to Northampton is similar to the White Haven to JT section, compact gravel, smooth, mostly shaded and perfect for any style bike. It's just about 10 miles to Slatington, which has a trailhead with restrooms and places to get drinks and eats. I recommend the hot dogs from the trailer in the parking lot. (The Slate Heritage Trail connects to the D&L in Slatington and offers an additional 6 mile round trip ride if so desired.) Continuing south the trail reaches Northampton. Take the left and ride across the bridge, then an immediate right and it's about 1 1/2 mile to a park and the end of this section.
NOTE: From Northampton and Allentown there's about a 7 mile gap that can be ridden on roads and streets also open to vehicle traffic. Use caution when riding on roads.
The trail starts again at Canal Park in Allentown and is now a towpath vs. a rail trail. The 18-20 mile section from Allentown to Easton can be bumpy, single track or tire tracks and there's one or two sections that can be very narrow. That said, I've had no issues riding this section with my hybrid bike. Predominantly shaded with a few places to stop and rest, but water and food may not be readily available without wandering off the path and into one of the towns along the way.
Once reaching Easton, the trail continues south along the Delaware for about 51-52 miles to Morrisville. Much of this section is a towpath, can be single track or tire tracks for much of the ride, but it's smoother than the towpath from Allentown to Easton. There's a couple of places along the way for refreshments and rest areas between Easton and Upper Black Eddy and be sure to make time to visit New Hope and Washington Crossing Park before finishing the ride in Morrisville.
This is the tail of two rides. The one going out... And the one coming back...
I joined the trail at the Virginia Forrest trail head north of New Hope. I'm riding an ICE Adventure HD recumbent trike and heading north to Uhlerstown.
The ride up was gorgeous... Nice warm weather, not a lot of traffic, really picturesque. The trail is basically flat with the exception of a few quick climbs at the lock sites. I had an issue with just one where there was a lot of loose stone on that quick climb. That's really the issue when climbing with a 'bent trike. Keeping the traction to the ground. I had just a little problem that I overcame with a little repeated effort.
The problem started with about 6 miles left in the ride on the return trip. The "problem" being the trail became what I'm going to call a single-track. Instead of a nice wide cinder lane, it became a single track of cinder that was just wide enough for a walker or someone on a bicycle. I'm riding a nice wide trike, so two of my tires were in the grass all the time and I felt like I was riding a high resistance trainer for the last 6 miles. So, between that and the increased heat, I was pretty cooked by the time I got back to my truck.
Now, I did ride this stretch going out. But being fresh, it didn't affect me the way it did on the way back. I'm giving this review 4 stars because it is a beautiful ride. And for walkers and folks on bikes, my issues won't be their issues.
I'm going to be interested in finding out if the single track was an anomaly of the stretch I rode, or if it's prevalent the entire length of the trail. I know that the upper portion of the ride the trail was wide and the ride comfortable. I just had an issue with that last 6 miles when the temps climbed into the 90s and my brain was cooking.
Was on Trail today between Bethlehem and Easton. The last mile to Easton is currently closed because of the recent heavy rains. Also the area around Old Orchard is fairly muddy and some trees are down. Some erosion in trail because of rain.
Rode this train from White Haven to Jim Thorpe on 7/5/18. Shuttle from Blue Mountain Sports in Jim Thorpe was friendly and convenient; we parked our car at the day parking lot near downtown, which is situated at the end of the trail. The trail itself is cinder and crushed stone; we used hybrid bikes which were perfect (I wouldn't recommend a road bike). As advertised it's a slight downhill, but you still have to pedal to get where you're going! Most of the route is shaded and gives you nice views of the river. One caution: the last 30 minutes or so to the southern end (Jim Thorpe) are not shaded and thus took the wind out of our sails at the end a bit. There are other lots you can park in besides the day lot that are a little further up the trail, but I don't know how that would work with the shuttle. All in all, very nice trail and worth the trip.
Parked at White Haven with objective to bike up Black Diamond portion to northern-most point. We have sturdy hybrid bikes, but after 5 miles decided to turn around and head back south for better trail conditions. Really would have benefited from a mountain bike in that area - the trail is not crushed stone and only two thin car-tire type tracks a good portion of the way. A lot of rocks, ruts, and bumps you cannot see well in the shade of the trees. A family attempted it pulling a toddler carrier and quickly turned around. We then went south from White Haven for the more enjoyable trail. FYI if you don’t pay attention to the elevation, any northern sojourn is up a steady incline so you will tire faster. If you want a more relaxing ride, always head south.
Got on the bike train at Jim Thorpe and rode for 1.5 hours on train to White Haven. Got our bikes off train and rode the trail back to Jim Thorpe. Most of trail is easy to ride and is downhill. Total length back to parking is 24.6 miles. Saw some waterfalls, rafters and kayakers on the Lehigh River, two old locks from the canal, and walked through one old train tunnel. The towns buildings look like they are from the 1800's with many shops and restaurants. Plan this as an all day event. Would do this trip again.
We rode the northern most section of the trail on Friday (May 25), just a few notes. First there are no rest rooms or portable toilets at either end or along the way, no water except streams. Next there were several trees down across the trail needing a chain saw to clear them from the trail. While the first few miles the trail condition is good (not great) the trail turns to two single tracks with tall grass in the middle and on both sides. Would not be fun on a trike. After crossing the RR tracks and road the trail gets really rough, some deep sandy spots, some rocky sections, some drainage problems and in need of mowing. On the bright side the scenery is terrific if you love forest. A picturesque lake, beaver ponds, wild flowers and wildlife.
We also rode the section from White Haven to Jim Thorpe,except for the first mile or so after White Haven the rest of the trail to Jim Thorpe is in very good condition. We've ridden this section several times and there is almost always a head wind as you ride down stream. Looking forward to the sojourn ride.
Wanted to let fellow riders know that the bike train shuttle threw the Lehigh Gorge section of the D&L is running again this year. One weekend a month
starting in April. It drops you off in White Haven and you ride threw the gorge 25 miles back to Jim Thorpe. The exact dates can be found on the Pocono Biking website. Paul
This is another favorite of ours. The scenery is amazing and having the chance to see trains is another benefit. Really enjoy riding through the Lehigh Gorge State Park. So much to see. Just watch for the rattle snakes (seen) and black bear (didn't see). I recommend bringing a camera, there is a lot to see.
This is my favorite except for the first section out of White Haven to Middleburg Rd. This part needs to leveled out and fixed. Took a fall going through and haven't used it since. From Middleburg Rd. to Black Diamond is awesome. The scenery is the amazing. Love the lakes and bogs.
I recently rode from White Haven to Jim Thorpe and back. The trail is in immaculate condition with no ruts or major debris. It is a very tightly packed gravel which makes it really easy to ride on. I rode on a Friday and the trail wasn't very busy and the people on the trail were very nice and courteous.
The only suggestions I would have for any perspective riders would be to plan ahead for food, water and bathrooms. There are no places besides White Haven and Jim Thorpe to get water or food. There are two bathrooms on the trail one ten miles away from White Haven and one three miles away from Jim Thorpe. Both White Haven and Jim Thorpe are quaint towns to spend time in.
We parked at the Rockland Access and walked less than a mile to Buttermilk Falls. Trail surface was very good packed down. There is another waterfall in the other direction of Buttermilk Falls. Great flat trail and the scenery is beautiful. We stopped here while in the area.
There is bike rental (seasonal) in White Haven and open daily in Jim Thorpe. They also offer shuttle service.
The trail runs through White Haven and there are several eateries there.
This trail is located near Hickory Run State Park as well.
There are several scenic sections along this trail. The beginning near Riverwalk Bar and the cement company creates a confusing start and the trail closing just past the sewage treatment plant makes for an abrupt "where do I go from here". At that point you can actually see the town. It looks like it will be a long time before the connecting pedestrian bridge will be completed. The little time I spent looking around I did not see any footings. The interior portion of the trail is nice scenic ride with plenty of historical locks and places to pull over.
perfect day for a bike ride! took the shuttle from Jim Thorpe to white Haven then rode back. certainly the way to go. 25 miles back to Jim Thorpe. nice ride. has a slight downgrade back to town; but not so much that you don't have to pedal. Loved it. would do again but next time we hope to take the train. reserve early!!
I just looked at this section of the trail (Cementon – Northampton) on the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor website (http://delawareandlehigh.org/map/trail-section/cementon-northampton/).
The description has this to say about riding bikes through the Canal Street park:
"In the Borough of Northampton, walkers, runners, and now bikers are encouraged to use the paved D&L Trail through Canal Street Park. A decision was made during the summer of 2017 to allow cyclists through the park. As a cyclist, please use caution and be respectful to walkers and runners. Keep in mind that those on bikes MUST yield to those on foot. Stay in tune for additional signage and trail improvements through the park."
We love this trail. Beautiful, scenic, and secluded. Nice easy ride along the canal.
We parked at the Parryville access, which is right across 248 from River Walck Restaurant and in clear view of the highway. You have to be prepared to ignore non-trespassing signs to travel this section, starting with one posted on the railroad crossing you need to use to get into the parking area. The parking area is clearly marked as the official access parking and the start to the D&L Trail section (don't get use to these signs, there aren't many). The short section from the parking area to the turnpike overpass is quite pretty, with the river in view to the left and the canal on you right, the surface is mowed grass with many bumpy roots, and things deteriorate to loose gravel under the turnpike. Here, and in many other sections, the vegetation is leaning in from both sides, in need of a trim. There are a couple of picnic tables and at least one bench near the parking area. Heading further northward, just under the bridge you rejoin the cement company's private paved road and turn left, only to be faced by a tall fence and large sign prohibiting entry before checking in at the office (the only nearby building appears abandoned). No signs note the trail, but there is no other path to follow, the gate was open and industrial area nearly deserted, so we forged ahead. After a good distance on the concrete parking lot you pass one random D&L sign standing on the edge. After a bit further the parking lot narrows and offers you the choice of a rough gravel road straight ahead or a grassy path dipping toward the canal, which looked more promising. Sure enough, after a short, rough, grassy section next to a pretty scruffy section of canal (lots of debris in the water, and a distinct odor), this passes under a railway bridge as an narrow gravel path, and you climb up to a 2 lane railway access road (packed gravel/grassy) which continues all the way to Weisport. The canal is full of water for much of the remaining distance, and quite pretty. The train tracks are elevated between you and the river, so you don't see the river, and 248 rumbles along on the top of the bluff above the canal, so it isn't quiet; but other than needing a side trim, the trail is solid and easy to ride. Once you pass under the 209 bridge you can see the parking access. Take care crossing the surface road, as cars come whipping around the corner at high speed, and even if there was a marked crosswalk, which there isn't, painted lines aren't much protection. Riding south on the trail from the Weisport, access to the trail isn't much friendlier: signs at the mouth of the access area instruct you to dismount and walk your bikes. Do so (see above). Those are the last trail signs you will see heading this direction until the Turnpike overpass. Instead, there are many large NO TRESPASSING and NO PARKING signs, complements of the railway company, in what would otherwise appear to be a large, gravel parking area. Head south through it, finally staying to the left of the 209 overpass abutment, past one last NO TRESPASSING sign, and you will be on the trail. This website says the section is open, the signs in the southern end suggest it is open, but a walker or biker might well wonder if the cement company and the railway company agree.
If you want to picnic and/or take a short but pretty stroll, with views of the canal and the river, try the southern end by Parryville, turning back before the turnpike overpass. Coming from Weisport, walking or riding, you might want to plan on turning around at the lock where the railway access road ends.
Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first; as others have noted, the first 1.6 mile section heading North from White Haven until you cross Middleburg Rd is pretty terrible. If you have multiple cycles at your disposal, bring a mountain bike (or at the very least a mountain-leaning hybrid) just because of this section. It is extremely rocky, sandy, and damaged with ruts. Best to take this section slow than risk a fall and ruin the rest of this awesome trail.
Now, on to the good stuff! After you cross over (and south) on Middleburg Rd, you'll arrive on a section much like the rest of the Northern parts of the D&L Trail. The terrain is easily manageable with anything other than a road bike as it is crushed stone. The scenery has many interesting features as you travel North, including heavily wooded areas, more open pastures, a small bridge, multiple ponds, a large and beautiful lake with picnic tables and benches in increments along it's edge, and even a little bit of more winding sections near the Northern terminus.
The entire trail has about a 2% grade while traveling North, which is especially noticeable if you are used to most other Rail-Trails that tend to be entirely flat or less than 0.5% grade. This provides a nice challenge for the legs that you wouldn't get on the other sections of the D&L trail. The other side to this, is it provides an exhilarating return trip to White Haven, potentially cutting your return time in half from your trip to Mountain Top! Just remember to slow down and be careful through the final 1.6 miles on the approach to White Haven. Enjoy!
Did a portion of this trail with family on Saturday. Very nice ride.
This trail runs from Northampton along the Lehigh River to Slatington,10 miles, then continues to Lehighton for another ten miles. there are stores in Slatington and Lehighton for water, snacks, Gatorade etc. I'm looking to ride 60 miles Sunday and this trail is probably it. I'll be double covering some of the trail. Mostly shaded. I still recommend sunscreen. Great riding.
First of all, this is a scenic, pretty trail for runners and walkers, as there is a lot of foliage, water and a good mix of sun/shade. That's why I gave it 2 stars. However, this is NOT a bike trail, unless you're talking only mountain bikes. Lots of large roots, large rocks, very narrow passageways on which on both sides are cliffs leading to water (one small move and you're in the water), and overall a narrow path when you're talking walkers, runners, bikers, and fisherman standing on the side who are reluctant to move off the path. And the further you go (heading toward Easton) the narrower it got. Sorry it's nearly impossible to enjoy the scenery when you're trying to make sure you don't fall down a cliff or hit a large rock! My upper body got much more of a workout than my lower, which is not what I was looking for. I'd rather do 30 miles on a secure terrain where I can enjoy the view. Not returning.
I stopped to ride this one on a trip east to NYC. I started at White haven,
which I did not care for (White haven feels like a town trapped in 1945 with 2017 traffic superimposed. I did not enjoy the town and couldn't find anywhere but the grocery that wasn't cash only). The trail, however, is delightful.
The top part of the trail was simply gorgeous. This was my second trail in two days that felt like I was going downhill. Turns out (according to my phone) there's only a total of ~500ft between the highest and lowest point. I get about the same on the Katy trail, which is pretty flat).
The lower part of the trail is more like what I'm used too (again comparing to the Katy trail in Mo.). It follows a train track down to some touristy town. There's a steam engine train that will apparently take you up to some point on the trail, so you can ride back to the town. I would have given the trail 5 stars if it weren't for all the folks on that part that have no idea how one shares a trial (I was there on 7/3/2017). Also the bottom part is pretty sunny in mid afternoon.
The top part of the trail has all the waterfalls and is also shaded nearly the whole way mid afternoon. The mileage on the map seems a bit off, as well. My phone registered 49.05 round trip.
Rode the northern section of the trail, from the parking area in Mountain Top to Middleburg Road, which was about 8.5 miles according to my GPS. Trail condition is great, mostly smooth double track. The elevation grade is noticeably steeper than other rail to trails. Next time we'll start in White Haven, pedal north and coast all the way back down.
Trail is one of the best in the area. Surface is perfect, shaded during the summer, runs along the Lehigh River all the time. Here's that little problem, though, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the trail. According to the description on this site the trail continues past Route 329 (a little over 9 miles from Slatington) for a little over a mile or so. You're supposed to make a left on 329, go over the bridge, and take Canal Street In Northampton, then take the trail, again, past the small parking lot on your right. However, once you are on the asphalt trail the first thing you see on your right is a huge sign where they list all the NO's for their park, and on top of that very long list is "bikes." So according to this official sign you are NOT allowed to ride your bike inside the Canal Street Park, and the fine for breaking this rule is only $600. I would advise the TrailLink people to contact the town of Northampton, Pa and clarify this matter. Meanwhile, I would put the end of this section of the trail at Route 329. They actually have a parking lot here, parking lot that does not show on the TrailLink map.
Wanted to let Traillink riders know that the Bike Train shuttles are available again one weekend a month April threw Nov. with exception of Oct. You get on train in Jim Thorpe ride threw the gorge to White Haven unload and pedal the 25 miles back to Jim Thorpe. Exact dates, times and reservations can be found on PoconoBiking.com enjoy your ride. Paul
This section of the D&L is beautiful with rock outcroppings, mountain laurel and river views. I have started at Cementon and headed north and back. And also started at Slatington and headed south and back. The advantage of starting in Slatington is the ample parking, picnic tables, covered pavilion and bathroom facilities. Plus there is a pizza shop across the street and often a food truck parked in the lot. After getting a bite to eat you can continue to ride north, stop to visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and continue on, or cross over the Lehigh to Walnutport and do the short Walnutport Canal Spur on the east side of the Lehigh. We recently rode on the Slate Heritage Trail which starts at the south end of the parking lot and follows Trout Creek but you can only go so far. It is still barricaded where the trail goes under the PA turnpike bride due to construction above.
Heading north the entire ride has such a slight grade that you're hard pressed to feel you're actually going up hill. The same goes for the return trip as you'll hardly feel as though you're going down hill.
The packed gravel surface is mostly fine grained so you don't feel as though your teeth are being rattled out of your head, just be wary of the grassy center in the double rack sections the gravel here isn't packed down and can get a little "hairy."
Just before you get into New Hope there are some great views of the river where the trail is bordered by the canal on your left and the river on your right.
For the most part you will be riding in the shade, but if it's hot there are stretches that are in the open sun, so make sure you pack enough hydration for the trip...The only negative is that you and your bike will look as though you've been through a red clay dust storm, so pack a towel and have a few gallons of H20 back at the car so you can wash down when you get back...
The ride north of New Hope is the most scenic as the trail meanders along sections of the river where you're going to want to stop for some really excellent photo-ops...
My wife and I ride identical Trek dual sport hybrids which have 700c x 38mm tires..which handled this ride perfectly...
I rode this trail several times, as stated by others the first two miles north of Weissport are nice. After that it turns into single track not really suited for hybrid with narrow tires. Gets really rough near the treatment plant. I can't wait for the bridge to be build to connect with JT.
Beautiful this time of year. Well maintained
My girlfriend and I rode from Glen Summit to Jim Thorpe, about 36 miles.While it is downhill, there is not much coasting to do, pedaling is required. The scenery is wonderful and the trail is in extremely good condition. It can get a little crowded, especially at scenic views but there is plenty of room. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know trail etiquette. Jim Thorpe is a treat, a lovely historic little town. The only real cons were a couple of bathrooms along the way. The first smelled bad, the second, words cannot describe. Whoever is responsible: the State, the County, the Park Service, should be ashamed. There is no excuse for that anywhere.
You really can't ask for more in a trail than this one. It's well-maintained with plenty of picnic tables to stop at for lunch (at least one per mile). There's a regular shuttle service most of the year that will take you to the north end of the trail. It has mountains and rivers and forests and there are points of interest along the way, such as canal locks and waterfalls and even the occasional excursion train. Park Rangers patrol every half-hour or so. There is a restroom break roughly 15 miles north of Jim Thorpe. The surface is crushed gravel, so even with the downhill grade you will have to pedal most of the way. If you're not a fit and frequent biker I would recommend only doing the 15 mile ride.
I would recommend bringing a lunch and plenty of water and plan a pit stop along the way because it's pretty much all wilderness. When you add in the shuttle ride to Whitehaven, I would plan for at least 4 hours, depending on how many stops you make.
Scenic trail but it gets progressively rougher the farther north of Whitehaven you get. Do not recommend for casual biking. Does not appear to be maintained as of fall 2016. Lots of big rocks and soft spots.
White Haven end needs help soon. I hit soft spots and eventually went down hard. At 58 I guess I should be happy my bones are in good shape....nothing broken!
We rode this the other da compared to last year it needs some upkeep The top starting in Mountain Top was good but as you get to the end I took a bad fall.
I biked south the whole trail and took my hybrid. I tried the road bike at first, but it's way too rocky in parts. The gravel is heavy in a few spots and the rest of the trail is not really conducive to a road bike, but it is a terrific ride.
Mostly private, not too many bikers until you get around Jim Thorpe. The section that runs below the rail line is fun and if you're not afraid of heights, riding above the Lehigh River is really pretty (I stayed on the far edge away from the river and enjoyed watching the people rafting.)
It's slightly downhill most of the way south, so not too strenuous, but a good workout for the distance and well worth the trip!
I drove past the trailhead for years, and finally got the bike out again. Thank God for leisure time. Never thoght the day would come that this ole single tracker would ride a R2T, but I get a workout. The proximity to the Lehigh Gorge makes this a must for those biking along the Lehigh. Sal's Pizza tops the ride off. If you have time, drop by Boyer's Hardware, pick up a new washboard for mom, or a crock for sauer kraut. Take a moment to go to the Environmental Center up in the Gap. This whole trail, from Lehighton to Northampton is smooth, and long :)
After biking from Jim Thorpe to White Haven and back (a beautiful ride) 51.4 miles the day before, we thought we'd continue on North from White Haven. However, the trail was an unmaintained mess. Large rocks embedded in dried mud gave you the feeling of riding over the proverbial washboard while wondering how far you'd get before a tire went flat. The sides of the trail were so sandy you could easily spin out. After a mile or more of this, we gave up, turned around and abandoned the trail all together.
According to other reviewers, it might have been ok if we had gotten on at the Middleburg Road access. But then it wouldn't be a through trail, and it would definitely be a shorter ride.
But really, if this is to be considered part of a larger D & L Trail, there has to be better maintenance than this.
I just completed a 100 mile round trip from the Ferry Road trail head in Morrisville to the northernmost terminus at Easton. I chose to start at Ferry Road as it is local to me and you bypass the trail obstructions at Morrisville and Bristol. I'd break up my ride into three distinct sections:
1. Morrisville to New Hope- This is the most traveled section of the trail. It is the most well maintained and overall widest section of the trail. There are stops roughly every five miles where you can park, have access to bathrooms or a store to buy food or drinks. The trail does get narrower and more confusing from Bowman's Tower to New Hope (about 2 miles) but is overall easy to follow.
2. New Hope to Lumberville- The trail going though New Hope is narrow and rough in places. As you get though New Hope the trail opens up again and is easier to ride. As of September 2016 the trail on the PA side is closed at the Stockton bridge so you must cross over to the NJ D&R Trail for about 4 miles (this is scheduled to be re-opened in Oct 2016). The NJ side is wide, shaded and well maintained. You can cross over to Lumberville at the Bull's Island foot bridge to continue on the PA side.
3. Lumberville to Easton- This is the roughest and least populated part of the trail. The distances between rest stops increases (it can be 7-8 miles) and the number of bathrooms and stores goes down. There are sections that are single track with larger stones that will make for a rough ride. The last section from Riegelsville to Easton is the most consistent part of this section, it is overall wide and well maintained like earlier sections of the trail.
The trail is subject to getting washed out in sections after a heavy rainfall but it has never been impassable for me in 2016. It is a very scenic trail with many available points to get on with the added option of doing connecting loops on the NJ side. I would recommend beginning anywhere from Morrisville to New Hope and slowly working your way towards Easton .
Wonderful trail. Flat and level. Not very crowded. The views are beautiful. The NJ side is just as nice, however, it come out in West Trenton. I would suggest riding there with a group. Not a very nice part of town and the route is a bit confusing. Wouldn't want to get lost there. Otherwise, enjoyable 17.5 miles.
We rode this trail on a hot (95F) and humid August friday morning after a major thunderstorm overnight. Surprisingly, the trail was very dry even though the river was extremely muddy and high. Just a few small puddles on the trail and the surface (crushed ciders) was fine for 28mm and 35mm tires. We rode north from Jim Thorpe where there was ample parking (Cost $5), at least for a weekday. The trail was an easy uphill grade and we turned around at the 10 mile mark. It was about 50/50 as far as sun and shade.
I'd do it again. It was worth 3 hour drive and an overnight stay. Maybe next time, I'll take the bike train (only runs on select weekends) or one of the outfitter shuttles so it's not an out and back ride.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn (Lehighton), which was about 10 minutes from the Jim Thorpe trailhead.
It was nice and clean with exceptional service.
D & L Black Diamond Trail, Glen Summit to White Haven, 10 miles – The new trail surface with forest landscapes and amazing views, a lake, awesome picnicking spots where everyone is offered a great first Poconos Biking experience. You can ride from White Haven or take the 10am Glen Summit shuttle to the trailhead. Rent a bike and/or book a shuttle at: www.PoconoBikeRental.com.
The epic part of this experience is what this trail leads to. Ask a local to take you or book a private tour guide from the local bike shop and take this trail to an epic 2000' peak ride like no other.
Ride almost a 2 hour Hammer Climb, White Haven to Glen Summit Ridge 22 miles round trip which is 4-5 hours (Experienced riders only, serious climbs over an hour with bomber single track downhill adrenaline rush back down!)
The Lehigh Gorge Trail is a world famous day trip Poconos mountain biking experience. It follows the beautiful Lehigh River Gorge on a stone gravel, 2-4% downhill average grade made from an old railroad bed. This scenic, well maintained, traffic free riding experience (midweek) is a once in a lifetime adventure of historical knowledge and adventure.
During Fall Foliage (Sept.-Nov.) it is one of the best places in the world to witness the fall colors with over 127 varieties of tree species. The Poconos mountain biking is best seen from inside the beautiful Lehigh Gorge State Park with return/drop-off shuttles to and from the start point in White Haven, the Rockport access, Glen Onoko and Jim Thorpe, the endpoint of the Lehigh Gorge Trail.
The cool thing is that you will get to experience learning along the way about the old coal mining, forestry and railroad days along with great; river’s edge “swim” spots (swimming is technically not allowed in the Lehigh Gorge State Park), beaver ponds, scenic overlooks, high railroad trestles and unique wildlife to witness. The Lehigh Gorge is one of the “50 Best Rides in the Country” as voted by the readers and editors of one of the leading "Outside Magazine(s)" and I completely agree!
Call one of the local bike rental shops for shuttle times or the Lehigh Gorge State Park office for more information.
Out of towners, vacationing in Jim Thorpe, in our 60's and on a hybrid tandem. After doing the 25 mile White Haven to Jim Thorpe we were looking for a second ride. Great reviews on this section and we are glad we did it. Wanted to do about 20 miles and visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center so we got on the trail at Rt 145 and River Dr. This is a beautiful trail along the river with mature trees providing a full canopy for most of it and rock walls and rhododendrons along the way. Ate our packed lunch at the nature center and the volunteer on duty was very friendly and showed us around the building. We biked another half mile or so into the gap and turned around to head back to our car. Did just over 20 miles and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. This section of the trail is wide and in very good shape.
The only con was that there were 6 or 7 road/driveway crossings with gate, and post to the left of the gate, and these are a pain with a tandem but we highly recommend this trail.
Parked at Tinicum Park and rode the trail south to Lumberton PA, where a footbridge brings you to NJ for the ride back up to Frenchtown bridge, back into PA, back to Tinicum. About 21 miles. Flat.
The PA side: First 4 miles were not bad-nice trail, very scenic on the old canal tow path. No closures, a few newer bridges to cross a few canal-things, and it was nice. But the trail gets pretty rough for the next 5 miles down to Lumberton. The stone used to cover trail is inappropriate for a bike trail, and it can be rather narrow. A few spots going under bridges are blind, so you cannot see if anyone is coming the other way, and there is barely room for 1 to pass under. We did it on hybrids, and it wasn't the worst trail we've ever been on, but it's one that leaves you with numb hands from the bumps. It has potential-very pretty, historic-but the fact is, it floods here, and when it does, it's major-so the washout potential probably keeps people from investing in making it perfect.
When you approach to footbridge in Lumberton, exit before the bridge, and go about 150 ft. along the road(no shoulder on right so we walked our bikes along the left shoulder) to the footbridge, and cross into NJ. Again, nice views, pretty metal suspension bridge offers nice view north and south on Delaware river.
Enter NJ at the Bulls Island Recreational area. Go straight (.25 miles)to entrance of park, and turn left back onto the trail-this side is called the D&R canal trail.Lovely trail, in great shape, shady, wider, tons of river access, great surface(another review). Ride north to Frenchtown, left turn, back over a regular use bridge into PA (Uhlerstown). No trail marking here, and no shoulder on road-use caution!
After crossing bridge, turn left, and make your first right onto Uhlerstown Rd (open May-Nov) straight to an adorable old covered bridge(1832).This bridge crosses over the trail, and trail access is signed on the left shortly before the bridge(you are crossing property to access trail-note signage, stay on path-it's just a short path with a couple turns). Then back on the trail, head south a mile or 2,on a lovely section of trail that is again in great shape.
We would do this again- it takes about 2 hours, and Frenchtown is a great spot to stop and eat or look around. Tinicum park has tent camping, a playground, and Frisbee Golf course that is quite large-they also hold an excellent arts festival each year the weekend after July 4 that is worth a few hours of your time. This area is also excellent for kayaking/tubing on the river or canal(there is a huge rental/day trip place about 5 miles south of Tinicum). New Hope (a great artsy old town) is a short drive south. There is another covered bridge nearby(west of the footbridge-didn't see it, but have heard of it). A great place to visit for a weekend, and the ride is worth it, even with the 5 or so bumpy miles. Only have to be on the road a very little bit(to access footbridge, and again for about .5-.75 miles in Uhlerstown between Frenchtown and the covered bridge) so that too is a plus. Some areas on the PA side do have drop-offs that are high, un-fenced, and into mucky water, so not somewhere where little kids can roam free or ride without very close supervision.
Nice, easy ride but don't forget money or food like we did! There are a few cornfields along the way so watch out for deer crossing! Also ran over a snake up near the Appalachian Trail! Smoothest trail we've been on in this area-lots of scenic overlooks!
Starting at Hugh Moore Park (where the Delaware canal trail ends) in Easton. Parking there is safe and secure. The first 5 miles going west are paved (there is an alternate 'high road' of gravel in the second mile for a half mile). Crossing the Lehigh River and in mile 6 you may lose your way. You'll need to go downhill through a parking area to pick up the trail. It is not marked. This next mile or so is the narrowest and roughest but not awful. The remaining 10 to Allentown is mostly wide and smooth crushed stone. I averaged 15 mph through there. It narrows a bit through Bethlehem and a couple of single tracks until Allentown. All in all, it's an easy trail to recommend.
This was a 23 mile ride which takes you passed an old factory, rivers, lakes, fishing areas, countless riders, runners.
I rode the 12 most northern miles today, starting in Kintnersville. There the trail is single track, entering Reigelsville it is mostly single track. No more than a foot wide. For people like me who like to look at the scenery, I have to keep my eyes on the road here. Much to see, too. Houses and a cafe on the canal in Reigelsville. North of there, the trail width varies but generally expands as you go north. In Williams Township at (northern crossing) Canal Rd., there are quick steps you'll need to go over. Within 5 or 6 miles of Easton (the trail's northern terminus) the trail is five feet wide mostly to the end. Not as beautiful, of course, as the section from Morrisville to New Hope but nice nonetheless. Reaching Easton, you can go west on the Lehigh River Canal trail where it's paved at the start. Recommended with caution using a hybrid. Some may prefer a mountain bike. But it is suited for a hybrid as well. Passersby are polite and courteous. It's isn't rocky or rough. A very scenic and peaceful stretch of the D & L Delaware.
We got on in Mt top and rode seven miles at a gradual decline. We got to a well kept RR bridge, then turned around to go back. The trip back was a workout. Whereas we coasted at 13mph going out, we worked to keep our pace at 8mph coming back. Good workout. Great scenery. Take good bug spray - couldnt stop because the biting flies were too bad. Picnic tables and benches along the way, although they are almost overgrown.
We did the trail on June 29th, southbound from White Haven to Jim Thorpe.It is nice easy going scenic ride, with a 2% grade going downhill for most of the ride. The trail is wide with hard packed gravel and it was predominately smooth for the entire duration.
The river follows the entire length of the trail and the trail will take 3 to 4 hours to complete depending on the number of stops and photos etc. There is wildlife in the area and we saw a bear cub on the trail, just north of Jim Thorpe.
It is a nice easy trail to ride and worth the visit to Jim Thorpe.
This was a great actual trail. While the path was smaller than others in the area it was more visually striking with the lehigh river next to you. It was like an adventure in the wilderness. The trail was busy as well.
By far one of the best rail trails in the country. The trail heads are located in towns that fully support the biking, hiking, & white water rafting enthusiast. At the end of the Gorge is the town of Jim Thorpe, a picturesque old coal mining town.
I rode this trail several times in the past its always a nice ride. The best scenery is from Rockport to Whitehaven, saw several deer. The trail from Tannery to Whitehaven is in need of some tlc, surface is rough with some larger rocks. Large groups of cycle renters heading south do not show trail etiquette. Your best bet is to pull off the trail and let them pass.
Rode from New Hope south ~8 miles, then over the bridge to loop back up the Jersey side. Overall, very pretty. The PA side is much nicer than the NJ side. Trail was lightly trafficked on a Monday afternoon. Dirt/stone path was well maintained. Easy to follow. Drove ~1 hr for the ride, it was worth it. Looking forward to checking out more of this trail.
We rode from Tinicom Park south to the Lumberville pedestrian bridge then from New Jersey rode north on the D&R to Frenchtown crossing over to Route 32 . It was a. Dry short ride to Uhlerstown Road and back to the Delaware Canal trail. 21.77 miles total. Conditions on but th trail were great. Loved this section. Restaurants along the way you can really make a pleasant day of it
Great trail to close out May 2016.
Had a bit of difficulty following the trail in Bowmanstown. Maybe it's just the old eyes....
My husband and I rode our first section of trail December of 2015 from the route 33 parking area to Reigelsville. The D&L from the parking area to canal park is nicely paved and the Canal section to Reigelsville is well maintained just a little rocky at spots but doable with my hybrid. We completed the section from the parking area just south of Reigelsville to Ticonium Park yesterday. The trail was narrow and rocky south of the parking area. There were lots of geese who are naturally defensive of their young along the way. After the 1st half hour the trail opened up nicely and became a crushed red shale. There is a quaint general store where we stopped and had an iced drink and a snack on the way back. The covered bridge at Uhlerstown was beautiful. We enjoyed this section tremendously. Can't wait to complete more of this trail
Rode it a couple years ago. Even better than I remember it! Paved, runs right next to the river, and is heavily sheltered in the woods. Definitely a favorite.
Just completed doing a bike ride from Tinicum park to the Stockton Bridge, crossed the Delaware and headed north on the rail trail to Frenchtown and then back to Tinicum Park, a total of about 26 miles. The condition of the tow path varied from well groomed and smooth to a more primitive surface the closer we got to the Stockton Bridge. There was a closed section due to a bridge out within 2 miles of the Stockton bridge. You can work around it on the River Road, or cross the Delaware and go over the walking bridge. The sights along the canal path were breath taking. The many Dogwood trees and spring shrubs were in full bloom. In sections it was like a green tunnel! There was no wind so the bloom, bridges, and houses along the was reflected on the surface of the canal. The return path from Stockton has an outstanding surface, hard packed and well groomed.
I rode the trail today from Bristol to Black Rock Rd, which I believe is in Yardey, and then back again. Got turned around once because an overpass but just brought up the map on my phone and saw how it went around. The trail gets more and more beautiful as you head north. Hoping to ride the entire 60 mile trail this summer
I rode 30 miles round trip today between Bristol and Yardley. The trail is rocky in many spots and is probably better suited for a mountain bike, rather than my hybrid Schwinn bike.
The trails stops in several spots between Bristol and Yardley. Sometimes finding where the trail starts back up is not very straight forward.
There were several spots where I needed to get off and carry my bike through rough terrain and a few steep inclines.
Although the canal is scenic in some spots, the trail terrain wasn't super friendly.
I wanted to give the Lehigh Gorge State Park riders an update. The bike train shuttles are back again this year, running about one weekend a month through November. There are two trains each day at 9am and 12 noon. It is a 25 mile train ride/shuttle from Jim Thorpe up to White Haven and then you bike back to your car in Jim Thorpe. PoconoBiking.com has the full schedule listed on their website.
I know the dates fill up quickly so reservations are a good idea, especially for warm weather rides. Enjoy the ride and thank state parks for keeping the trail in such great shape for all of us.
Paul 4/16
We truly enjoyed our bike ride today on this section of the D&L with unseasonable temps in the 70's. The trail is in perfect shape. We picked up the trail in Cementon (near Northhampton) and headed north. We didn't quite make it to Slatington and turned around and headed back to our starting point.
I hike this trail a lot, but a couple weeks ago about a mile from Slatington I rounded a corner by some houses and there were two large black dogs on the trail ! They had collars, but no one was around. They started growling and coming towards me, so I backed away and headed back towards Northampton. Not an enjoyable hike thanks to an irresponsible dog owner. Have to start carrying pepper spray.
This is a very nice trail and has been up graded in the past year or so. I toke the Train from Jim Thorpe. The ride up to Mt Top you can feel the elevation change, not bad but it is there. The Surface is in very good shape and is family friendly. I almost never give out five stars so four is a very good grade by myself. Talked to a couple of locals and there are plans to extend this trail over to Seven Tubs. I had a great ride on a great fall day and then rode down to Jim Thorpe. If you have not done the Gorge Trail it is a must.
Great for hiking, biking. Too narrow and too many dogs off leash if yours is reactive.
My starting point is either Stockton bridge (ride south - east) or Point Pleasant (ride north - west).
Going north from Point Pleasant to Reiglesville
The first 2.75 - 3 miles can be rough. Gravel trail, some holes, once you past this rough patch it's smooth sailing, crushed red clay relatively flat. The trail can be narrow at times, but it is very scenic, with the river/canal in view 90% of the time, some hills, bridges, canal locks, cool houses, farms, animals. You will some other people at times in various spots, hiking, walking dogs, biking...
Going south from Stockton to Yardley
The trail has some rough spots (including gravel, holes and mud) in stretches but for a good part it's crushed red clay and smooth. Around New Hope it's relatively narrow. The trail does end at the south part of New Hope and you need to cross over the street to pick it back up. There are small signs but you need to look for them. The trail is very scenic, you pass over/under bridges, canal locks, cool houses, farms, animals. You will some other people at times in various spots, hiking, walking dogs, biking...
We drove 2 hours from NJ to visit Jim Thorpe and bike a portion of this trail (as much as my 7 and 8 year-old-kids could handle, which was about 6 miles up and 6 miles back). Though we didn't know it before we left, the town happened to be having a Fall Fest, which was a bonus. The trail is awesome. Beautiful Fall scenery. Easy ride for all levels. I will definitely return to complete the entire length. One side note, if you're thinking about doing the 45-minute Scenic Railway tour, just know that it goes along the bike path for about 6-7 miles, then goes in reverse for the return trip. We took this tour and saw the same scenery (though slightly more elevated) we saw on our bikes about an hour prior.
Finally biked the trail from the mountain Top trail head (on 437, south of Glen Summit)to White Haven this summer. This is a smooth crushed stone trail that is noticeably downhill from the Mountain Top end, and a very easy ride because of this. Coming back might make you work a bit, but it is still a nice ride. There are rest areas every mile or so for you if you need it. These are picnic tables, there are no toilet or refreshment facilities at any point along this section of trail other than the shops in White Haven.
Coming from Mountain Top there are some single track trail which branch off the official trail, as well as some Game Land roads. The trail was not mowed from the trail head until just north of Moose head lake, but is quite passable. From Moose Head till the south end of the Mack property it has been mowed. The trail then becomes rather disappointingly overgrown till Middleburg Road, just north of White Haven.
Sights to see along this stretch are a freestanding rock structure just north of the pipeline crossing, Moose Head lake, and an overhanging rock shelter a little south of the lake. The surrounding property south of the lake is mostly private. This section is about 10 miles.
Once you reach the Middleburg Road parking area, (it is a rather small area), the trail makes an abrupt left onto the road, across the RR tracks and then right onto the old RR bed. It was not well maintained here, being black ash and some stone ballast. It was smooth for the most part but some rutting and bumpiness will be encountered. You can follow this section for about a mile into White Haven, where there are bike shops as well as some restaurants and convince stores. You can pick up the trail south of White Haven to Jim Thorpe.
Take your time and enjoy the sights, take a tangent off the beaten path if you dare, the game land roads are passable, but not intended as comfort bike trails, so will be rough in spots. Travel them at your own risk.
Not a good day! We called in advance to get reservations at Pocono Bike for the 10 o'clock bus and were told it wasn't necessary there would be plenty of seats. Guess what there weren't and had to wait from 9:15 to 11:00 for the next bus. While waiting spoke to two other couples who were told the same thing. Best advice make a reservation even when they tell you you won't need it.
Hit the trail which is well maintained and a nice ride only to have a near collision with a teenager who didn't know the rules of trail riding; oh well let it go and enjoy the rest of your ride. Ha! Same teenager with two friends decide to block the path in front of us about 4 miles further in. Ask nicely for them to clear the path and they barely moved enough for us to squeeze through. Again just let it go and enjoy your ride. Wrong, one of them follows us and tries to run me off the path. Had a few words with him and moved on only for another one to come upon us later and do the same thing. Called Pocono Bike and the offered to come pick us up but we declined and after the ride went to talk to them about it. They were very nice and sorry we had difficulty but there really wasn't anything they could do about it. The unfortunate part is I will never go back there and that's a shame.
We rode this trail from the South Delaware Dr. parking lot in Easton, PA. We went with the intention to ride the D&L Canal but ended up doing what I believe is the D&R Canal. There are no maps at this location to assist riders. If you go to ride the D&L toward Allentown, the trail is to the left. It starts out paved then eventually turns to gravel. The D&R starts as gravel and goes right along the canal. It is on the right and goes toward Frenchtown. We encountered a sign over 10 miles in, warning us that the path ended in 1.5 miles, reason being it was washed out. It is passable by walking your bikes over but we turned around so I can't say what happens after that point. The trail takes you along the Delaware River. As most canal trails, it is scenic, flat, and easily navigable. I was glad to have my mountain bike, as some sections have loose gravel and rocks. There are a few restaurants along the way but not any stores.
Rode from Cementon trailhead north just into Carbon County through the Lehigh Gap yesterday (a little more than 25 miles round trip). The trail has an extraordinarily well maintained and wide surface, lots of picnic tables along the way, good rest room facilities in Slatington and at the Lehigh Gap. This section of trail is good for all ages. Although there are a few private drives that intersect (never saw a car on any of them), the only meaningful road crossing is in Slatington and it is a well marked pedestrian crossing but requires care nonetheless since it is a busy road. Unfortunately, did not get to see the Lehigh Gap Nature Center as it was closed for the day. But, still worth the trip to the Gap for the gorgeous views of Blue Mountain. Great ride!
I started this trail today from the White Haven trail head and headed north. The first ~1.5 miles are bumpy in spots and have some ruts here and there. After about 1.5 miles you come to a road and there are no signs to point you to where the trail continues on the other side (I found out later you need to turn left onto the road, cross the railroad tracks, then at the end of the guardrail on the right side there is a small parking area - the trail continues here). The only 2 good things about this section are 1. the trail head is easy to find (there are no facilities, though) and 2. it's all shaded. Until they improve this, the only reasons to do this section are merely to say you've done it or to get to the Lehigh Gorge trail in White Haven.
Since it was only ~1.5 miles and I didn't feel like searching for and possibly not finding where the trail continued, I went back to my car and drove to the northern trail head in Mountain Top. This trail head was also easy to find and also has no facilities. From here it was smooth sailing for 8+ miles - the trail is crushed stone like the Lehigh Gorge trail, you pass some nice scenery, including a pond about halfway, which is a nice place to stop for a rest. There are picnic benches +/- tables roughly every mile or so. After about 8.5 miles you come to a little parking area and a road - turn left onto the road, cross the railroad tracks, and then turn right to follow the trail again - this is the bumpy and rutty 1.5 mile section into White Haven.
Aside from the crappy 1.5 miles section, this trail is really nice (5 stars when they fix that section). There is a noticeable down grade going south. It's pretty much a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of shade vs. full exposure. There is no water and no bathrooms anywhere on the trail or at the trail heads.
To get to the Lehigh Gorge trail, you can get onto Main St from the White Haven trail head (Main St. dead ends at this trail head), cross 940, go past the strip mall with the ice cream place and the pizza place, and you're at the top of the Lehigh Gorge trail. It's just a couple blocks.
We set out north from White Haven and had to turn back after about a mile. Trail was in crummy condition...lots of big rocks, not flat/smooth at all. Ruined the day of riding. They shouldn't promote this as a biking trail until they fix it.
BTW, going south from White Haven, there's also a bad spot for about a mile, until you get to the tannery, and then it's lovely the rest of the way.
Lovely scenery and nice path between jim thorpe and tannery (almost all the way to white haven). Between tannery and white haven and white haven north, the trail is incredibly rocky and not at all fun to ride on. This made for a wasted trip one day....very disappointing.
This was the first time my wife and I used this trail. We parked at Canal Park (which was rather hard to find) and took the trail from there. We ate a packed lunch at Sand Island and enjoyed a view of the Lehigh River while we ate. As we continued into Bethlehem the trail was the same easy ride with views of the river as we biked.
I will say that we ran into some pretty "interesting" people as we traveled through some of the sections. My wife commented that she would not use this trail in the evening if she was traveling alone.
I would recommend checking to see if there are any events in Allentown/Bethlehem area before you ride. We got detoured because of the Musik Festival that was going on. On our way back we stopped and walked around and enjoyed all the booths and food they had to offer. We parked our bikes at a free monitored bike parking which was really nice.
Good trail - good time
We started in White Haven and rode to Jim Thorpe. The trail is well kept, except for a sandy spot in the middle of the trail. Saw a beautiful rattlesnake along the edge of the trail.
We started at the Mountain Top trailhead. It was clearly marked, though the grass and weeds were waist high in some spots. We rode for about 20 minutes until we came to a road, maybe Johnson Street in Mountain Top? And the trail ended near the Pennsylvania American Water Property. There was a continuing trail in the Lackawanna forest, but it was made of large stones and difficult to ride on. We followed it for about 15 minutes, but it because so overgrown we could no longer follow the trail. Any advice? Other reviewers wrote about trail markers - we saw none. Will try it from the White Haven end next time and try to make our way to Mountain Top.
We rode from Bethlehem town center all the way to Easton and back.
There are several pick nick places along the route and the path is in good shape.
Easton has a nice town center with lots of shops and eateries.
The town has an iPhone and Android app that you can download to find places of interest in Easton. Very helpful!
All in all it is a nice ride
We live in Bethlehem, PA and can access this trail easily. It runs along the river and you would never know you're in a large city as you travel along. It is a mostly-flat trail and generally well-maintained. You will pass wild berry bushes (we've picked enough to make jam in the summer!) and see people fishing or rolling their tubes along towards a path leading to the river. It's generally not too crowded, but we try to pick early AM or early evening times to best enjoy it. This is also a dog-friendly trail. There are benches along the way if you need to stop and rest, signs pointing out historical markers and sites as well. We truly enjoy having this wonderful trail so close to home.
I've cycled this trail many, many times with friends over the years, hopping a shuttle (with bikes) in Jim Thorpe for the hour long ride to Whitehall and starting there. The trail is well maintained! We just did this last weekend (mid-July 2015), and about 1/3 of the ride to JT, we all just missed running over a RATTLESNAKE! Aside from the relief that none of us hit it and got bitten, it was the highlight of the day, watching it cross the trail from the river side, and slip into the woods, rattling loud as it went! They are common in these areas in summer, so it just makes sense to keep an eye out. Crushed cinder assures riders that they can pretty much never 'coast or rest'. So after a couple of hours, you are still working it. Pacing and stopping at all the wonderful historically marked spots and waterfalls breaks it up and makes it a bit easier. We always pull into Jim Thorpe, eat dinner, walk around and head back to the Philly area. One of the best PA rides around! We are so lucky to live in PA.
My wife & I rode our Trek T900 tandem, starting from downtown Jim Thorpe (there's a $6 parking fee at the downtown lot). We rode to White Haven for lunch which is primarily an uphill (but barely noticeable) ride. The first 10 miles runs adjacent to the railroad line and the river. the remaining 14 miles to White Haven run adjacent to the river. It was a bit quiet in the morning. On the return ride, we encountered numerous rafting groups on the river. Going south (towards Jim Thorpe) is primarily downhill (and downstream). Our return speed was about 2-4 mph faster. Total trip was just under 50 miles.
Despite the uphill/downhill issue, it is a very gentle grade (it is not visually noticeable).
I highly recommend off-road tires (smooth tread is OK) as there are some sandy spots as well as gravel of varying sizes.
There is a restroom building at the Rockport boat launch area. It does NOT use flush toilets.
There is a water fountain outside, though.
Rhodos blooming, waterfalls, people cheering, laughing down in the gorge while kayaking, rafting, mountain, railway views. Saw wildlife. ate awesome lunch in White Haven Antonios, I think the name was. Next time I like to take train up to White Haven & ride all the way down in one shot. also, it was 10 degrees cooler than DC area... perfect getaway. WEISSPORT was a definite great find!! GO THERE as well.. it is about an 8 mile round trip.
Trail well maintained/kept.
Ride was awesome. The only part that was hard was some parts were like riding on sand. 3 days after and my legs still hurt :-)
I did the bike train from Jim Thorpe to White Haven this past weekend with my wife and friends and loved this trail. I've biked lots of rails to trails and this is right up there with the best. Beautiful scenery, at its best at the first half. Very easy ride and goes by quickly. While biking it was great I couldn't help but think what a fantastic marathon course this would make, thinking many others would too. Great trail for biking, running or walking, loved it.
I have now done all the miles open from the Delaware river to Mountain Top on the D&L system. This is a nice trail but not a great one. The surface is great and I was on my very old Mt Bike but I did see a lot of Road Bikes along the way. The high point was the Airport just north of Slatington, there is a bone yard of old Airplanes, I thought that was neat. The trail head in Slatington is one of the very best on the whole of the D & L trail system. I could not believe the number of people on this trail down at the south end.
I needed to do this trail to complete all the D & L
trails, so with that said this was not a great ride as it is short and only about two miles are in great shape. There are great Historic markers along the way and there is a great trail head at 72 Canal St. The Portia Potty was in really bad shape but out side of that It was not a great ride. According to Trail link you can get to the Walnut Weisport trail but I could not find it and a couple of locals had no idea what I was talking about.
The Lehigh Gorge section of the D & L trail is a delight to walk or ride. If the issue could be settled at the Jim Thorpe sewage treatment plant so that you could bike through that area, it could allow hook up to the rest of the D & L and would be a wonderful long distance trail.
We like to park at the Glen Onoko access area in Jim Thorpe, ride to White Haven, have a fabulous hamburger (the biggest we've ever seen) at the White Haven diner and then bike back to Jim Thorpe.
The scenery is beautiful and sometimes you get the added enjoyment of watching rafters "float" down the river. The surface of the trail is excellent and the trip back down from White Haven is great, downhill fun.
Especially beautiful in fall but even in the hottest part of summer it is shaded and comfortable.
Highly recommend it.
I never give out just one star and have only given out five stars on a couple of trails, so with that said this is one rugged trail. I do round trips so last fall I did the bottom half and last week I did the top half. If you are going to do this trail make sure you read a number of reviews to help make up you mind. This trail is not a walk in the park. I did it on an very old Mt bike with a town an country tire. The north half I should have known better and should been on my 29 in Mt Bike. You do need front suspension as it gets rough and muddy.
Vary nice trail with very little traffic (human and vehicular crossings)
I wanted to let Traillink users know that the Lehigh Gorge Railroads train shuttle is being repeated this year 1 weekend a month 2 trains a day April-Sept and Nov the Biketrain will be operating. Put your bike on the train in Jim Thorpe ride up the gorge to White Haven and pedal the 25 miles back. Dates and reservations are available by calling the Lehigh Gorge Railroad 570-325-8485 or Pocono Biking 570-325-3655.
I also want to thank RTC for Traillink my wife and I have used it to bike in over a dozen states, its a great resource.
I took the Delaware Canal Towpath from Bristol to New Hope. Having never ridden on this trail before, not a great place to start. Right off the bat, the trail just stops at the Levittown Shopping Center.There is no signage as to where to pick up the trail again. No one could help me so I relied on Google Maps to get me over the trail on Bristol Pike. I went over the guard rail and clinbed down the hill onto the trail.
From Levittown to Morrisville, the trail would often end at overpasses and I had to climb down to the railroad tracks and back up to the trail. At one detour, a construction site with large rocks, I had to carry my bike about a quarter of a mile to get back on the trail. Again, no signage. Don't know what I would have done without Googls Maps. I like this type of bicycle ride but I guarantee you, this is not for everyone.
After Morrisville, the trail is beautiful next to the canal. Crushed rock and not very crowded, even though it was one of the first beautifuil days of the season.
Eventually I made it to New Hope where I met my wife and we drove home together.
Love biking and walking the trail. Very scenic and an easy walk. I am writing this review to forewarn people from parking at the Allentown entrance to the trail. My car was broken into twice while I was walking at this entrance. Take my advice and drive to the sand island entrance in Bethlehem. I have never had a problem leaving my car at the the Bethlehem location.
My sister and I went out to find some trail and found this app to help. This place was beautiful. There wasn't much snow so it was easy to walk and enjoy the nature. We went by 25th street to park and it was great!
Question: I'd like to travel this trail round trip, beginning at White Haven. However, I've read info on two different trailheads: one off Middlebrook Road over one mile north of White Haven; one at the north end of Main St. within White Haven. Can someone clarify the exact location of the White Haven trailhead? Thanks
I run or bike on this trail nearly every weekend. It's beautiful and well maintained with very few road crossings. It's my training ground for the D&L Half Marathon held in November of each year, a must do if you are a distance runner or walker!
Great trail in all seasons; however, winter use would be much better if snowmobile users would follow the rules and be considerate of other users. While snowmobiles are permitted from White Haven to Penn Haven Junction; they are prohibited from Penn Haven to Glen Onoko. However, don't expect peace and quiet or lack of exhaust in this stretch of beautiful scenery. DCNR doesn't enforce that prohibition and snowmobilers clearly know it. We had a horrible encounter with an impatient rider; rider didn't slow down, our rescue dog got spooked by the loud engine, slipped it's collar/leash, and, get this, was chased by snowmobiler who thought he could out run the dog. Well, after 1/2 mile or so, the rider finally thought to just stop the snowmobile. Fortunately we caught up with the poor, scared dog. The other snowmobilers we encountered (in this section where they were prohibited) were at least considerate enough to slow down/yield. The DCNR Ranger I spoke with was rather dismissive about the whole issue and laughed it off because they have no means to enforce it (plus they get a little revenue from selling snowmobile permits). Perhaps DCNR should post more signs, make a presence at the snowmobile loading lots to remind riders of the rules, and most importantly, erect physical barriers at Penn Haven Junction (that we see at many trailheads) to prevent this blatant disregard of the rules. Many of us specifically seek out trails that don't allow nuisance motors and while we're there, we contribute to the local economy. By allowing motor vehicles on trails that prohibit such, the authorities, like DCNR, are saying 'go elsewhere with your money'.
On 11/1/14 I did the Train from Jim Thorpe to White Heaven and road the trail back. It was not the best weather and I am sure that keep the crowd down but I had a great ride on a great trail. Lots of Picnic tables along the way and Rest Room at each trail head. Mile Markers each and ever mile. At each trail head and it told you how many miles to the next one and how many miles to Jim Thorpe. The surface is Stone dust and is in great shape. You can see the river almost the whole way and the fall colors were great. The elevation in White Heaven is 1450 ft and in Jim Thorpe it is 515 so you lose little over 900 ft in 25 mils. this was my second trip on this trail but not my last.
Did the whole trail on 10.29.14 It was an awesome trip.
My first time on this trail Thurs. 10/9/14, riding from White Haven to Jim Thorpe and back. I clocked 48mi. round trip. Beautiful colors this time of yr. and very little bike traffic. I would imagine the weekends during this peak season of color would be much more crowded. Definitely more of an upgrade going back up to White Haven but very gradual. Very scenic and easy riding trail! I had lunch in Jim Thorpe. Great old town with many small shops. Wonderful experience overall!
I started just south of Bull's Island on the PA side. The PA side is still not quite repaired after the storm damage. Along the PA path are barriers blocking the path to warn cyclist to stay away. But it is clear from the worn-out path around the barrier that many cyclist have elected to simply go around the barrier. I followed suit and it was not a problem for the three barriers I past in the 2 1/2 mile up north toward Frenchtown. I walked the bike over the bridge at Bull's Island to get over to the NJ side of the path. What a surprising difference. The NJ path were a whole lot better and pleasant to ride. Terrain is flat as a pancake for most of the way. The path seemed well maintained and for the 10 miles or so to Frenchtown there is not a barrier in sight. It was simply enjoyable. So take heed and avoid the PA side if possible...Frenchtown is also charming and certainly well worth the trek...Hope this helps.
We rode this trail for the first time yesterday from Easton on south. This is the area that from reports, was previously washed out. After riding on Pine Creek trail (Wellsboro) the week before, this was certainly a rough ride. And, the trail goes down to a single footpath at spots. But, it was thoroughly enjoyable due to the scenery. We are looking forward to riding another stretch in the future.
Rode this new section of trail Memorial Day and wrote the "Bucket List Trail" review. Revisited it today Sept. 7. My wife and I were shocked at how much the trail, from marker 4021 to the mid-point of the trail, has deteriorated. It appears that the trail is now half its former width and weeds have reduced the once wide trail to two paths with high weeds in the center. It looks like the trail has not been cut or sprayed in this area for the entire summer! I usually write positively about the many trails we have visited, but the dramatic changes we observed, in only three months, have us concerned that this once beautiful trail will only be a sad memory in the next year or two.
Started from the south and went north about 7 miles and came back.
Very nice ride. Even passing by the few homes here and there were picturesque and interesting.
Next time I'll start from the north and go south. It's a pretty long ride! :)
I did this ride with my 14 y.o. son. We took a shuttle from Jim Thorpe then rode back from White Haven to Jim Thorpe, it took less than 2 1/2 hours. For cyclists, I have 700C x 32 tires and they were fine on the crushed stone path, but true road bike tires would be a stretch. It was a beautiful ride with the sounds and sights of the river right by the trail, and there are scenic stopping points along the way. I also enjoyed exploring Jim Thorpe after the ride, it is a picturesque little town nestled amongst high Pocono hills.
Rode this trail on Friday August 16. Was a great and mostly easy ride except for the hill in the Hugh Moore Park near the boat launch. Started at Sand Island and went to the Delaware Canal State Park. Not sure how far that is. A very scenic ride. Be sure to pack a cell phone or a camera for pictures. Be careful on the bridge crossing the Lehigh River. The bike lane going across the river is not very wide and if someone is coming the other direction AND you get too close to the rail it will tear up your forearm as it did mine.
path is completely open from Easton south. All flood repairs wrapping up as of 8/12/14
I completed this trip mid-summer. If you are looking for quiet with no other people around, this is NOT your trail. I saw another trail user or people on the river about every 1-2 minutes. If you did not see them, you could hear them. I was able to get cell service (Verizon) during almost the entire trip. There are no towns or places to buy something until you reach one of the trails end. Bring enough food/water for your journey.
I started my ride at the southern Jim Thorpe end. I parked in the lot at Glen Onoko. The parking lot is large enough to guarantee a parking spot during the busiest of summer days. There is a rustic bathroom if needed (non flush type).
The first few miles of trail are next to a working railroad on one side and the river on the other. There is not much tree cover and the river is close to the trail. The trail is VERY well maintained. The signage is VERY well placed and clear. I have ridden many rail to trail paths and this one has been the best groomed yet. No potholes. The first few miles of trail had a few patches of deeper rocks. You just need to pay attention and all will be smooth sailing. I rode on my mountain bike with 2.5” wide tires and towing a BOB trailer. You have to pedal since it is technically uphill, but it won’t take a lot of effort.
About the half-way point you reach Rockport. It’s not a town. It is a parking lot with river access and rustic bathrooms. Since it was summertime, there were a few hundred people with rafts entering the water. It was quite busy. As you leave Rockport, the tree coverage becomes thick and it’s nicely shaded. The trail gets slightly less smooth (still great shape). You also pass several waterfalls.
The trail dead ends in a parking lot when you reach White Haven. If you bike to the end of the lot, you run into “main street” with stores and such. You can eat and refuel.
I made the extra 1.1 mile side trek to Lehigh Gorge Campground. It’s a place that shows age. My tent site was not level and I found small trash lying about. Traffic from the nearby interstate was loud and it went on all night. It is important to note the the bathrooms and shower were nice and clean (big bonus).
How to get there:
Skip the Mountaintop trailhead near the fire company. It's short and the trailhead is unsigned. And, at the southern end, there's a trail gap at Glen Summit. There's no easy way to bypass the gap; you have to take a steep section of Rt. 437. No good.
Instead, start at the trailhead on Rt. 437 past Glen Summit. Traveling south, it's on the left after the Church Rd. intersection. Traveling north, it's on the right after the Tunnel Rd. intersection. There's an awesome, huge red sign that says "D&L Trail: Black Diamond Trailhead." Can't miss it. Really professional looking. That's where the parking lot is, too.
From here, the trail is pretty great. It's virtually all downhill to White Haven at a very slight grade (1%-ish). Trail surface is wide, smooth, and hard. The gravel is much thinner up here than at Glen Onoko (where it has a quicksand-ish feeling in parts). There are regular mileage signs, picnic tables.
Loved this trail. We parked at the Rockport Trailhead (GPS: 40°57'59.8"N 75°45'17.9"W /
40.966598, -75.754957) and biked up to the White Haven trailhead. There, we turned around and went back down to Rockport. It was a really easy ride; you'd never know you were going uphill. All in all, it was a smooth 18.21 miles (according to MapMyRide app on my phone). The substrate on the trail got a bit rough between Tannery Rd and White Haven, so beware. I love that there were back boards on the trail, in case of emergencies. A great trail for cyclists of all skill levels, including children.
We did the first mile or so from the south end. The canal was filled with stagnant water, layered with algae, with trash floating in it, and it smelled like you would imagine. Other than that, the trail was nice a smooth and it was lightly traveled.
My husband and I rode the trail on Friday. It was well maintained and an easy ride. Beautiful views and just an all around pleasant day. About 16 miles each way.
I am fortunate to live so close to this trail! It is beautiful in all seasons. There are a number of different options of what you can do here. First, I recommend riding a hybrid or mountain bike. Kids bikes will do just fine. In addition there are miles of single track that weave through the park on either side of the trail. This is also an excellent location to hike and is fairly well marked with reflective strips on trees or signs marked "bike trail."
In the winter the canal freezes over and we maintain it for skating. (PLEASE DON'T throw ROCKS on the ICE) We hold pickup hockey and broom ball games. Cross country skiing is wonderful along this stretch with the frozen canal on your right and river waters on your left, too.
You can get to Jim Thorpe by following the path all the way to the end. You must go left around the sewage treatment plant - continue through the lock - up the paved path and onto the railroad access road. This takes you to the grocery store parking lot and then you have two options to get to the next section of trail - either continue by road up to the Lehigh Gorge State Park, (use a map if unsure) or circle around and go into downtown Jim Thorpe's train station parking lot and proceed northward to the new trail. I personally recommend the latter because I love the new railroad bridge crossing of the Lehigh.
If you are looking to ride north from this location, it is possible with less than a mile of road riding. Heading north: After going around the yellow gate at the sewage treatment plan in Lehighton, continue north on the paved road. Cross under two bridges. Look for a narrow paved driveway on the left and ride up the short hill. This will bring you out to route 209 by Castle Grill. Proceed through the parking lot towards Dunkin Donuts. Make a left onto Bridge Street. Be sure to travel on the right side of the road and avoid sidewalks as this is used heavily by pedestrians and construction signs. Follow Bridge Street through Weissport. Once you cross the railroad tracks the Canal Park can be accessed. If you want to go south towards Parryville, go right. If you want to connect up to Jim Thorpe, go left. The Canal Park has a nice pavilion there for you to rest and a portapotty if needed.
We started at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and rode to Weisport. The trail is lovely! There are loads of wildflowers along the section that's part of the nature center, plenty of shade, and you're right along the Lehigh. The trail is wide and well-maintained. The only "con" is that you ride on the road for a portion of the trail, and the place to pick it back up again (across the river from Bowmanstown) isn't well marked or visible from the road. Considering most D&L trails have great signage, I was surprised by this oversight. We also rode a part of the canal path that starts in Slatington. It was pretty, but the trail isn't nearly as well maintained and it just kind of piffled out into grass. Probably better for walking than biking. We loved the rail trail and will definitely return.
We rode this trail from Jim Thorpe to White Haven and back--stopping for lunch in White Haven. The trail was well maintained and the scenery was outstanding. There was quite a bit of bike and pedestrian traffic on the trail after lunch, but the ride was still very pleasant.
We took the train ride up the Gorge and rode back. It was fantanstic day. I am not an experienced rider and this trail was perfect for me to get started. We recommend to anyone!! and The Pocono Biking Shop is very helpful and friendly. The town is an extra bonus very cute!
Very scenic! Rode from Easton to Frenchtown...and yes, it is fully repaired. There is a crossover at Frenchtown to get to the NJ side or you can continue to New Hpe
My wife and I rode the entire trail(on our tandem) on Memorial Day, out and back. Truly an outstanding addition to the D&L Trail. Started from White Haven parking area. The first mile and a half is in need of work (mud, grass etc.). But once you reach marker 4021 on the map it's clear sailing to Mountain Top. Some outstanding views and a wide well-groomed trail for the next 7 1/2 miles. Don't miss this new trail addition. Lots of friendly people. A great day. Pa. Tandem Team (new combined age is now 133 yr. and counting!). Roger
We are from Mountaintop and just found out about this new trail. So tried it out Memorial Day Weekend. GREAT place to walk! Will have to next try our mountain bikes there. Can't wait to see it in the Fall!
Problem is people are coming to walk and bringing their dogs which is fine. I bring my small ones. BUT, some stupid idiots are leaving their BIG dogs loose and running all over. Yesterday, May 26, a stupid young couple had this BIG dog running loose all over chasing people. We had our SMALL terrier on its leash and this BIG dog came after it. He also went after some girls jogging. My husband had to kick it in the mouth to get it away!!! Stupid owners just called it never came to get the dog!
If you walk here I recommend everyone to carry pepper spray or bear spray with them. We are going to anymore. PLUS I am going to buy a pellet gun and believe me WILL shoot any dog that attacks us in the mouth and face! Now I know why some people are carrying large sticks and concealed guns. Have to with these STUPID owners leaving their dogs loose. Already got attacked twice in Nescopeck State Park. Believe me it will not happen again. The dog WILL go down! People have no consideration for others. Otherwise this trail is great for older people who want to get out and get exercise and walk. Just remember to be prepared for these loose dogs if you know what I mean!
Did the first 3.5 miles from the start of the trail, from Jefferson Ave in Bristol to the Home Depot on Levittown Pkwy. Trail very smooth, and we were alone even on a sunny Sunday afternoon. First part through a park, and then later ran parallel to Bristol Pike. Saw an otter, some large snapping turtles, and a heron. But you have to cross Bristol Pike on foot - a bit hairy with kids! and it is not nearly as scenic as the Yardley to Frenchtown section
Is this section open yet?
We bike this trail a lot and absolutely love it. They have added picnic tables and it's never crowded. We also have gone into White Haven and picked up the trail to go into Jom Thorpe! Great afternoon and trip!
My husband and I biked this trail last weekend and were thoroughly delighted by it. Most of the time you'd never know you were in a metropolitan area: we were surrounded by peaceful woods, the canal, and the river. We parked in Bethlehem and biked to Easton and back. Trail surfaces were varied, but all were easy to ride on. I highly recommend it!
Rode our favorite trail again on Easter, nice day, great trail, fun time. What caught our attention was something new which I think Traillink readers would like. Apparently the shuttle service we use out of Jim Thorpe Pocono Biking has partnered with the Lehigh Gorge scenic train ride and is offering train bike shuttles the first weekend in June 2014 for $20.
You can put your bike on the train ride up to White Haven and then peddle the 25 miles back to Jim Thorpe. They called it the Bike Train and said there has been a lot of interest and you need to make reservations.
What a great trail! We love rails-to-trails and this is an amazing ride. We rented bikes in Jim Thorpe (very cute town) and rode half of the trail and came back. I would love to go back and do the entire trail as it is very level and an easy ride.
Such a gorgeous trail along the river. Pocono Whitewater/Biking shuttled us up to White Haven and they were delightful to deal with. The staff couldn't be more helpful and had loads of fun information to share about the trail, the program and the Jim Thorpe area. Rails-to-trails is such a great organization-keep up the fabulous job you are doing!
We used the Pocono Biking shuttle service to take us up to White Haven for our 25 mile or so ride down river to Jim Thorpe. Pocono Biking was professional, prompt and precise with the shuttle service.. The ride down the gorge was a delight to say the least. Pocono informed me that an additional 9 or so miles is now open above White Haven. I look forward to a return trip to do it all. Nice day of fun and exercise.
Mountain biked the 4 miles from the Trailhead at Rt. 437 south of Glen Summit to Moosehead Lake. The scenery is great, there is a picnic table about every mile and the surface is gravel/sand packed down almost like concrete. You'll coast all the way to the lake and pedal all the way back. I'm nearly 60 years old and I hadn't been on a bike for about 40 years but I had no problem pedaling back though I worked up a little sweat.
Next time I'll start from White Haven and travel toward Mountain Top and see how far I can get before coasting back.
Started in White Haven and slight downhill grade all the way to Jim Thorpe. The section leading into Jim Thorpe after Glen Onoko has now been completed so it's a beautiful ride all the way into the parking lot. Great scenery with plenty of picnic tables along the way to stop at. While most of the trail is shaded by trees, the section leading into and out of Glen Onoko is not for the most part. Wear sun protection. Worst of the surface is at White Haven but ends quickly so don't be put off by that.
When parking at White Haven don't be dismayed if the lot across from the bike shop is full, continue down the path with your car and lots more parking opens up on the left. There's never a need to park on the street or in the shopping mall.
Rode this trail on Sept 28th. We used the Blue Mtn Sport shuttle service, they were wonderful. Shuttled from Jim Thorpe to White Haven. Ride back to Jim Thorpe was terrific, beautiful scenery and picnic tables to eat the packed lunch we brought and take pictures. And the slight downhill grade made it even more enjoyable. We took our time, got back to Jim Thorpe by 2:30. Explored the quaint town of Jim Thorpe, ate an early dinner and headed home. Most enjoyable fall day on our bikes!
We rode this trail from Middleburg Rd north to Rt 437 yesterday (Oct 1). If you have never ridden this trail, now would be a great time to experience it. The foliage was beautiful but probably not quite at its peak. Good news - there are now 8 picnic tables (approximately 1 every mile). Still no restroom/port-a-potties. Definitely recommend starting at White Haven rather than Glenn Summit because of the grade; great return trip after pedaling all the way up.
The connector from White Haven to Middleburg Rd is definitely a challenge unless you have mountain bikes - we tried it earlier this summer. We would recommend that you start at the Middleburg Rd parking lot outside White Haven. To get there, head north from White Haven on Towanda Street (Towanda runs parallel to Main; 1 block to the west of Main). Very shortly, Towanda becomes Middleburg Rd. The parking lot (unmarked) is on the left 1.5 miles from Rt 940 in White Haven. If you've crossed the bridge you've gone too far.
The trail is very well maintained and is a great new addition to the D & L Trail system. Enjoy your ride.
Beautiful trail. There is another parking area on cove road just south of where 145 crosses the Lehigh river
I parked in Jim Thorpe and rode a shuttle from Pocono Biking up to White Haven. The next time I will ride it both ways as there really is no grade to speak of.
Take enough food and water with you , there is nothing available once you leave White Haven.
I really can't think of any thing that could be done to improve this trail.
Rode the trail several times now. Found it a lot easier starting at Middleburg Road and ride to Glenn Summit - this way you have the uphill first & coast down going back. It seems as though the weeds are starting to take over the trail - hopefully they will be trimmed. Can't wait to ride when the leaves start to change their color. The scenery is great. The trail would be a 5 star if there were benches & bathrooms along the route.
I have traversed the entire length many times. It is both an oasis within two cities (Easton and Bethlehem) and a easyily navigated route for all family members. Multiple easy access points and scenic vistas. Highly recommended.
Rode the trail from the new Black Diamond trailhead, south of Glenn Summit on Rte 437, all the way down to Rockport. The new section is absolutely gorgeous!! Looks like they are getting ready to install some benches or picnic tables along the trail. NOTE: See directions others have posted about where the trail continues after crossing Middleburg Road (paved road).
The D&L people don't like to put up many signs so you are on your own to actually find trail heads.
At Weissport heading north it is very nice and well maintained for 2 miles then goes into singletrack until it dead-ends at the sewage plant. Don't go any further! You risk injury on the rocks going left around the sewage plant and trespassing charges on the rail road.
From Weissport heading south - Where's the trail?? the dirt parking lot across the street has a no trespassing sign. But no D&L sign to direct us.
Most of the D&L Trail is great, well maintained, and beautiful. Its taken many years to get this far. It is not a thru-bike tour if you want to stay off roads.
the new black diamond trail from white haven to rt 437 near glen summit.is nice and flat.they wanna take it all the way up to wilkes barre and bear creek area.cant wait to see it.any word on to when it will be done?
After biking from Middleburg parking lot white haven to 437 parking lot my wife needed to use a bath room. Would be nice to have positioned porta pottys at 437 parking lot.
Had there been a few picnic tables or benches I would give this a 5star review. The trail is crushed stone from the parking lot at Glen summit to Middleburg road. There are no signs to the trail at that point. We crossed over the road and found a dirt path below the railroad track that took us into White Haven.That was a bit rocky in one area. There are D&L mile marker signs every .5 miles along the paved trail, but no posts as to distance to White Haven, Tannery,Rockport,etc. Just keep in mind there is an uphill grade going back from Middleburg road to the parking lot! Place some benches or picnic tables & this will get a 5 star rating! I look forward to biking it again soon. The nearest "facilities" are in White Haven.
I rode the new trail last evening. Great Ride - had a hard time figuring out where the parking lot was. The parking lot is 4.5 miles down on 437 off of 309 in Mountain Top - it will be on the left - you can't miss it. The trail goes approx 10 miles then ends (with no signs as to where to go from there). To continue on, cross the 2 lane road, turn left and turn right to the left of the rail road tracks - if you get to the red, white & blue building, you passed it. The trail continues along the left of the rail road tracks. It is narrow for a little way then opens up. The trail gets a little rocky then gets better. You will end up in White Haven then you can continue on to the Lehigh Valley Gorge Trail & ride to Jim Thorpe. I'd like to see some picnic tables along the way to take a break & enjoy the scenery. I'd also like to see some distance signs to the parking lot and White Haven. Watch out for deer!
I have been riding this trail for the last few years and I must say every time gets better for me. My son came with me for his first time on the trail and he really enjoyed it. We rode to rockport from Glen Onoko falls. The trip was 27.25miles which was plenty for an afternoon. The scenery is amazing and the trail is a very easy ride. This is a great beginner trail! Can't wait to ride on it again in the fall.
We're new to mtn biking and love it. The only issue we have is the lack of signage from Bear Creek road to the last part of the trail to White Haven. It is esp. confusing since there appears to be a path right across the road from the 1st section. You need to bear left, cross the RR tracks and the trail resumes right next to tracks
Actually, I haven't experienced this trail yet, but love the White Haven to Jim Thorpe trail. As far as Black Diamond trail, I'm confused about the specific route from the Mountain Top Hose Company to the trail proper south of Glen Summit. I don't want to begin a bike journey from Mountain Top to White Haven and not be able to clearly traverse Glen Summit. Thanks for any clarification and specific instructions that other trail users can provide. Thanks!
We started our ride at Wy-Hit Tuk Park figuring that repairs would have been made to the areas that washed out over a year ago. At that point the trail is primarily small stone with a large amount of grass growing through. No too bad, just not what we expected. As we continued to ride, the trail became worse until just above Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area. At that point the trail was much like where we started, so we rode on. A little over a mile past TRRA, the bottom fell out - litterally. The trail became down-right treacherous with a 10 foot drop to rocks on one side and steep drop in to the stagnant canal on the other. My wife and I looked at each other and both said at the same time, "Let's turn around". That was only about 5 miles from were we started. As other have said, start near Black Eddy ans ride south until repairs are hopefully made.
The trail that takes you from rte 309/437 near the Mt top hose company. trail runs about 1.5 miles to Johnson St till it is cut off unfinished till Glen Summit. There is a section of this trail near homes and at the end by Johnson st. So far seen that those on this trail have been courteous but, because of residential homes so near this trail there are pets that may be loose with their owners. So ask that you take your time so that you are not being chase by dogs if loose. They promise some kind of privacy for us residence and have not seen it yet. So until then just want to make you hikers and bikers aware that if you are afraid of dogs it may not be wise to travel this section of the trail. The pets are monitor and are on restaints most time but there are times that when they see hikers they can bolt from the homes.
This is the agreement of this trail to be behind our homes that we do not have to put out of our pocket expense for the trail a fencing privacy.
Enjoy it but respect as you travel through this area about 400 yards. The trail is beautifully done. Enjoy.
I rode this trail early Sunday morning, very light traffic. The trail is in very good condition. This trail will be great if they ever tie it in with the trail from Jim Thorpe to White Haven.
This past weekend a group of us rode the 25 miles from White Haven to Jim Thorpe. We caught a shuttle through Pocono Biking. They dropped us off at the White Haven trail head (about a 30 min drive from Jim Thorpe). We decided to grab a quick bite before heading off since there are no stops along the trail for food or drink. We rode our bike up the street to Renee's Cold Cut Hut and grabbed some very good subs. There are no tables there so we rode back to where we got dropped off and ate at the picnic tables there. We then headed off on our 25 mile adventure. Overall it was a very good enjoyable ride. I think the first 10 miles were the best scenic wise but really the change of scenery throughout the ride kept it interesting. Like other reviews indicate from White Haven it's pretty much flat or downhill. However the last couple miles were a little tougher. The wind picked up and the gravel was thicker so it was harder to ride through but overall not bad at all. Definitely recommend to any biker out there. It was a beautiful trail and a great little town. Took us about 2.5-3 hours to do with several stops for pictures along the way.
Great ride from Mountain Top to White Haven this trail is awesome had a great time riding with friends and meeting other rides.
I have a hybrid bike and ride the trail from middleburg road to the parking area on Rt. 437 every day. It is 17 mile round trip. Then entire trail is smooth and awesome!
I rode this trail twice from Slatington to Cementon and back, and today I rode it to Weisport. Lots of nice scenery and if you keep your eyes open you just might see some deer or a bald eagle.
This section of trail now continues North all the way to Lehighton. The trail is now crushed stone all the way to the parking lot entrance of Riverview Park along Riverview Rd. in East Penn Township. You have to ride approximately 3/4 mi. on Riverview Rd. to route 895. Across 895 is a cul-de-sac and Marvin Gardens Park. On the cul-de-sac is the entrance to the trail. The trail continues under the new Turnpike bridge to Lehigh Drive in Lehighton. None of the road sections are busy roads. It appears that a parking area in Lehighton is almost completed at the end of Lehigh Drive. From Lehighton it is possible to cross Bridge St. to the canal path on the east side of the river and ride to just south of Jim Thorpe.
An official connection to Jim Thorpe is all that is needed to really make the whole D&L Trail one of the best in the country. The section through Lehigh Gorge already is.
Rode from Slatington to Lehighton on June 1, 2013. Only passed a few other bikers. Be sure to stop at Lehigh Gap Nature Center just north of Slatington.
Rode from access at parking lot on middleburg Rd to new parking lot off Rt437 on top of mountain before glen summit. Trail is in excellent condition, smooth and no large stone. Approx 7.4 miles to parking lot on Rt 437, round trip almost 16 miles. I was told there are plans for a loop to go from from trail out towards Pa Turnpike at Bear Creek and back with two water crossings, but not installed yet. This trial will be very popular, I encountered approx 12 to 15 hikers and riders. Signed New 29er, Mo.
We walked the 5+ miles from the Cove Road (Treichlers) trailhead to Slatington. Gorgeous, with a very nice canopy of trees that provided welcome relief from a hot sun. The Slatington trailhead was dedicated on May 17th, and includes parking and restrooms. It's adjacent to several commercial establishments, including a pizzeria and A. F. Boyer Hardware, owned by the father of Asher F. Boyer, for whom this section of trail is named.
It's easy to access the Slate Heritage trail from this trailhead as well.
After reading the reviews, we headed to White Haven and did the upper 1/2 round-trip from trail head to Rockport and back. Ride was great -well maintained surface, easy riding and fun views of the river (with more rafters and kayakers on the river than there were bikers!). We'll definitively do the lower half. Trailink has never let us down - keep up the good work !
Today we walked the stretch between Cementon and Laurys Station. Nicely shaded, with the southernmost mile situated between the shale formations and the Lehigh. Easy grade, good surface. About the only downside is that you're close to Rt. 145 traffic noise as you make your way north...
We've done this trail before, to Jim Thorpe and back in one day. That's a long 50 miles, so this time we left the car at White Haven and overnighted in Jim Thorpe. Directions to the trail heads both north and south are easy to find, plus there are other parking areas along the way if you're not uo for the long ride. The ride south is a bit easier than the one north. Although the trail is flat, there is a slight uphill grade that you can feel after 10 miles or so. That said, it is still an easy ride. There are plenty of places to stop along the way with waterfalls and nice river views. There are also a few places where you can walk down to the rivers edge, stick your feet in and relax for a while.
The town of Jim Thorpe is quaint and relaxing. We enjoyed our stay at The Inn where they have bike storage.
I would definitely do this again, but spend 2 days in town and explore some of the other trails in the area.
Rode new part of our favorite trail this weekend.A new 10 mile section of the Lehigh Gorge D & L trail is now ready to ride. They were still working on parking lots but the trail itself was done and with a gorgeous surface. Very enjoyable ride wooded on both sides with a lake and beaver ponds (yes we did see beavers) for scenic breaks. Its called the Black Diamond referencing coal is 10 miles long and starts at the north end of White Haven or a new trailhead off Rt. 437 just before Glen Summit. I would suggest using the trailhead as its then downhill the whole way.
With this new section you can now ride the rail trail 35 miles into Jim Thorpe with just one short 1/4 mile break in White Haven. The trail is in great shape the whole way. For those of you who have never ridden it its really scenic with the river, gorge, bald eagles, waterfalls, side hikes just a great ride and both Jim Thorpe and White Haven have biking shuttle companies so you can ride one way. A local we meant on the trail told us the parking areas should be done by June 1st. I am sure if you called the Pocono Biking shuttle people they could give you an exact update. So enjoy the new extension and if you have never ridden the Lehigh Gorge your missing out.
Paul
I live in Allentown, just a few miles from the trailhead, and ride this trail often. It is a nice mix of surfaces and scenery, although sections of it can get washed out (and have downed trees across the path) after heavy storms. It's usually fixed/made passable fairly quickly, but does remain muddy, so I wouldn't recommend it shortly after heavy rains. It's mostly flat with no large/long hills. There is one small road crossing, and an area where you ride on a non-busy road for maybe half a mile, but any cars I've ever encountered there have given me a wide berth. Along the different sections there are cyclists, runners, people out walking their dogs, and folks fishing. Some dogs are off leash, and while most people look out for cyclists and leash/control their dogs when bikes approach, some do not. People are generally friendly and I've never had any negative instances after years of riding this trail.
Allentown to Sand Island, Bethlehem: This section is about 4.5 miles, mostly gravel with some dirt. It follows the river on one side, the canal on the other, and there are train tracks and a train station on the other side of the canal. It's nice scenery, but my least favorite part due to the LOUD SCREEEEEEEECHING of the trains as they come into the train yard. I do not recommend parking here--I have never had a problem and have never felt unsafe, but a friend of mine recently had her car broken into (rock through the window) and her wallet stolen from the center console as she was walking her dog. She also found evidence of drugs in the surrounding brush as she was looking to see if the thief tossed her wallet aside. It's worth it to drive a few miles to park at Sand Island.
Sand Island to Freemansburg: About 2.5 miles long. As you finish the Allentown section of the trail, you will come across Sand Island park. If you exit the trail at the road crossing, turn right onto the road and then immediately left, you will enter the parking areas for the park. There is a water fountain at the playground area if you need to refill. You can re-enter the trail either by going across a bridge on your left immediately after the playground area, or you can continue straight through the parking areas (passing basketball courts and tennis courts on your left) and pick up the trail again, dead-ahead (you will need to turn left and go over the bridge shortly after getting back on the trail and going down a slight, very short hill). This section starts off as gravel (which is sometimes a bit loose, but rideable, when they spread fresh gravel on it), turns into single track dirt at spots (mostly 2 single tracks of dirt, so there is no problem if someone is coming the other way), then into wider dirt areas with some rocks and roots (nothing major, just watch where you're going). This is a nice section. The Sand Island area is one of the main spots for Musikfest, a very large music festival that is held every August. They do block off a part of the trail during that week, so avoid this part of the trail the first week in August. Right after Sand Island, the trail runs along the backside of the old Bethlehem Steel complex. Very cool mix of the old history with the old buildings that are still standing, and areas that they have converted into casinos, concert venues, etc to revitalize the area.
Freemansburg to Easton: About 6 miles. After you pass through the dirt/rock/root area in Freemansburg, the trail turns again to gravel. There are a few picnic benches/tables here if you want to take a rest. This part is very nice--the gravel surface is well packed, it's well shaded, and you're again riding alongside the river for much of it. There are one or 2 rope swings in this area, so there are sometimes groups of kids/teenagers making the path a bit crowded in summer in areas along this section. At the end of this gravel section (about 3.5 miles), there is a fenced boat club on your right. At this point, turn left, then almost immediately turn right (before going under a bridge). This section is dirt, about a mile long, narrow, and can get overgrown in the summer. At the end of this part is a boat launch area. Go up the very short but slightly steep hill and you're in a parking lot. Go to the right through the parking lot and you will pick up the paved trail. Keep going about 2.5 miles and you're at Riverside Park, with ball fields, pavilions, and rest rooms.
***Shortly after getting on the paved trail past the parking lot, the trail has an option to turn left. This is a separate trail that goes up for about 1.5 miles (about a 4% gradient??) and then goes for a few miles into Palmer Township. It's an okay trail, but it crosses a bunch of roads and also is very bumpy, with a lot of root growth under the pavement.
Riverside Park to Easton: About 3 miles. Once you pass the ball fields in the park, you can either turn right and cut down through the parking lot, or go straight to the road (it looks like the trail continues straight across the road, but it ends very shortly after the road). Turn right onto the road (if you go through the parking lot, just follow it around to the left and it dumps you out onto the road) and go a short distance on the road until you come to a bridge on the right. Go over the bridge, then take your first left and you're back on the trail. This section is part pavement, part gravel/dirt. The pavement isn't smooth as silk, but it's not horrible. There is also a short section here that splits off to the left (going towards Easton) but it does reconnect with the main trail after a short distance. You will wind up at the Easton trailhead, where there are some picnic tables and, I believe, a water fountain. Not sure about bathrooms, honestly.
The D & L Trail does continue past Easton, but for the first few miles at least, it is large gravel and a bumpy ride. Overall it's a nice and fun trail without being challenging, and it is maintained pretty well. The scenery and surface changes make it fun to ride. There is also a great bike shop a few blocks away from the trailhead in Easton (Genesis Bicycles) if you need anything (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), and if desired, you could roam around Easton a bit and find someplace to grab something to eat/drink within a few blocks of the trailhead.
Apologies for the length of this, but I know it's not marked well in spots and hopefully this helps :-)
My mom and I have done this trail twice. Once biking from White Haven to Jim Thorpe and once walking from Rockport to Jim Thorpe. Fair warning the mileage marking is a little funky towards the end, and those last few miles are killer!
It was our first outing for the year. Nice trail, well maintained, long straight aways. Since it is early spring no leaves on the trees made for somewhat of a boring ride. Nice parking area at the trail head in Slatington.
Read all the reviews and decided to pick up the trail at Durham Rd. (Rt. 212) and Route 611 and go south to avoid the bad trail between Easton and Reigelsville. The trail is mostly grass except for a four inch wide crevice that is hard to keep your tires in all the time. About 2000 feet from our starting point there was a severe and unexpected washout. (around Lehnenberg Road and Rt. 32) Very dangerous. My husband took a spill and landed down the ravene on the river side. Avoid this area unless you are a rugged mountain biker. If you must go here then slow down when you see all the blood on the rocks ahead from where he was patched up. * * * * * * * * Instead for a more pleasant experience that even children and older adults will enjoy.....go south more to Upper Black Eddy - specifically Route 32 and Bridgeton Hill Road. One block up from this intersection (on Bridgeton Hill Road) is Homestead General Store and Coffee Roasters. Great place, good coffee, great food, nice people. You can park in the far end of their lot and hop on the trail there. The trail is wider (two bike widths) and has a nice small stone base that is packed hard. It is very scenic and runs to Sand Castle Winery. Lovely homes and benches to rest. After the winery the path starts to get narrow but still a nice ride. About two miles after the winery, at the road called "Bridge 4 Ln.", the path goes back to being as wide as a tire track and grass, with rough stone. Did not go any further. Round trip from the general store and back is about 12 miles.
I have put together my own review of current trail conditions found, while cycling up to Easton just recently. I found this to be a most enjoying ride, and would recommend it to others. Commentary given, along with several photos for viewing, can be found by visiting the article written below. http://longtrailahead.blogspot.com/2012/09/cycling-delaware-canal-towpath.html
I have been cycling for > 25 years and have traveled the roads, aggressive mountain trails and rail trails. My wife and I enjoyed the semi-single track of this section but the trail head is an unsafe joke. It literally took us 45 minutes to figure out where to go. I never did find the trail at the start but after hiking the railroad tracks to the bridge, we were able to hop down onto it. Although the return trip idetified they way we should have gone, the time was already lost. We were also dodging cement carrying trucks and a front loader. Good thing we did not have small children. In their defense, the workers we very courteous. After crossing into the next town, the trail is beautiful. We continued to Jim Thorpe with little difficulty. It gets a little hairy at the sewage plant if you want to go down town. My recommendation is to start at the next trailhead and avoid the confusion.
This is a fairly nice trail on the south end of the trail. Once you get north of Bethlehem it becomes a more rustic wooded trail that is not a manicured trail like some. I would not recommend a road bike for the north end of this trail. It is more of a hybrid or mountain bike type of trail. Overall I enjoyed this trail, it was fairly scenic and there are a few information kiosks along the trail.
We live in Jim Thorpe and have never been on the Lehigh Gorge State Park Trail. I know, what is wrong with us? We were looking for something to do outdoors with our two boys this past weekend and since we drive by Pocono Biking everyday, we decided to go check them out. I called to see if we needed reservations and the lady said we can just head over to the shop. She told us the price, shuttle times, and what to wear and bring. It was so nice to talk to someone so pleasant and informative. We packed a bag with sandwiches, snacks, drinks - and NO toys or cell phones! Imagine that with a 1 and 3 year old! We were going to take the shuttle up to Rockport and bike the 15 miles. The staff was so sweet and helpful with us. I have not been on a bike since I was a kid so the one girl took her time making sure I felt comfortable riding around the site before she helped my husband get his bike. Our three year old was so excited he would not stand still. She took him over to the helmet bin and got him to put on a helmet - something he would not let Mommy or Daddy do, and had him and his brother "test drive" the Caboose. This thing was so cool! It connected to the back of my husband's bike so he could pull the two boys. We loaded the van with the other guests and off we went. On our drive up, the driver talked about the history of the town, the State Park, Glen Onoko Falls and the Lehigh River. I loved hearing about everything I had taken for granted in this town. As we drove into Rockport I could not believe I was so close to home! How did I not know how beautiful this place was? We hopped out of the van to see cascading waterfalls and the rushing river. We loaded the kids and lunch in the caboose and hit the trail. As we crusied by a set of waterfalls our boys went nuts! We had to turn around so they could get a better look. They loved getting pulled along the trail by their dad. They kept yelling "Go faster! Race Mommy!" When we stopped at one of the many picnic tables along the way for lunch, it was like we were in a movie. Rafters paddling down the river, bikers passing us on the trail, the wind making the trees dance (as my 3 year old used to say) and the birds chirping. We just sat there and enjoyed each other and nature. When we got back on the bikes we rode for a little with another family that was on the shuttle with us. They have been coming here for five years from New York City to ride this trail and go rafting with Pocono Whitewater - after talking to them that may be our next adventure. The boys fell asleep with only a few miles to go but were woken up to a huge surprise - a train blowing it's whistle to us! They were beyond excited. As we pulled back into the bike shop and got off the bikes the staff was right there to help us. Our three year old could not stop telling the one worker about his day. And he stood there and listened to every word and asked him questions. It was so sweet to see someone take the time to make my little guy feel grown up and special. The girls working told us and some other people who just pulled in about places to go grab some food and what to do in town. The staff was so great and you could see their passion and love for their job. Our day to day lives are so busy that it was the perfect day to reconnect with each other and our boys. Biking the trial with Pocono Biking is our new favorite family activity. Hope to see you on the trail!
What a great ride. Me and my wife started at Jim Thorpe and traveled toward rockport. The ride was very easy and flat. The people on the trail traveling were all friendly. Riding along the river rapids was just so relaxing. I would say if you travel this trail take a camera for some great pictures. Me and my wife will be going back in October to see the fall colors. Great day!!!!
We started biking in Easton and went south, which was a mistake. Kinda like riding on riverbed rocks, with patches so overgrown you might be tempted to call it a Deer Tick Sanctuary. Then we reached the washout, which sent us back to Easton. Another day we started at Lock 21 (Durham) (where 212 meets 611) and went north, but after a few miles reached the other washout. While we could probably have walked our bikes along the very narrow wall, we choose not to because of our 6 year old (steep drop). We went the other way down to Lock 20 (Narrowsville), where there was a bridge and some parking. Next trip we went south from Narrowsville and it was the same grassy route with usually a single bumpy stone trail, until we reached Upper Black Eddy, where River road crosses the trail. From there it was a dream ... cinder wide trail and beautiful scenery. (Great parking there too). We went down to the Sand Castle Winery, where there's parking as well. I definitely recommend that stretch of trail. It's some of the most beautiful rail trail I've seen. Today we'll continue south towards New Hope. Will update here when done.
Great bike trail which is well maintained. A flat trail which follows the Lehigh river is mostly shaded though there are some stretches in the sun. We'll be back again in the fall.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Lehigh Gorge State Park trail on our ride July 22, 2012. The trail was in excellent shape and the views of the river and surrounding areas were fantastic. Our hope is to make this ride a seasonal event to enjoy nature at its finest.
I went from jim thorpe to rock port and back, around thirty miles, just spectactular. I'm one of these days going to do the whole trail from jt to white haven and back when i have the time. Next i'm going from withe haven to rockport and back. Loved the scenes, saw a large watersnake, snakes don't bother me regardless of type, and just missed seeing a bear. awesome trail
The entire length and back is more like 30 miles as a previous reader stated, more like 15-16 one way. After a five hour ride I can attest to that one.
Two miles from Easton the trail leads onto a wooded stretch of mainly dirt/mud and rocks and then coming out onto a small paved road where one can get confused as to where to pick up the rest of the trail. At that point cross small bridge, stay to the left and the trail will become newly paved asphalt.
Claudia Cocco
This is the second time I rode on this trail, this time round trip. May 13th (yes, mother's day) turned out to be a glorious weather day! We started at 9:00 am from Glen Onoko with 6 riders. Two from our group had commitments in the pm so could not do the whole ride. I really can't add much to what the previous poster wrote, but I fully concur with the assessment. This is a marvelous trail for beginners and has plenty of length for more experienced riders. I was surprised by how busy it got towards the afternoon, especially because it was a holiday, but when we got back parking was at a premium.
This is such a picturesque trail that it is inevitable that you will do multiple stops along the way just to enjoy the scenery. We did the trip in 6 hours because we stopped often. But it is well worth taking the time.I'm looking forward ALREADY to going again.Hope to see you there!
According to the D&L website blog this trail is about to be improved.
I rode the northern section of this trail on 5/4/12 and found it to be in excellent shape on the improved 2.7 mile section. On the last .5 mile section where it becomes single track there was a major washout toward the end which is under repair. What some might think are two washouts on the improved section are actually canal spillways which are crossed by two wooden bridges. Short as it is this is a very scenic trail well worth a visit.
Rode trail today. Easy to find access in white haven and ride up to second large lake on left. Then, a lot of long stretches of loose large rocks and slow going. After trail beared to left and then straightened back out found a jeep type road to left. This was easily rideable down to tunnel road ( parking available), made left back to white haven. Round trip 14 miles. Nice ride!
What a great trail, I did it from end to end round trip on a partly cloudy day in med April. This trail has it all, Park benches, Picnic tables, Mile markers, Historic marker, Signs that tell you how many miles to the next two Trail heads and a great surface, just a little lose in some spots. You have a view of the Lehigh river from end to end and it is just a beautiful view. I did this on a Mt Bike with a town and country tire but I did run into a Biker form IL. that was on a road bike with a Touring tire on the front and he told me it worked well. This is a very family friendly trail and even though it was mid week I saw a number of family's. The southern end dose not have much of a canopy my be the first six or seven miles so make sure you have a supply of Sunscreen. If I was going to do just one way I would do North to south as the prevailing wind is out of the north west and it is all down hill grade from White Heaven, my trip up was 2hours 5 min and my trip back was 1hr 40 min. There is ample parking at Glen Onoko which is about three miles up the trail from Jim Thorpe, and ample parking at the white Heavens trail head. There are just a few parking spots at the Rockport trail head and on weekend the Park Rangers do not even let cars down to the trail head. Once again I just do not give out five stars but if I did this trail would get one.
The Asher Boyer D & L trail is one of the very best Rails to Trails I have ridden and I have done almost forty of them. I just hope that Asher is looking down to see the great job that has been done on this trail. There is lots of shade, Picnic tables, park benches, signage with the miles to the next trail head, mile markers and great views of the Leigh River from one end to the other. I do not give out five stars but I would give this trail four and a half. You could ride this on a road bike but I did it on an older Mt bike with a town and country tire. It was a very windy day and being sheltered was a great help in making this a great ride. The trail is now open from Main st Rt 329 in North Whitehall all the way to Slatington. This is a family friendly ride and if you live or are in the Allentown area you should put this on your bucket list
First of all I did ride from Allentown to Easton and I can tell you it is more then 13 miles it is more like 16. This is a very nice ride, lots of shade and it is in very good shape with just a few areas that where not up to my high standards. I only saw one road bike on my ride, a cross or hybrid would work well, I did it on an older Mt bike with a town and country tire. This would be a great family ride as there is a lot of shade. Lots of historical markers but by and large the trail is not well marked. Coming into Easton it is very confusing. At River View Park you take a hard right on to Lehigh Drive for about 4 tenths of a mile and a right onto 25th st bridge and a hard left at the end of the Bridge. Most of the ride you are between the Canal and the Lehigh River so it is a beautiful ride from one end to the other.
This is one of the best trails in the area. Great views along the whole trail. There is also many access points along the trail to fish the river! Great for bikes, walking, jogging, or taking the dog for a walk.
As noted in reviews by othesr, this is a wonderful trail. It's was just completed in the past year or so and is in excellent condition. No washouts, ruts or unfinished sections.
And best of all, the trail is now finished from Cementon all the way to Slatington. Last fall, the section from Cementon to Laury's Station was still under construction. It's now complete and makes for a wonderful ride. The entire route is very fine crushed stone that has been packed hard from many riders. So it's very easy riding with the exception of a few very short sections that are a little mushy due to dampness. These areas will likely dry out in warmer weather.
The entire trail runs along the Lehigh River with local residences and hunting cabins dotting the landscape. At several points north of Laury's Station, there are large rock outcroppings that are right along the river where you can sit and enjoy the brisk flowing river.
I would not suggest riding this trail (especially from Laury's Station to Slatington) on a cool day as much of the trail is shaded on the south side by forest and hills. So it doesn't get a great deal of sun. And any breeze coming from the north will pick up the cool air over the river. Of course on a hot summer day, this would be a great place to ride where you won't be sweating much.
There are a number of picnic tables (at least six) along the route. The best one is about halfway between Laury's Station and Slatington by a large rock outcropping overlooking the river.
There are several places to access the trail with very good parking.
-- Slatington - In town right on the west side of the river. Large parking area with future rest rooms (being built now) and an information center.
-- Laury's Station - On PA 145 in Treichlers just south of the bridge over the Lehigh river. Look for the D&L Rail Trail access road on the east side of the road about 1/4 mile south of the bridge. Ample parking.
-- Cementon - Right in town on Main street (PA 329) on the west side of the river. Large parking area on the north side of the road.
This is a very nice trail, one of the best in the area. Good for walking, jogging and biking. Picnic tables and benches are located all along the entire trail. Trail is flat with great scenery on both sides. Parking at trailhead in Cementon is limited but you can park across the street. In Slatington there are places to stop and get something to eat. Rest rooms are being built in Slatington and should be open very soon. If you ride to Bowmanstown there are also places to eat. I hope in the future the trail may be extended from Cementon toward Coplay, it would be nice if it connect to the Ironton Rail Trail. As of now the trail was 33 mile round trip from Cementon to Bowmanstown and back. Was a very pleasant ride, can't wait for the leaves to change and do it again.
This is a very nice trail, one of the best in the area. Good for walking, jogging and biking. Picnic tables and benches are located all along the entire trail. Trail is flat with great scenery on both sides. In Slatington there are places to stop and get something to eat. If you ride to Bowmanstown there are also places to eat. Rest rooms are being built in Slatington and should be open very soon. I hope in the future the trail gets extended toward Coplay and the Ironton Rail Trail.
No matter when I get a chance to ride this trail from any point it's always a great day. Seems like it is tough to find GPS #'s for the different parking areas, so I grabbed a few while I was out today.
White Haven Latitude: 41.055905º N Longitude: 75.771378º W
Tannery Latitude: 41.038322º N Longitude: -75.761635º W
Rockport Latitude: 40.966678º N Longitude: -75.754956º W
Glen Onoko Latitude: 40.8834229 N Longitude: -75.7613028 W
Any Starting point is excellent. So get out and enjoy !!!
My wife and I rode the entire 25-mile trail on 30 July 2011, starting in White Haven and ending in Jim Thorpe (so there was a slight downhill grade the entire trip). The trail is in very good to excellent condition, and we had a fantastic time. Highly recommended. (Those who have said the first 15 miles of this trip are the most scenic are correct, but the last 10 are far from terrible.)
I rode the trail from Easton to Lumberville on July 9th. The section from Easton to Wy Hit Tuk Park Trailhead is in horrible condition, and in one section the trail is completely washed out and cannot be crossed even on foot - so take the road (S Delaware Drive). From Wy Hit Tuk Park south the trail is in pretty good shape. Just before Lumberville there is 100 feet or so of washout, but you can walk your bike across it no problem. If you see my post from May, the trail from Lumberville to Centerville was already in bad condition and may now be even worse. Do what I did and take the footbridge over to the D&R Canal Path in Jersey. Other than these sections the ride was nice with very pretty and varying scenery.
New Yorkers note: there is a bus from Manhattan to Easton (Susquehanna Trailways) that arrives in Easton at 10AM (I took it from Somerville NJ). You can ride the trail 50 miles south to Trenton, and take a NJ transit train back to Manhattan (I took it to New Brunswick). [The bus goes to Jim Thorpe so could make a day of it there too!]
I confirmed this with the Northampton assistant borough manager. You can still use Canal Street, a relatively lightly-traveled street, to reach the new Cementon trailhead, and I have corrected the Google Maps site that shows it as a bike path. For what it's worth, Northampton is only in the discussion phase when it comes to the D&L Trail bicycle route through Canal Park.
We discovered the trail by accident on Father's Day, 2011. We originally went to Jim Thorpe to ride the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railroad and discovered this trail paralleling the railroad while riding the train. And because of this, the trail is flat, perfect for my young daughter, who only earlier this year, had the training wheels removed from her bike. So a week later we went back with the bikes. The scenic upper Lehigh River is on one side and the railroad is on the other, which departs the Jim Thorpe station at 11:00, 1:00 and 3:00 on weekends. The town of Jim Thorpe is a wonderful collection of boutique shops and restaurants. Overlooking the town, the Asa Packer mansion is open for tours. Packer was the local railroad barron and founder of Lehigh University. He capitalized on the area's need to get coal from the region down to Philadelphia. We're looking forward to returning around the fall during the peak foliage, perhaps starting at the White Haven trail head. Bring the camera as black bears have been seen roaming along the trail.
My wife and I rode the trail July 2, her second my third trip. As always, it was a wonderful experience - the surface of the trail is excellent - fine crushed stone, the views of the river priceless, and the sight of sunlight filtering through the overhead trees provides a wonderful mosaic on the trail and surroundings.
We took the Blue Mountain Sports 10AM shuttle to White Haven, and having gotten a rave review from the owner, stocked up on lunch at Renee's Cold Cut Hut on Berwick, then rode the 25 miles south. It was so beautiful it almost hurts the eyes. A nice place to eat lunch is at the waterfall just north of the Rockport junction, so we grabbed the end of the picnic table there and watched the waterfall while eating.
This trip there were not rafters! Surprised, I asked a park ranger who told me the rafters need a release of water at a dam upstream, and none was scheduled this weekend. I guess the moral of this story is, if you want peace and tranquility, do the ride on a week with no release. If you prefer the loud raucous noise of hundreds of people having a great ride on the river, then choose a release date (both have merit in MHO).
PLEASE: if at all possible, do the whole ride, not the 15 mile Rockport ride. The first 15 miles of the trail south of White Have are tree covered and offer the best views. The last 10 miles of the trail are open, further from the river, and follow a real working rail road. When you take the Rockport trailhead, you only get 5 miles of the prettiest scenery. Remember that the trail has a 2% grade (down) from White Haven, and the surface is the best gravel surface I've ever ridden on.
Note: Traillink has yet to indicate that the trail goes all the way into town, which is surely does.
SIDE ATTRACTIONS:
Glen Onoko falls (hiking)
While there are lots of information on the falls itself, there is scant information on how to reach the falls. My wife and I hiked the "primary" trail which goes under the two bridges, the follows the gorge up. This trail is dangerous and steep - over loose stones and quite steep. I would estimate that it takes at least 45 minutes, perhaps an hour, to reach the falls this way. We got half way up and turned around.
A local told us on the way back that there is a second trail that is much easier to use, and loops around on the east side of the stream. We did see it on the way down. To reach it, from the parking lot make the right turn at the big warning sign, go under the two bridges, and bear right following the orange tape/blazes. Around 100 yards up the trail (and while still on the dirt portion) you will see off to the right what looks like a trail.
At this time there is a huge fallen tree across this trail, which makes one think its closed - or that the tree was put there intentionally. Looking closer, you can actually see a blaze mark on a big tree to the right of this side trail - which leads one to believe this was a sanctioned means to reach the top. [We will try this next trip, but it won't be for months.]
Asa Packer house.
I discovered this by reading an earlier review on this site. The house was quite interesting - its essentially a 1800s house preserved not restored. The tour was well worth it, and the story of Asa Packer perhaps even more interesting. Now I want to learn more about this remarkable man.
Every time I make this trip, I just keep telling myself - it doesn't get any better!
This is section through Northampton Canal Park. It's paved, and is close to the river. However it is also prominently signed "no bicycles" . We enjoyed riding that section very much yesterday...even if we were breaking the law...
My wife and I rode this trail two weeks ago on our mt. bike tandem, and I can honestly say it may now be the best trail in the surrounding area. In May of this year a new section of trail was completed, and it is now possible to ride about 17 miles on this D&L portion in one direction. This new portion starts at the Cementon trail head and continues on to Laurys Station where you encounter another trail parking area. Continue on to Treichler's bridge and yet another trail parking area and then on to Slatington. All of this is new trail and not yet shown on the current map. In Slatington is another parking area, and the trail continues on to a park in Bowmanstown. The trail, as of last week, had a closed sign from the nature center to Bowmanstown as they put the final touches on the new trail surface, but we rode it on a weekend when no work was being done to the trail. As for the canal trail in Walnutport which is across the bridge from Slatington, it remains, in my opinion,safe ( except for the Canada geese when they have their young) but does appear in need of some TLC.
This trail is great! Scenery is awesome...especially if you are a whitewater paddler and want to "read" the rapids as you ride by! If you have extra time in Jim Thorpe, I highly recommed the Glen Onoko Falls hike also.
This was a mostly well-maintained trail with great scenery along the Lehigh River and a great pit stop on Sand Island in Bethlehem (even found a Gatorade machine at the tennis club there). The trail is a little confusing at first (starting from Easton)...paved for about 3 1/2 miles then to a single track dirt trail (it's flat)along the river, but you have to find it at the bottom of the boat ramp. Once that section ends, you come out at the Bethlehem Boat Club and must head towards their gate to find the continuation of the trail, which becomes wider again. There was storm/flood damage near Freemansburg, but many alternative dirt bike trails have been formed. I would consider using Sand Island in Bethlehem as a starting point...ride one way, then turn around and go the other way.
We began at the trailhead in Weissport. Great trailhead with families of geese and ducks. We headed south towards Parryville on the somewhat overgrown, but passable, trail although we lost the trail on the far side of the commercial parking lot. We headed back north, through Weissport and beyond, towards Jim Thorpe, but there has been some major storm/flood damage. We had to portage bikes around one area with large boulders, rode through many rough sections, and had to completely stop just past the water treatment facility because the trail was washed away and under water (about the last 1 1/2-2 miles). While this trail would make a great walk...pretty scenery along the river, it was a little disappointing for a bike ride
You can read my review from October last year, where the trail was a wonder to ride. Well, lots of flood damage over the winter and Spring. My wife and I rode from the Bulls Island bridge a bit North, then south to New Hope. Some sections you had to walk the bike the surface was so bad.
No idea of condition north of Bulls Island or South of New Hope.
Based on what I saw, there really is no way to get the PA side to last - its just too low. They would have to so much work to protect the path that I imagine they never can do it.
I fell so lucky to have seen the path at its very best last October.
Rode this trail for the first time May 21st, 2011 and I was very impressed. The views are excellent and the trail very well marked and maintained. This is a great trail for a hybrid bike! Ride from Jim Thorpe to Winter Haven first as that is slightly 'up hill' and then the return trip is a gentle down hill return. Only negative was on a beautiful day there were many people on rented bikes that seemed to have a little difficulty looking out for riders coming the opposite direction. This trail must be spectacular in the fall!
Well 4/13/2011 was the first time i went on the towpath i started in edgley and went to bristol a good 3 milies i liked it but pros with theis trail its not hard to ride at all the cons gota cross roads i had to cross rt 313 on my way to bristol then on my way to morrisville i crossed it 2 times on the way back to edgley then by home depot again so far i like the trail im planning this summer to do the full 60 miles and back so 120 miles i think it be fun as long as the trails are repaired ill do it but if not then ill wait till next year then so as of now
We were excited to finally be able to ride the "loops" again after the flood damage of the last decade. We parked in Washington's crossing on the NJ side and rode up the D&R path to Lambertville where we crossed over to New Hope PA to pick up the Delaware canal path, unfortunately just after the Stockton bridge the trail surface turned to large rocks (no stone dust). We toughed it out for about a mile when we had a flat. Since the flat chewed up time we back-tracked to the Stockton bridge and crossed back to the NJ side and rode the D&R trail back to Washington's crossing. I don't know how far this rough patch lasted but it wasn't fun, we were running 32mm hybrid tires so the trail was passable but bumpy. I remember the trail before the flood and it was as smooth as the D&R on the NJ side
Today my daughter & I biked the entire length of this trail/towpath from Canal Park in Allentown to the confluence of the Lehigh & Delaware Rivers. The leaves are a bit past their peak but the weather was unbeatable for this time of the year.
For the most part this trail is in excellent condition. The notable exceptions are some bad washouts between Lehigh Canal Park near Freemansburg and the point at which the trail passes under the Rt. 33 bridge.
Rode from Easton to Trenton (approx 50 miles) Oct 23 2010. I took an early AM Susquehanna/Trailways bus from Somerville NJ (originates from NYC) that arrives in Easton 9:30AM. Trail is only a few blocks away. The rivers are especially pretty in the AM so snapped some pics, then took off South. For much of the ride, the path straddles a strip of land with the Delaware river to the East and the canal to the west. The surface varies from good to very good to excellent, and generally improves as you go South. The Northern most section is blue crushed gravel varying from pea to grape size - I had knobbed tires but imagine you could do the whole trail with smooth narrow tires too.
As you can imagine, the trees were in full color and the scenery was just stunning the whole trip. I took food and drink with me, but observed many stores and restaurants along the way. There are numerous rest stations, and every stop had a box stuffed with a newly produced brochure/map (which I hope you could find online).
I stopped in New Hope for a coffee (town was packed with people!) then continued on. The northern section is more secluded and less traveled - South of New Hope you see more houses and people. Also, the trail hugs the river more in the North - you often go miles without seeing it.
I took the Bridge Street bridge over the river, then Market street to the NJ Transit station. From there you can take Amtrack or NJ Transit to many places (like NYC) - I went to Newark then back to Somerville.
I was most happy to have found a way to do this "one way" - anyone from NYC could do the same. I concur with earlier reports - overall the NJ trail is probably a better ride but the view in PA is much better.
PS: From Easton there is another trail options - you can take the Delaware and Leigh trail to Allentown and back - I did this last summer. That trail terminates at the start of the canal path. There is a return bus in the PM too.
This trail is great! The scenery is varied and I try to bike it as much as I can. Some parts of the trail make me feel like I’m in Europe with the quaint little restaurants and homes that dot the trail. Other parts of the trail can be remote. I love it!
we rode north from new hope in PA...crossed the frenchtown bridge (exit the trail in uhlersburg - sp ?) ... and came down south on the NJ side ...... 30 mile roundtrip ... scenery is better on PA side, trail is smoother on NJ side......only problem w/PA side is a few miles of huge gravel rocks that make for a bumpy ride and some very low bridges you go under (duck!!!)...exit the trail where it says uhlersberg public access ... ride down the road away from the covered bridge and you'll see the steel bridge to cross to NJ and pick up jersey's trail ..... did it on a warm sunday in september... frenchtown, lambertville & new hope have plenty of places to eat & shop for a break....we saw port'o'johns a little south of frenchtown bridge as we headed back...otherwise no other facilities
Since the tow path has been repaired we have taken the trip along this trail a number of times this year. Starting from various locations, with very easy access and parking, along Rte 611 and Rte 32 from Easton to Tinicom Park. We pick up the trail and head out for 25-30 miles and return. The trail in general is great with a few rough areas that are no more than a bumpy ride. There are places to stop and picnic, and a number of places to pick up basic supplies along the way. New Hope can be a bit of a challenge, wading through the throngs of visitors, on a busy summer weekend if you plan on crossing the bridge to Lambertville NJ. The varying scenery makes the ride very pleasant and allows for some great photography opportunities. A "Job well done" to the folks that made the repairs since the flooding of several years ago damaged many areas of the trail. A bit of caution should be used in areas where you pass under bridges along the trail. Some of these are a bit narrow and have little or no line of site to oncoming bike and pedestrian traffic. To break up the ride, if you so wish to, you can cross a number of bridges over the Delaware to NJ and travel the Delaware Rariton Trail on the NJ side of the river and cross back on another. I look forward to the fall riding this trail.
My wife and i rode this trail on September 10, 2010. The weather was a little cloudy and cool, but ended up being very nice at the end of the day. We started in White Haven after a ride up from one of the many shuttle services in Jim Thorpe. It took about 45 mins up there and thats after stoping in Lehige Gorge State Park to drop off some riders that wanted to do only half the trip.
The trail is flat and level the entire 26 miles. It was by far the easiest 26 miles i have ever done. The surface is made of crushed cinders and my high brid bike did fine. You should pack a lunch and water because there are no places to stop and get food on the trail. Many picnic tables along the way and each one has a nice view of the river and gorge. This trail was beautiful from the start to the finish! Many sites to see and a feeling of nature all around you. Listening to the river run while your on the bike is very relaxing and soothing. All through out the ride there are old locks from the canal era, that is well worth a stop and look. You can do the trail in 2 hrs, but take the time to enjoy the scenery and the history of the canals in this part of the state.We spent the day and did the trail in about 5 hrs. After the ride take some time to enjoy the town of Jim Thorpe. Many shops and places to eat, in a town that seems like it has never changed since its inception. If only the rest of America stayed like this!
Take the time to enjoy this trail and area. We also rode a trail in Easton Pa on Saturday that was very nice too.
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I've been on this trail in the spring and late summer, looking forward to seeing it in the fall, and during the rhododendron bloom.
The sights in June stole my breath away, candy pink mountain laurel were everywhere in the hills, the rapids were spraying mist in the air, and the cliffs were glistening with mountain spring water that poured down their sides. I felt I was in a fairyland; it was so unbelievably gorgeous, it was dumbfounding.
I toured the trail in early September too, when the forest was nearly all green. Instead of barreling through we stopped now and then to explore the area off the trail and take photos. It was rewarding to examine some of the natural beauty up close and stationary, and inspired some nice photos. A little nervous about the black bear warning posted at the head of the trail, but we didn't stray too far into the forest.
After the ride, the town of Jim Thorpe is always an engaging place. Check out the Asa Packer Mansion if you can. Asa Packer once owned the railroad. Stained glass by Tiffany, fabulous chandelier, grand piano; they say wealth breeds taste. On quaint, winding side streets, there are art and craft galleries, as well as antique shops to explore. Nice ambiance in the local restaurants is standard, with a selection of ethnic fare. I do miss the Sunrise Diner horribly. I understand it was sent to Ohio, waah.
If you want to stay overnight there is lodging in town, but I prefer to camp at the nearby Maugh Chunk or Hickory Run parks. My advice - don't hesitate to try this trail, you will be back.
Hi - I occasionally mountain bike between the Allentown canal park the start near where the river makes an eastward turn. I have been going to near the Rt. 378 area (where Musikfest takes place) and then back. Today, I went further eastward and decided to turn back around the Hope Rd. near the Bethlehem Boat Club, just short of Rt. 33.
First thing, if it has rained in the past week, forget about going on the trail, because it gets very wet and muddy. To go, the trail needs to be dry, but it is a nice trip. The medium is some parts stone, some dirt, occasional sand and some clay. The part between the Rt. 378 and a few miles east, you will go past a park with tennis courts and picnic tables, then the trail becomes a little narrow and a little rough. At points, passing other bikers coming the opposite way is very close. There are also some tree roots going across the path that make it bumpy in this area. Then the trail becomes rather smooth on stone or dirt and gets a bit wider. There is nice scenery at spots - the Lehigh River, can see the new Casino that used to be Bethlehem Steel and also the Bethlehem Steel ruins.
There is a rail yard and eventually a rail main line that goes across the river at Rt 378 for those interested in trains.
Wish there would be more mile markers though. I had to ask oncomers as to how much further until a major landmark. But overall recommend this trail. Next time will do the complete trail to Easton probably with a friend.
The trail from White Haven to Jim Thorpe is in excellent condition - well packed and very find gravel - wide and level. You should be able to ride this with even skinny road tires. Then, the views - again, it doesn't get much better - the river, occasional water falls, forest, and the gorge.
Absolutely no technical challenge - just a nice ride with great views. I took a shuttle to White Haven, and Steve our driver said that in the fall the color is unbelievable. I'll be back then!
The northern section starts of bad, and just gets worse. While pretty, the trail itself beings with enough loose ballast that you cannot do more than 7-8 MPH. Once past Moosehead Lake (about 5 miles), the trail has been covered with loose ballast I assume to prevent erosion. Its nearly impossible to ride on, and my speed was around 5 MPH at best.
Byt the time I got to Glen Summit (the end of the trail) I was exhausted, and chose to ride back on RTE 437 (quite hilly - in hind sight taking Tunnel Rd would probably have been a better bet).
Had a nice Saturday. Parked in Easton at Hugh Moore Park (where the D&L meets the Delaware Tow Path). The trails starts out asphalt and apparently ends at Hill Rd (one lane bridge to your right, park straight on). Go over the bridge and turn left - go about 1/4 mile on Leigh Drive (sparely traveled). DO NOT GO STRAIGHT INTO THE PARK - that path dead ends (ask me how I know this). After the road dog-legs go to the left. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND - on the return you do NOT want to go straight across Leigh Dr as I did, and get lost, like I did!)
The trail is now a combo of D&L and Palmer Township. At one point I went right, following the Palmer trail by mistake. If you go through an arch and see a steep include, you are doing what I did! Continue on straight instead.
At one point there is a pedestrian bridge on the left to an island - you can take that now for a diversion or pick it up about a 1/2 mile further on when returning (I missed it). You can get food/drink in Bethlehem - perhaps in other small towns on the way.
Once out of Palmer township the trail becomes dirt and fine gravel - condition was very good. When in Bethlehem, the trail was marked as closed due to a music fair (other rider told me this happens every year, just go through the gate when no one is around. No apparent reason for the gate either.
During the last mile you pass a large railroad yard - it was interesting. You can also see what I assume is an old steel mill - sad reminder of our manufacturing past. There were some river views - but mostly brush obscures it - I imagine that early spring or late fall would provide better views.
Sadly there are virtually no markers or blazes - I got lost three times as mentioned above. My odometer was at 41 miles when I got back to my car - it should be about 19 miles each way.
I had a nice day, met a few people on the trail, and enjoyed my day. I'm sure others will enjoy this trail too!
Today was the first time I was on this trail. (I usually walk on the Ironton Rail to Trail) Anyway, my son and I decided to try this trail out. We entered the trail from a playground off of 2nd Street in Cementon and walked toward Laury's Station for about a mile or so. It was a nice shaded walk to do in the afternoon. Does anyone know if they are continuing to do work on this part of the trail? Also, I didn't see a place to park to enter the trail at the D & L Cementon Trail Head- does anyone know if there is parking there?
I've also seen ATV's and loud motorized vehicles on the trail most times I've been on the Laurys Station stretch and on the railroad side of Walnutport Canal. Now there are concrete barriers by the entrances at 329 and along the trail. They are making an effort on parts of some of the Lehigh Valley trails, but I think the fact that the trails go through numerous jurisdictions it makes laws tough to enforce.
On Saturday June 5 they opened 3 new miles of the trail that now allows you to bike right into and out of downtown Jim Thorpe instead of having to drive up 3 miles to Glen Onoko. We stayed a few steps from the new trail section right in Jim Thorpe at the Inn which has a room for storing bicycles. My wife shuttled me up to Rockport and I biked the 15 miles right back to the Inn. The Mountain Laurel were in spectacular bloom and it is a wonderful trail and Jim Thorpe is a most interesting town. Youker
This is quite a nice trail. Lot's of variety of scenery and surfaces along the way keep it from being a dull grind. The listed mileage seems to be off a bit though. Had to turn around at 13 miles because of rain rolling in but was only to about a mile past the D&L Trail/Palmer Township Rail Trail intersection. The trip to Easton is probably more like between 15 and 16 miles - at least.
I have ridden this trail many times and always find it very enjoyable ride. Recently rode the southern end of the trail from Jim Thorpe to Rockport and back, which I consider most scenic. I actually got to see a bald eagle up very close during the ride. Try to ride this trail during the week and you will have this trail practially to yourself. If riding on a weekend, try to start at White Haven or Rockport, the traffic for the train ride at Jim Thorpe gets pretty bad.
This is a nice trail and is my favorite local trail so far. It offers a nice ride from Walnutport to the 873 bridge then the trail has a rough patch of the ballast rock but it is pretty well packed down. Then it is just a dirt trail after that. There is great scenery along the way, including small water falls and views of the valley.
I didn't see the trail name for the Laurys station Portion of the D&L, but we just tried it tonight and we were rather disappointed to say the least. We understand this trail is not completed yet, but thought it connected up to the Walnutport portion of the D&L. We headed out towards Walnutport from the trailhead in Laurys Station. The trail starts out with rail to trail feel, but then that ends and you head through the woods. This is fine except you pass what looks like an abandoned campground with broken down campers etc on the right. It looked like some sort of horror movie scene to be honest, then you pass by some nicer homes a little further up and it feels like you're driving thru their front yard. We got up to the 145 bridge and heard a bunch of yelling and screaming and a bunch of dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. Since we were trying to ride to enjoy nature etc, we turned around to the other way on the trail. After we turned around 3 minutes later their was a scruffy looking guy following on us on a motorized mini scooter. Then another scruffy guy came up behind him on a mini dirt bike. we pulled over to allow them to pass and only one did. Then he stopped and we passed him. They ended up following us the entire way. We felt like we were somewhere we didn't belong and were being chased. I actually thought about reaching for my cell phone several times. When we got back to the completed part of the trail, the two guys on the motorized bikes went right up on the trail and passed us as if the rules didnt apply to them. (NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES!) Thankfully they ran out of fuel about half way up then we passed them and continued on our way. We decided to take the trail in the opposit direction towards cementon. This part of the trail looks really nice we went only about 3 miles up to the water authority and turned around. It was getting dark and after being chased through the other part of the trail we wanted to be safe getting back. We will ride the southern part of this trail again but will not be going towards walnutport that is for sure. Is there a number to call to report motorized vehicles on the trails or do the police handle it?
The week before we rode from Rockport to White haven and back, a 19 mile ride, the following week we rode fro Jim Thorpe to Rockport and back, a 26.7 mile ride, both rides are very scenic you have the River on one side, and numerous waterfalls on the other, the "uphill" grade is very minor, you can hardly notice it, though the trip back is easier!
This trail is greatly used, there are plenty of places to stop and take pictures, or rest at the picnic tables placed all along the trail.
This is by far my favorite trail so far out of the ones I have rode.
Check out my videos of the trail on Utube, search under Dirtrider6.
We last rode this trail 15 years ago and decided to go again. This time we decided not to use the shuttle, so we started by Jim Thorpe and rode north for 20 of the 25 miles. Then we turned around and headed back "downhill". Trail in great shape for our hybrid bikes, little grade, and picnic tables with views of the river every few miles. Enjoyed the fall leaves and the rafters/kayakers going down the Lehigh river.
I have ridden the towpath trail quite a few times in the past few years, mainly south of New Hope. Even though the trail technically starts/ends in Bristol there is no good reason to attempt that as a destination to pick up or end your excursion. The furthest south I would recommend you start from is the off street parking access on E Ferry Rd, just west of River Rd (rt32). It is roughly a 14 mile ride from this entry point to where the path dumps out into New Hope. The route is a magnificent mix of tree lined and shady paths mixed with expansive views of the Delaware River. Currently (as of this review) this stretch is under repair from the storms a few years back so I'm not sure if this entire stretch is officially open but I do know that the path is open from E Ferry Rd to Washington Crossing Park. The path was heavily damaged just north of the park so I believe that is where it officially ends; however, the path is not blocked by any obstructions it's just not going to be the fine crushed stone covered path as is the previous section. From Ferry to Washington Crossing is approx 7.5 miles of beautiful riding and if you can get further north on the path you'll have great views of the river to your right and amazing backyards on your left.
The one thing I have never really tried to figure out, but would love for someone to assist with, is how to pick up the trail again in or around New Hope. Since there is a mule drawn tow path tourist ride there I’m not sure you can use the towpath directly in the town of New Hope. How do you pick it back up to head further north?
It's a truism that whenever someone says it's all downhill from here that they're lying, but not on the Lehigh Gorge Trail. Two outfitters in Jim Thorpe will shuttle you (for a fee) to the White Haven trailhead and from there while you do have to pedal it is pretty much all downhill. Once you leave town there's no drinking water so make sure your bottles are full.
You really can't get lost, if the river is to your left you are heading South towards Jim Thorpe. While there are leaves on the trees you generally can't see the river from the trail, but there a picnic tables placed where you can stop for a view. There are new signposts on the North end of the trail at least with directions and distances.
The first mile or so, where the path widens to double as parking lot for cyclists and whitewater rafters, is gravel. But once you get past that, except for short stretches at Rockport and Penn Haven, the surface is hard packed crushed limestone. We were able to easily ride this trail on road bikes. Even the last few miles of rail-with-trail where we saw an old passenger train hauled by a steam locomotive.
If you look at the interactive map on this site you might think that the trail extends all the way to Jim Thorpe, but it doesn't, at least not yet. As the notes say it ends in a parking lot near Glen Onoko. There's a bridge over the active rail line but the trail ends with a fence on the other side. Apparently at this point a fence is needed to separate the trail from the railroad. That's supposed to be done by the Spring and then you should be able to ride all the way to Jim Thorpe. For now, another mile or so down the road the outfitters will pick you up for a shuttle back into town.
This "trail" really consists of 4 trails. Ones is not even listed.
The southern starting point of this trail shows a spot a few miles south of walnutport/Slatington. The best advice is to drive into from 145 Walnutport, head towards Slatington and as soon as you cross the river, there is parking next to the Pizza parlor on the right or a big parking lot on the left.
1) If you head north(right side of the road), take the west side of the river if you want some incredible views. Be advised though that about 2 miles into the west side trail, you will hit some really bad trail right after the airport. the stones are the big 2 inch chunk type found along most railroads. Tough it out for about 1/4 mile for the best part of the whole trail. You will come to a point where the trail splits off to the left and goes straight up hill. Take this if you want to see the whole valley, go straight if you want to stay near the river. The ride is pretty rough though. Not a whole lot of fun. When you come back, if taking the high route, pass the exit coming back down, and continue to the end of this trail. this leads to the highest spot your going to get access to on a bike. There is an antenna mounted at the end, and a big rock jut, that is great for some cool photos.
2) if you head north again, but this time take the right side of the Lehigh, its a really nice stroll down mostly macadam. It has a lot of nice spots that are very pretty in the fall etc.. The views are basically water level river to the left and canal to the right. The trail ends at the bridge down by 873. Kind of tame.
3) Now if you head south from the parking lot go off to the left if you want to take the old canal tow path. Basicall a tame little ride to nowhere. Views are all nice, but basically woods and canal.
4) A trail that isn't even marked is the one that heads off to the right. it looks like a little alley as it follows past the backyards of a whole bunch of older houses. There is a dog that is usually tethered to back of one of these homes, so be on the look out. He scared the crap out of my wife the last time we went that route. Once you get away from the homes, this trail turns into a really nice ride through the woods and follows trout creek. As it comes to road crossings, dont give up, keep looking for the trail on the other side. Usually it will be located near the stream. One point it actually looks like you have to go though a persons backyard as the trail is very faint. But dont worry, its state land. Stay on the trail until it ends in Slatedale.
That wraps up this entire trail system. As I write this though, they are actively working to expand the system all the way down to Laurys Station.
I went on this trail yesterday. After reading reviews and knowing what I know about the park, I thought it would be a nice ride. It was, the scenery was beautiful, the sounds of the river were great and I will definitely go on it again (despite seeing 2 rattlers just chillin by the road (one was on the road)) It was actually very neat to see the rattler, as I've never seen one before. Very cool. But I digress... The trail surface was crushed stone, and was easy to ride on. There was a part of two, for a stretch of about 50 yards total that was rocky, though not horrible. Anyone would definitely have to slow down and navigate thru. The trail is wide and didn't have any grade that I noticed.
The bad...I thought this trail was very poorly marked (regarding mileage and directions). Maybe I'm used to the Trail Markers from most of the other trails I've been on...and was expecting too much. I accessed it at the Rockport Trailhead and rode (I think) towards White Haven. My intent was to ride to Jim Thorpe, but I was disoriented as to which was Jim Thorpe was...and I didn't see any signs saying "Jim Thorpe 13 miles" or White Havem "13 miles" or anything like that. I only figured out I was riding towards White Haven because I didn't see any whitewater rafters. Along the path there were a few signs to point out various creeks, and told of another creek that was 2.5 miles away or whatever. This was nice, but again...I had no idea how many miles I rode, where I was going, or how far it was to get there.
This is a nice trail and I would recommend it...just become a bit familiar with where you want to ride before you go. Next time I'll be sure to go to Jim Thorpe and have the extra fun of hearing the screams of the rafters.
We found a ladies Anne Klein watch on the trail somewhere between White Haven & Rockport on approximately the weekend of July 10th, 2009. I've found the exact model on Amazon.com within minutes.
If you believe the watch is yours, please contact me and let me know the model number of the watch and we'll return it to you.
Sean Stickler
padutchman1@hotmail.com
Be prepaired from White Hwvento large lake is ok but after that be prepaired to do a lot od walking .we went 2 more miles after that isnt worth it at least not yet . A lot of ATV tracks. Stone is from old R.R. beds very loose to ride
I hit the canal path just yesterday afternoon (7/2/09) There is a nifty sign post that tells you how far it is to destinations North, and South. I know Bristol, PA has done some wonderful things with bike trails so I decided that is where I would go. After the trail ended abruptly before it even began, I found myself riding through an auto parts store parking lot, I had to cross Bridge Street, and found myself looking down from a bridge to the continuation of the trail I was just on. I then meandered around the 7-11 parking lot, past several eateries, our new fireworks store, finally I got to the Holiday Inn parking lot, and from there I picked up the trail and journied on. I went under Rt. 1, picked up a little speed, and about 1/2 to a mile from there I looked ahead and saw that about 4 stories above were train tracks going right over what was my trail. So my trip to Bristol was cut short, I plan to try a trip up to Yardley one of these days, I hope I have a little more success.
I live in Beth Twp and grew up walking this trail regularly. It has matured nicely into a great ride between Allentown and Easton. I have also been impressed with the friendliness of the people I meet there. Some trails feature the die hards who look down on the casual riders but I have never met anyone on this trail who was anything other than great.
One of my questions when considering trips on a non-asphalt trail is whether a thin tire road bike is suitable for the ride. The answer for the D & L Trail in Lehigh Gorge State Park is yes & no. Most of the trail is excellent for a road bike - it's a crushed stone surface that gives a smooth ride. But the section from Glen Onocko to the Penn Haven junction (5.8 miles at the southern end of the trail) is currently an unimproved surface with a large number of potholes and ruts. It's not impossible to ride on a road bike, but I wouldn't do it without carrying at least one extra tube, because the odds of a blowout are pretty high.
Two other notes - one, the scenery is spectacular and riding in the spring when you can hear the laughter and cries from the whitewater rafters in the Lehigh River adds to the experience. Second, although the trail appears flat, there is a subtle elevation gain going from south to north, especially in the first five miles going north from Rockport.
Upon cleaning out our car from our past trip, I found a brochure for that company on the top of the trail. They are called Pocono Whitewater and their number is 1-800-WHITEWATER.
My boyfriend and I biked the Lehigh Gorge Trail last weekend. We were going to start in White Haven, bike to Rockport, turn around and return to White Haven. We've rode this section many times but never had the time or the motivation to make it the whole 25 miles to the Glen and back. It has been years since we made it back there and to our surprise there was a new bike rental outfitter at the top of the trail renting bikes and providing shuttles. For $18 each my boyfriend and I reserved a shuttle back from Glen Onoko.
After years of turning around, it was wonderful to complete the whole 25 mile section for once! We were never aware of the beauty from Rockport to the Glen. I can't believe we have been missing out on this all these years! It only took us about 4 hours with plenty of stops to watch the kayakers and rafters. For the first time ever we saw a deer with her two fawns drinking water on the side of the river. This was a day we'll never forget! We can't remember the name of the company, but you'll see a green building on the left side at the top of the trail. They also have snacks, drinks and bathrooms.
I had the wonderful opportunity to ride on the trail on such a cool and beautiful day. I started at Glenn onoko and biked all the way to white haven and back. Along the way I came accross a timber rattlesnake, got a good picture , heard it rattle and got the heck out of there. The scenery, wildlife and smells of the out doors is still with me. Can't wait to go back.
We tried several times to bike the trail. The top end in Easton where the Canal Museum was is under construction. We traveled south to Raubsville. The trail was washed out there. Our last try was at Durham Furnace. Everywhere the trail was overgrown and/or washed out. As we traveled further south. River Road was closed. We gave up and headed over to Nickamixon State Park where the bike trail is open and beautiful.
The trail is beautiful through the Gorge, but be warned that if you start in Jim Thorpe at the parking lot by the train station, you CANNOT start on the trail at the "end" of the parking lot as shown on the "interactive" map. The railroad owns the land and has a gate across the end of the lot. If you bypass the gate, you risk a fine, and when you get to the bridge over the Lehigh River, you will find a 6ft. high chain link fence blocking your way. To get to the trail, you must go from the lot onto 209 "south" (it is 209 south, though at that point it is actually going north), and turn right across the bridge on route 903, and follow the signs to "Glen Onoko State Park", and pick up the trail from there. Once in the Gorge, it is a beautiful ride on a broad flat path. of course I rode on an absolutely beautiful day (temps in the upper 70's, blue skies, a very slight breeze).
The trail access is easily found in Weissport per the description. There is another trail access at the very southern end of the trail in Parryville, on route 248. To get to it, you would basically follow the directions for Weissport, but take route 209 to route 248 and turn left. The parking lot is 1.7 miles down route 248, shortly after you pass under I-476, on your right. There is a sign for Lehigh Gorge State Park.
That said, the southern portion of this "North" trail is not nearly as nice as the northern portion, and it is not friendly to bikes much at all. From Parryville, it's a narrow "normal" trail, not rail-trail-like, and after a .5-1 mile you end up in the parking lot of major construction-type business. It's not clear where the trail is from that point if you are coming from the south. But you need to cut through the parking lot, staying to the right, following the canal, and then the trail picks up again with dirt/stone (if you are coming from the north, it is easier to find where the trail picks up after the business, just follow the canal). From there the trail gets better, with locks, and neat little storage rooms that you can investigate, carved out from the rock cliff.
North of Weissport, the trail gets really nice. The terrain is all crushed rock in many places, and each lock has a bridge over it, for further investigation. It heads into Lehigh Gorge, which is very pretty, and the river is on your left side, rushing past you. The trail ends shortly before Jim Thorpe, at what appears to be a water processing/filtration plant. Unfortunately there is no trail access north of Weissport.
It's a pretty neat experience to hike/run/bike in Lehigh Gorge. You have a major river to your side, high rockface to your other side, and no civilization in sight except for the railroad on the other side of the river. The temperature differences inside the gorge are pretty neat too. You come upon cold and warm pieces, so dress warmly (or in layers). My most recent trip, there was snow covering the trail, with a nice thick layer of ice underneath. Since you are in a gorge, logically you have water running down onto the trail a lot. be careful, I didn't see the ice until had already fallen each time.
The White Haven trailhead starts near Blue Mountain Sports, at the back of the parking lot of the shopping center in White Haven. The grocery store is the White Haven Market; it is no longer a Thriftway as stated in the description. There is a Rite Aid that is easily seen as you enter the shopping center. Parking is available on the street next to it, and the parking meters were physically disabled when I was there, I am not sure if that was because it is winter.
My husband and I enjoyed a beautiful ride on 1/8/08 on that glorious spring like day from Allentown to 25th St near Easton. With the exception of the dirt parts of the trail being a bit "soft" due to the freezing and thaw of the season, it was a wonderful experience. It was a quiet trail for the most part and hard to believe at times that there were three cities so close by. Our favorite part was the section between Freemansburg and the Bethlehem Boat Club...it ran so quietly beside the river on a well drained, hard pack dirt/gravel surface. Truely a winter treat!
"We made another trip to the Lehigh Gorge in 2006, this time on a beautiful
summer day; even in summer the trail is cool from the tree canopy
that shades the path; on more than one occasion we were bathed
with refreshing waves of cool air that would linger around the many
waterfalls and rock faces as we passed.
This trip we discovered lock 24, somehow on our first trip we managed
to pedal past this site. The lock is worth the effort to dismount and
explore closer in, a word of caution however, particularly with children,
the lock is deep, and a fall into it would surely cause serious injury,
if not death. There are no fences or walkways, and the footing is
marginal, I'd defintly keep the single digit age kids away,
and apply strong parental control on the older ones. Further
south on the trail at Mud Run there is another lock that isn't
so deep with a safer trail that leads down into the old canal bed.
This trip we used Blue Mountain sports to shuttle us to the Whitehaven
trailhead, it's difficult to compare Blue Moutain with Pocono Whitewater,
the other trail shuttle service, because they are so different.
Blue Mountain is small and leaves right from Jim Thorpe, while Pocono is
a huge organization and operates from a base quite a distance out of
town (maybe 20 mins?). When using Blue moutain you can bike from the
end of the gorge trail, across the bridge, and back into town (and
your car), albeit on a narrow shoulder road, with two killer hills,
this gives you a full 25 mile ride, whereas Pocono Whitewater picks
you up at trail's end (about 22 miles), and buses you all the way
back to thier base. Note that the Blue Mountain guy
said they would pick you up at the trails end as well if you give
them a call, something to consider with kids.
If you consider overnighting the Inn at Jim Thorpe is the place, they have a dedicated locked bike room with racks, and hanging hooks."
Beautiful lunchtime ride from Onoko to Penn Haven. River surge from recent rains was a reminder that biking was better than kayaking for now !
"This past weekend I made my way to Jim Thorpe for the second time in two weeks. This time my objective was to ride from Glen Oken to White Haven. The trail starts out in the Glen Oken State park where parking was plentiful. Once on the trail I found it nice a smooth, very well taken care of. the trail follows the River that once was the site of coal minning, the remains of locks in the canal. There are makers along the trail to tell you where you are and there is a Parking Lot and restrooms at Rockport which is about the halfway mark. The leaves where beautiful and the people on the trail where friendly. Once I got to Whilt Haven I found this small Pizza shop where I had a Slice of Pizza and a coke for $3.18 which I felt was a good deal. After finishing my pizza I headed back to Glen Oken, the trip back was a slite downgrade so I was able to keep it moving preaty good. in all it took me about 3:10 hours of ride time to cover 44 miles. Good trail for the kids and many sites you will want to take pictures of.
Have fun. "
"Rode the trail Sept 20, 2005 with a SAG from Pocono Whitewater Bike Tours, Linda dropping ou off. Found the trail to be very nice and smooth with good views of the gorge. We bet it is beautiful this fall. Enjoy!!!"
"I have seen the full trail, the first from the Jim Thorpe side to just north of RockPort and the second from RockPort to White Haven. The best views are in the middle, with a couple of nice waterfalls near Rock Port (one just north, and one, Luke's Falls, just south).
I saw the round stone structure that someone put in the pics section, and I asked via email what it was. I was told that it may have been a water tank. (but, it has a door???)
I was directed to what sounds like an interesting publication that I plan to order:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pub/openfile.aspx
I was told that document OF 98-03 ""Rocks and Ruins of the 'Upper Grand'"" has a lot of good historical information and it gives you
mileage marks for places of interest along the Gorge Trail.
The slope is pretty continual, but so minor that you must pedal in the downhill direction in most places to keep moving, although it is definitely an easier ride if taken from White Haven to Glen Onoko.
I plan to ride the trail regularly, even though I am 45 minutes away.
Also, do stop and read the historical signs, as the history of the area is very interesting.
"
"Monday, Nov. 1, was my first time on this trail. I biked from Glen Onoko to Rockport. This is a great trail with lots of history and some easy pedaling. Next time, I plan to start at Rockport and go to Whitehaven.
I took some nice pictures. The waterfalls were nice. I would like to have seen the Glen Onoko falls, but I didn't have time due to darkness."
"I rode the trail on Sunday, Oct. 3 2004. It was an awesome ride. It's about 15 miles round trip. I'm planning on returning to ride here some more but next time I will come with a bike that has front suspension."
"This WAS my favorite trail out of many I have ridden in eastern PA. I rode the Jersey side today because of the destruction of the PA side due to Ivan and was very disappointed. I drove over the bridge from Frenchtown to Uhlerstown to see my old trail and was just saddened by what happened. A good amount of the towpath has been destroyed with bridges crossing over the canal now resting IN the water and massive trees that have flowed downstream destroying the wide, well kept fairly new crosswalks. Just a real sad day today after witnessing the destruction Ivan wreaked.
If I know the DCNR here in PA they will try their hardest to have our trail back by next spring. Even calling the park office this past week to find out if it survived I could tell employees were despaired by what happened. Hopefully we'll see a new and better towpath by spring. "
"We rode from Rockport to White Haven and back today. A great 20 mile round trip. We counted over 50 bikes meeting us as we rode toward White Haven, but the trail didn't seem crowded at all. There were plenty of boaters on the water, probably a result of the excellent flows from all the recent rain. The train was in very good shape in spite of the recent rains. The leaves were just beginning to change. It should be great in another week or two. We're excited about our next trip to ride the other piece. My 4 year old on a third wheel (trail-a-bike) loved every mile and loved racing my wife as she rode along beside. Highly recommended."
"We rode from New Hope North to Uhlerstown (sp?) and crossed the bridge to Frenchtown, then came down the NJ side to Lambertville and crossed back over to New Hope. It was a great ride, a bit over 30 miles.
The scenery is great on both sides of the river and it's quite different on the PA and NJ sides. There is one tough spot on the NJ section for anyone with anything longer than a regular bike.
We had a difficult time with the two right angle bends in the wooden walkway with my son'e ""third wheel"" attached to my bike. Tandem's and especially a tow behind trailer would find it really tough. Other than that, it was a great ride that is definitely one to do again."
We were staying in a timeshare at Shawnee on the Delaware River and thought Easton would be a great ride (from the descriptions on this page). For those starting at Hugh Moore Park - follow the signs for the Canal Boat Ride. This is the Lehigh Canal and the very north end of the trail. There is a lock keepers house and museum has well as a boat ride with mules. Follow the canal going towards the green bridges and cross into the other side of the park for access to the trail.
We followed the trail to the Easton Dam. The trail then heads off down the Delaware Canal and the trail is crushed red brick and very well maintained. We rode that way for about 1/2 hour before turning back. We crossed the bridge into Phillipsburg for refreshments. There is some parking at the Easton dam and that may be a better place to start.
We spent a good bit of time trying to figure out which way to access the trail in Hugh Moore Park - there are no signs whatsoever to indicate the beginning of this named trail. We were trying to go north and got stopped by the train tracks and the old cable bridge - gotta buy a compass!! We still had a good day out.
"From reading your site and elsewhere I had the impression that a bicycler can travel from Bristol to Easton relatively unimpeded. Today I bicycled from Bristol to Yardley and had what the French would call “une vraie expédition.” From Bristol to Morrisville, the bike path and canal are intermittent. At times it is necessary to cross highways (and to lift your bike over the guard rails that border the roads) and to find your way around obstacles which block the canal (hills that carry railroad tracks, Highway 1 [isn’t work supposed to be done around that obstacle?]). In some places the bike path simply ends (in a Home Depot parking lot or at a road) and you will need to figure out where it resumes. After one such obstacle in Morrisville, the bike path and canal are pleasant to New Hope (I haven’t bicycled north of there yet). In spite of all of this, the trek is worth the adventure."
"This is an excellent trail that in some respects is better than the Delaware Canal. If you like variety, you'll like this one, as it varies from wide paved, to wide crushed stone, to hard-packed dirt singletrack.
It's also more woodsy, and meanders a bit to avoid the monotony of some straight-as-an-arrow trails. You'll also avoid paralleling the road with this one, which is nice.
The Delaware has a more consistent surface, and more readily available amenities. If you can live without those attributes, you'll get a more ""away from it all"" feeling on this trail.
Contrary to some other posts, I wouldn't characterize this as a ""mountain bike"" trail. It's easily done with a hybrid. However, because some of it is dirt, I'd avoid it for a couple of days after a rainstorm."
"We have biked most of this trail in increments and have never been disappointed as to the condition of the trail and the scenery along the way. Today, however, when we followed your directions to access our last leg of this trail in Easton, we discovered that we were on the Lehigh Canal trail. The Delaware Canal Trail actually starts off Rt 611 South at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware River. You may want to change your directions on your website. We did discover that one can continue on from this point northward and access the Lehigh Canal Towpath in Hugh Moore Park."
"This was to be the last ride on our three week 2004 summer vacation. Other stops included the C&O Canal trail in West Virginia (from Harper`s Ferry), the Cape Henry trail (Virginia Beach) and Virginia Creeper (Abingdon) trail in Virginia.
We rode from White Haven to Penn Haven and back (approximately 32 miles). We wish all trails were in such great condition. Although there is a good drop to the trail (600 feet) between the trail heads, White Haven and Jim Thorpe, the slope is always gentle and the ride can be done with no trouble either way.
I encourage everyone to take the time to seek out the remnants of the Lehigh Canal. They are an impressive sight, and a ghost of an impressive infrastructure. In places there is still water in the old canal bed. I wish the park authorities would post trail markers showing where each of the canal locks and dams had been.
This is a ride that is definitely worth a detour."
"I live in the area and routinely ride the canal. I actually live above Riegelsville, which you pass through on the river. On my way to the canal, I usually pass the Durham Furnace. Cannon Balls were made here during the war and transported down the canal to Philadelphia. It's only about 2 miles from the canal up Rt. 212. It's also where the Durham boats (remember these?) that George Washington used to cross the Delaware at Washingtons Crossing in the dead of winter.
When riding the canal, picture the ice flows in the river and you'll see just how tough a deal it was to gain our freedom. Anyway, back to the canal. This crushed stone trail is ideal for riding and walking. It's maintained quite well and you can actually ride from Easton to Philadelphia with a few detours in New Hope.
Overall the scenery is exceptional with lots to look at. Frenchtown (Uhlerstown on the PA side) is one place where you can cross the bridge to NJ and there are lots of good places to eat AND a bike shop (Freemans) on Main Street. Just ask anyone.
Overall the Delaware Canal is an easy ride with lots to see."
"We'd ridden various other parts of this trail before, but this weekend did Uhlerstown to Easton. This section of the trail is in great shape and the ride is just as beautiful and interesting as other sections of the trail.
If you start in Frenchtown, parking is available right at the bridge. Unfortunately, it's not immediately obvious how to access the trail, as the canal is quite a distance from the river at this point. Walk across the bridge, take a left on River Road and then an immediate right on Uhlerstown Hill road to connect with the trail.
At the northern end, we were pleasantly suprised by the opportunities for a nice lunch in Phillipsburg. Ride through a few blocks of downtown Easton to access the ""free bridge"" across the Delaware. There are a couple of hamburger stands right at the bridge. We opted to go a short distance up the hill; the first building on the right houses Zoota, an excellent restaurant with a creative menu and sidewalk dining. There's also a nice view of the falls from this side of the river. Phillipsburg seems to be experiencing a renaissance, so there are other nice eateries too."
"A fantastic ride through wonderfully scenic and remote terrain. But close-to-home for most people. We have a new guesthouse in Jim Thorpe, which we created for adventurous visitors to our area. Mary's Guesthouse offers affordable lodging for groups, families, couples, and singles. Rates from $22 per person, and everyone gets full use of house - it is a deal that can't be beat. Check out our website at www.marysjimthorpe.com and we'll hope to see you soon!"
This is a nice trail. It has a crushed stone surface that makes for a nice ride for all ages.
This trail is really beautiful. It's easy to ride and there's great scenery. My only complaint is that the designated parking areas are hard to find. It's worth the effort though!
I've ridden this trail twice in the past week (12/20 miles). It's bettter than I expected. I'm planning to ride the whole loop this week.
Simply a great ride.
"The earlier reviews are excellent, but there are a few caveats. There are sections of the path that are quite overgrown, and the extent of their care depends on budget considerations and volunteer effort. Some fairly lengthy sections of the path are at some distance from the river.
The section of the towpath from Center Bridge to the south end of New Hope is still active! Mule teams use the towpath on a daily basis througout the summer. Those are BIG animals - follow the muletenders directions, and watch out for the tow-rope - it rolled under my front wheel and nearly sent me into the canal!"
This is a great place for a day trip with kids. The trail makes for an easy ride. Glen Onoko has awesome tunnels you can see. The Glen Onoko access can be a really busy place. Parking can be limited on weekends so drive your car slow and watch for kids and rafters walking in the lot.
In April work crews began laying crushed stone between Bristol and Morrisville. This area will be easily passable because of existing barriers but short sections will be useful for local residents. In June the Uhlerstown to Easton section will be resurfaced allowing an easy ride 50 mile ride from Morrisville.
"Today was my first try of the leigh Gorge trail, and it was great! The foliage is a bit behind, but that doesn't take away from the peaceful ride. I highly recommend it.
I'd love to hear about other interesting trails in the area.
-Jane"
"The Lehigh Gorge State Park Trail is my favorite. I drive 110 miles from Bergen County, New Jersey, to White Haven for this trail and it's worth the long drive.
You will be in awe of the views afforded from the trail. The Lehigh Gorge itself is worth visiting even if it weren’t for the trail. You won’t want to miss this trail in the fall when colors are at their peak.
You ride along the Lehigh river for the entire length. You will often see rafters in the river, as it is a very popular white-water venue. The Lehigh Gorge itself is an incredible sight.
You might forget that you're in Pennsylvania, and think you've been transported to the Swiss Alps!
The surface is mainly hard packed with cinder and some areas of larger stones, best suited for wide-tired bikes. The trail dries out nicely even after heavy rain, with only a couple of places where water may stand. Even these are very short and easy to get around.
There are several food options at either end of the trail. At the White Haven end, there is a small shopping center where you can buy a sandwich or shop at the supermarket. At the southern end, you will want to stop in Jim Thorpe to get a sandwich before driving the 2 miles from there to the trail access in Glen Onoko.
I don’t believe there are any food facilities near the Rockport access, but I rarely begin my ride from there.
The trail gains 500 feet in elevation going north from Glen Onoko to White Haven. You most likely won’t feel the gradual climb, as it takes the entire 25 miles to achieve it.
An active railroad line parallels the river and the trail for its entire length. The trail crosses the rail line at Penn Haven.
There aren’t many trains, but if you’re a railfan like me, there are great photo ops at Penn Haven, Glen Onoko, and Jim Thorpe (there might be some good shots at White Haven as well).
If you’re into a sort of “biathlon” you can ride the river south from White Haven or Rockport (river conditions permitting), and return north on your bike.
Improvements have been made along the trail since I first started riding it about 10 years ago. At Glen Onoko and Rockport, new restroom facilities has been built. While the toilets still don’t flush (it’s an eco-system) it’s a far cry better than the port-O-Johnnys that used to be there. At White Haven the new facility has not yet been built, but it is apparently planned for the future.
This is one rail-trail you must check out. Once you do, I guarantee you will return again and again. My only complaint is that the bridge from Glen Onoko into Jim Thorpe (across the river) has not been re-decked for riding. The bridge is presently off limits to all, but will someday (I hope) be opened to provide easy access into the center of Jim Thorpe. Now you must ride out of the park and along local roads to get into Jim Thorpe.
Enjoy!"
"Since my earlier mini-review, I have hiked the Delaware Canal towpath from Easton to Penn Valley which is over 50 miles of the 60 mile trail. My opinion remains the same. This is one of the finest linear parks I have ever travelled. The surface is always very good for walking and biking. The adjoining grassy areas are mowed frequently. The ""hardware"" of the canal remains for the most part. The canal abounds with ducks, turtles, heron and egrets. Today I even ran into a red fox! There are frequent access points with parking, although most can only be found by driving parallel to the canal.
The canal passes through mainly rural areas, but there are frequent small towns with various services. South of Easton, the only heavily settled areas are New Hope, Yardley, and Morrisville. Many portions of the canal are lined on both sides with homes which range from bungalos to mansions. The trail passes along many farms and one large nursery. Scenery is never boring and trail users are very friendly.
I would highly recommend a trip to this park.
Rates a 9 1/2 out of 10!
Fred"
This trail is a must do. The parking is very easy -- get off at White Haven exit on I-80 and park under the I-80 bridge (parking never runs out). I traveled 100 miles to get to this trail and it was well worth it. It's a very scenic and slight downhill ride from White Haven. The Lehigh River is always right beside you. I went for a swim on a hot day with my son and our two friends. We also did a small hike right off the bike trail. It's a GREAT TRAIL!
"I hiked the towpath from the Delaware at the junction with the Delaware Canal to a point just west of the end of Hugh Moore Park where the towpath seems to be crowded onto an active railroad ROW. The trail is in very good condition, varying from paved to hard pack to grassy. A mule drawn canal boat plies the inner section of the canal and rides are available. Most of the accoutrements of the canal are still in place. A fish passageway has been built where the Lehigh River meets the Delaware at a dam. Many active railroad lines parallel the canal and traffic is frequent, both long freights and sections to be assembled into larger trains. At the Delaware, there is a triple set of RR trestles (which out number the road crossings!)
There are numerous picnic areas within the park and water fountains and restrooms are available. Parking is plentiful. This is a very scenic, historic and peaceful area!
Rates a 9 out of 10!
Fred"
"This is a very limited review since I only hiked from the footbridge from Bull's Island in NJ to the bridge to Stockton NJ (3 miles). This section of the 60 mile trail is in excellent condition, crushed stone and packed dirt - wide and smooth. There are rest rooms at key points, many access points, explanatory signs, and great views. This trail sticks very close to the river. There are quaint inns and homes nestled against the canal, and many bridges and canal hardware in place.
This trail for 30 of it's miles is parallel to the D&R in New Jersey across the river, making loops possible by using the six bridges across the Delaware. This is an excellent trail and worth a trip.
So far - rates a 9 out of 10!
Fred"
You can access this from Hamilton Blvd in Allentown (Rt 222). As you cross the bridge follow the signs for CANAL PARK and you're right there. From Allentown it is as wide and nice as the nicer parts of the Delaware canal towpaths near New Hope - It does get narrower later but it is still quite smooth. As you approach Hugh Moore canal Park (~ 12 miles from Allentown) it becomes paved.
The trail may seem to end here by a softball field but go towards the river and down the road about a 1/4 mile and take the bridge across the river and you are on the trail again - goes all the way to easton ( if you head down stream)(go upstream to barge rides and snack concession). In another 3-5 miles the trail hits the north end of the PA delaware canal tow path. This trail is less crowded and nicer than a lot of the Delaware canal towpath.
The trail does split and rejoin is some spots so remember which way you came if you are doing an out and back ride - its not too confusing though. pobably not that great for a road bike but just fine for any mountain bike - its all flat. Probably in the Top 3 of mellow Mt. bike rides to do in East PA.
"If you'd like to find this trail from Bethlehem, it runs right alongside the park on Sand Island. Just look on any Bethlehem map for New Street - the island stretches right under the New Street (Fahey sp?) Bridge. This section of the trail is beautiful. It has historic markers, and fairly substantial remains of the locks. Sand Island makes a nice rest stop too! Watch out for fishing in the canal. There's a mountain biking ""playground"" about a mile towards Easton, but please be careful - if you get hurt it may be awhile until you're found. The surface in general goes from smooth to rough quickly, so road bikes may want to slow down."
"This is a very easy trail to ride; it's excellent for beginers and experts. I recomend starting at Rock Port and taking the trail half at a time so you don't get burned out. Even though it is flat, at the end we always get kinda tired and glad we don't have to go the whole way back."
"This trail is one of the most beautiful rides in PA. The path can be a little sandy in the early spring, but once it dries, it's a blast. It's an easy ride with enough scenery to keep anyone happy; if you can catch the fall foliage it's an even better treat. I recommend doing the whole trail -- every mile has it's wonderful moments."
This trail is best done during the Spring or Fall because of the scenic surroundings. Easy 1% grade makes for a nice not too strenuous ride. I would suggest it to anyone in the area.
I did a quick ride late in the afternoon. It was beautiful and peaceful. I took many digital pix. I saw a fat rattler and a water snake. I'll be back. It was worth the trip. Very flat and easy to ride.
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