D&L Trail

Eastern Pennsylvania’s D&L Trail currently spans about 140 miles through the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor from Bristol, in the Greater Philadelphia region, to Mountain Top, nestled in the Appalachians. When complete, the D&L Trail will provide over 165 miles of trail from Bristol to Wilkes-Barre; approximately 40 of those miles are within Lehigh and Northampton counties as part of THE LINK. The entire trail jumps back and forth between historic railbed and canal towpath following the path of coal, steel and other materials from the Anthracite mines of Luzerne and Carbon counties to Bristol and the port of Philadelphia.

The D&L Trail enters THE LINK region at the Northampton County border close to mile marker 53 along the Delaware Canal  and heads north past Wy-Hit-Tuk County Park on the way to Easton. In Easton, the Delaware River meets the Lehigh River and the trail turns west to follow the Lehigh. From the confluence of the two rivers, the trail is paved for its first few miles before reverting to the usual crushed-stone surface as it traverses Bethlehem and continues on to Allentown, the two largest cities on the D&L Trail. This 13-mile section is sometimes referred to as D&L Trail: Lehigh Canal South. History buffs will enjoy the trail’s passage through Easton's Hugh Moore Park, home to the National Canal Museum and a mule-powered canal boat called the Josiah White II.

Farther on, another not-to-miss attraction is the Freemansburg Canal Education Center, located in a restored mule barn from 1829. The historical site features a canal lock, locktender’s house and the ruins of a grist mill. As you pedal through neighboring Bethlehem, you’ll have a look at the impressive Bethlehem Steel stacks across the river. The site of this industrial powerhouse—once one of the largest steel manufacturers in the country—is now home to a popular entertainment and cultural events venue. In Allentown, the trail currently ends at Lehigh Canal Park (mile marker 75), a great spot for a picnic with a pavilion, grills and restrooms.

There’s a 7-mile gap before you can pick up the D&L Trail again in Northampton at Canal Street Park. It’s worth noting that the Nor-Bath Trail intersects the D&L Trail here and across the river from this park, there’s another phenomenal rail-trail to explore, the Ironton Rail-Trail, in Coplay that passes hauntingly beautiful old cement kilns reaching toward the sky, the last ones standing in the U.S.

The D&L Trail segment going north from Northampton is known locally as the Asher F. Boyer Trail, named in memory of an Eagle Scout. This section continues the journey along former railbed on a northwestern trajectory to Slatington, a distance of nearly 11 miles. The crushed-stone pathway meanders through lush forests and along towering rock cliffs with breathtaking views of the Lehigh River.

In Slatington, there is a hub of trail connections. For a side excursion, you could cross the river on the Main Street bridge (there are sidewalks flanking the roadway) to reach a 4-mile stretch of earthen canal towpath on the river’s east side that forms the D&L Trail: Walnutport Canal Spur. There's also an opportunity for checking out the Slate Heritage Trail, which connects to the D&L and travels west for just over 3 miles on abandoned railbed along the wooded Trout Creek. If you stay on the main path of the D&L Trail along the western bank of the Lehigh River, you'll reach Lehigh Gap Nature Center near mile marker 94 after 4.5 miles and intersect the Appalachian Trail as you go through Lehigh Gap into Carbon County.