Published on: Wednesday, August 18, 2010

By Linda Blachly

There’s nothing more fun in the late summer and early fall than enjoying a relaxing bike ride through the beauty of the Mid-Atlantic region. Add in a dash of history and a stroll through “Small Town America,” and you’ve got the makings of a fun road trip on the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor in Pennsylvania.

Biking along the D&L corridor takes you through small towns from Bristol to Seven Tubs, Pa. (near Wilkes Barre) and winds through northern mountains and along the banks of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers through northeast Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County. The trail follows the 165-mile route that anthracite coal took from mine to market.

The D&L corridor passes through towns, industrial powerhouses and along remnants of the Lehigh and Delaware canals. This earthen path exposes walkers, hikers, bicyclists and others to some of Pennsylvania's finest wild lands, waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife.

This is one trail that travels through three distinct regions and is an amazing journey for outdoor enthusiasts, families, history buffs and art lovers.

Much of the trail is now complete. In fact, a new 2.7-mile segment through Jim Thorpe, Pa. connecting downtown Jim Thorpe with Lehigh Gorge State Park just opened in June.

Walkers and bikers can now use the 10-foot wide, limestone trail, which offers a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the Lehigh Gorge from atop the lofty Nesquehoning Trestle.

The D&L trail is expected to grow even more during the next two years. Plans call for a pedestrian bridge to be built over the Lehigh River at the south end of Jim Thorpe. The bridge will link the trail in Jim Thorpe with an existing trail segment on the west side of the Lehigh that continues south to Weissport and Parryville.

Another 8.5-mile segment is due for completion north of White Haven by the end of 2011 and a third stretch is due for completion within the next year in East Penn Township, Carbon County.

The D&L National Heritage Corridor project has been working hand in hand with the Landmark Towns project to help breathe economic life into four boroughs located along the Delaware Canal and River—Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley—while preserving and enhancing the industrial and cultural heritage they share.

Here’s a quick stroll through a few towns on the southernmost end of the corridor, an excellent starting point for those coming from the Washington, D.C., area:

The southernmost point of the D&L Corridor is in Morrisville, Pa., and runs 9.1 miles to Bristol. It follows the canal towpath and provides good terrain for walking and biking. The towpath falls within Delaware Canal State Park, the only remaining continuously intact canal of the great towpath canal building era of the early and mid-19th century.

Mule drawn canal boat rides and the Lock Tender's House Visitor Center are at New Hope.

A walk along the 60-mile towpath of the Delaware Canal State Park is itself a stroll into American history. Paralleling the Delaware River between Easton and Bristol, this diverse park contains a historic canal and towpath, many miles of river shoreline and 11 river islands.

The main trail access points in Morrisville are located at Trenton Avenue near the Calhoun Bridge and Bridge Street at Mill Pond. Parking, restrooms and picnic facilities are available nearby.

The next section of the trail is a 4.2-mile section from Morrisville to Yardley. This section of trail follows the canal towpath and is an ideal spot for walking or biking.  Parking and picnic tables can be found along the towpath. 

Coffee shops, cafes, bakeries, and assorted eateries and shops make Yardley an excellent starting point or place to stop for lunch when on the trail.

Yardley is a small town with picturesque views of the Delaware River. Visitors enjoy walking along Main Street and exploring the many shops and restaurants.

The next section, from Yardley to Washington Crossing is 4.6 miles. Walkers and bikers will find this an ideal section, as a stopover at Washington Crossing Historic Park is a wonderful way to spend a day immersed in the rich history of our region.

At Washington Crossing Historic Park, George Washington led his ragged troops cross the ice-choked Delaware River and assaulted the unsuspecting Hessians at Trenton.  

The 500-acre site and recreational area includes 13 historic buildings, the noted 100-acre Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and observation tower and many picnic areas.

The D&L trail continues to grow. An impending addition of 6.5 miles of trail in Lehigh County this fall and another three miles in Carbon County later in the year will give D&L Trail users more than 17 miles of continuous limestone base trail between Cementon, Lehigh County and Riverview Park in East Penn Township, Carbon County.

When complete, the 17 miles will be the third-longest stretch of the D&L Trail behind the 60 miles of Delaware Canal towpath and the 28.7-mile segment from Jim Thorpe to White Haven.

For information and a map showing the status of all

the sections and towns, visit http://www.delawareandlehigh.org.

For more information on Mid-Atlantic travel destinations, visit www.tripsandgetaways.com.