Last Friday, Northern Lehigh Future Focus (NLFF) and the Borough of Slatington held two press conferences—one to unveil five interpretive panels along the Slate Heritage Trail and a second to dedicate two kiosks at the Slatington Trailhead of the D&L Trail. All of the signs had been produced in partnership with the D&L, who paid half the cost of the signs with a DCNR grant and offered technical support for writing and designing the signs.  The Slatington signage joins over 500 signs produced by the  D&L through our Visually Speaking signage program.

Robert Stettner of Northern Lehigh Future Focus dedicates the new signage.

The five interpretive signs along the Slate Heritage Trail had been in the works for a few years. Nick Sander, then a Kutztown history major, and Dave Altrichter, a local historian, did most of the preliminary research and writing of the text a couple of years ago but nothing more was done with the materials, and the signs were put on hold. Within the last year, NLFF, a local community group, spearheaded the effort to see them through to completion. As a result, Marilyn and Buddy Kaul, with whom the D&L has worked on signage related to the Walnutport Canal, began supplying historical images and text ideas to Amey Senape—our historic resource specialist. Amey helped compile the materials, rework the text to fit word limits and layout requirements, and usher the signs through the production process. Friday’s unveiling, therefore, was the culmination of a long process that involved the D&L, NLFF, the Northern Lehigh Historical Society, and the Borough of Slatington. The result is an attractive series of signs that interpret Slatington’s rich community and industrial history.

Nick Sander unveils one of the interpretive signs he helped author.

The kiosks at the trailhead had followed a more typical path between conception and completion. Two of the panels—Exploring the Corridor and From Rails to Trails—came from the D&L and explain the basics of the D&L and the process of converting old rail beds to trails. The third panel was designed by Northern Lehigh Future Focus and features a detailed regional map that shows trail connections and former railroad lines. The larger kiosk also includes a bulletin case for trail and community information. These two kiosks are only the latest edition to a popular trailhead. Located at the intersection of the Slate Heritage and D&L trails, the trailhead is within walking or riding distance of most Slatington and Walnutport residents. When the trail section between Slatington and Laurys Station is completed by Lehigh County and the D&L, the Slatington Trailhead will serve as a prime spot for launching long distance hikes and bikes to the north and south.

Silas Chamberlin, Gary Fedorcha, and Dale Freudenberger pose in front of one of the new kiosks.

As part of my remarks at the press conferences, I noted that Slatington is a model for how a community can embrace trails to improve the lives of residents and attract visitors. With two multi-use trails in town, the Appalachian Trail a mile or so to the north, Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s nearby footpaths, and the Walnutport section of the D&L Trail across the river, Slatington is becoming a regional destination for people who want high-quality trail experiences.  Now the trail experiences of residents and visitors alike will be enriched by the new signage.

Interested in signage for your site?  Visit the signage section of the website, and contact us for more information.

On June 5, the D&L held its annual National Trails Day (NTD) event at Carbon County’s D&L Trailhead in Jim Thorpe. Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Keith McCall, a long-time friend of the trail, was on hand to help us dedicate the newest 1.4-mile section of the D&L Trail, which connects Lehigh Gorge State Park with downtown Historic Jim Thorpe via the Nesquehoning Trestle.

Representatives from Carbon County, DCNR, and the D&L dedicate the new section.

For years, this section of private railroad property thwarted bikers and walkers attempting to access Jim Thorpe on the west side of the river from the terminus of the state park at Glen Onoko on the east side of the river. For downtown outfitters, such as Pocono Biking and Blue Mountain Sports, the gap used to mean an extra shuttle ride between the park and their stores. Now returning cyclists can ride directly into Jim Thorpe, which is good for the outfitters’ bottom line, as well as the town’s businesses. In the larger scheme of things, the connection means a D&L rider could go from Jim Thorpe to the forests of Luzerne County without interruption. What’s next? Well, just over the horizon is the construction of the Jim Thorpe pedestrian bridge which will link to the northern trail section to Weissport, Slatington, Northampton, Allentown, Easton, and finally Bristol!

The newest section of the D&L Trail links Lehigh Gorge State Park to Historic Jim Thorpe.

All of this meant that we had a lot to celebrate on June 5. In the past few years our NTD events have grown larger and larger, in terms of both attendance and activities offered. This year we partnered with Pocono Biking to offer shuttle service to White Haven and Rockport for trips through the Lehigh Gorge on the D&L Trail. Although many opted for a short rider on the section of trail to Glen Onoko, some hearty riders did the full trip. We also partnered with 20 Jim Thorpe businesses who offered special NTD discounts to friends of the D&L. Rainbow’s End, a local ice cream shop, even concocted a “Trail Mix” sundae to commemorate the new trail section’s dedication. With the help of the Carbon County Commissioners, DCNR, the D&L Trail Tenders, and local trail enthusiasts, the event turned into a great community celebration. The D&L is grateful for such a warm welcome from Jim Thorpe and Carbon County and thanks all of you who came out for the dedication!

A row of bikes awaits riders participating in the D&L's NTD dedication.

On Monday, a crowd of government officials and D&L Trail devotees braved grey skies and drizzle to dedicate a 2.7-mile section of trail between Cementon and Laurys Station in Lehigh County. The new section runs along a former Lehigh Valley Railroad bed and offers constant views of the Lehigh River. Although this was the formal dedication and there had been no previous publicity, the trail has seen heavy use from locals eager to get out on their bikes or walk their dogs. On weekends, the trailheads are filled to capacity-the kind of problem of which most trail developers only dream.

The well-attended ceremony included brief speeches by DCNR Secretary John Quigley, Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham, and others, who spoke about the importance of regional, multi-purpose trails. “It takes a village to build a trail,” Cunningham noted, reflecting on the numerous partnerships that made the project possible. Secretary Quigley reminded everyone that, with budget cuts on the horizon and trail development funds in the crosshairs, those partnerships will become more important than ever. Fortunately, the D&L has a great partner in Lehigh County government and its staff, and we look forward to completing the county’s section of the trail in the near future.

If you haven’t been on this new section yet, be sure to check it out. Also, don’t forget that one June 5 the D&L will celebrate National Trails Day by dedicating another new section of trail between Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge State Park. You won’t want to miss the ceremony or the bike ride through the gorge. The D&L Trail has really come together in the last few years, and you will continue to see key projects and new sections, as we work on completing all 165 miles.