The D&L trail winds through Pennsylvania’s northeastern mountains and along the banks of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers. The coal and other goods transported along the canals helped to fuel America’s 19th century industrial revolution. Beginning in Luzerne County, the D&L Trail passes through towns, dormant industry, farmland, and alongside remnants of the Lehigh and Delaware canals. It travels through Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties before ending in Bucks County.
The central portion of the D&L Trail travels through the Lehigh Valley with trailheads in Walnutport, Northampton, Canal Park in Allentown, Bethlehem, Freemansburg, Wilson and Easton. Historically, this is where ideas surfaced that became the foundation of America’s Constitution. The concepts of religious freedom, separation of church and state, mutual responsibility between government and the people, and equality among men were born here. Geographically, a distinct change occurs in the land’s character as northern mountains give way to farms, towns, cities and industry. The thickly-wooded terrain is transformed as covered bridges, mid-18th century German villages, elegant Victorian houses, and the rolling fields of Pennsylvania German farms replace the tell-tale signs of the coal industry.
Currently, there is a break in the trail between Parryville and Lehigh Gap where the Appalachian Trail intersects, then a rail-trail follows along the Lehigh River to Slatington. On the east side of the river, you will encounter canal locks and a locktender’s house at Walnutport. Further along on the Lehigh Canal towpath is Northampton Borough, in the heart of the thriving cement industry. Trail users can pick up the trail again in Catasauqua and walk or bike all the way through Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton to the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. Industrial remains mark this journey, including steel mills and iron works. In its industrial heyday, the Valley was the center of the region’s economic strength. Slate, zinc and limestone for cement were processed here, while iron and steel dominated local economies and impacted events around the world. This impact created distinct communities that thrived because of the Lehigh Canal and railroads. The region’s three largest cities - Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton - became the cradle of America’s 19th century Industrial Revolution in large part because of the canals and railroads found here.
Additional Information
- Hours of Operation:
Open Year-round
- Cost/Fees:
no
