D&L Trail

D&L Trail
D&L/w:National Park Service/U.S. government · Public domain · source
Name	D&L Trail
Length	~165 miles
Location	Pennsylvania
Established	1980s–1990s
Surface	crushed stone, asphalt, boardwalk
Use	Hiking, cycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, canoeing access
Difficulty	Easy to moderate
Season	Year-round

D&L Trail The D&L Trail is a multi-use rail-trail corridor in eastern Pennsylvania that follows historic canal and railroad alignments through the Lehigh Valley, Wyoming Valley, and Lackawanna Basin. The trail connects industrial heritage sites, riverfront districts, and regional parks while linking communities such as Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton with recreational infrastructure. Developed from abandoned canal towpaths and railroad rights-of-way, the route traverses landscapes shaped by figures and institutions from the Industrial Revolution and the anthracite coal era.

History

The corridor traces roots to the Delaware and Hudson Canal era and the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company period, intersecting with sites associated with the Molly Maguires, the Anthracite Coal Strike, and the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Early engineering works by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard are reflected in surviving canal structures and gravity railroad remnants that pass near places like Mauch Chunk, present-day Jim Thorpe, and historic mills in Easton. Nineteenth-century transport innovations tied to the Erie Canal, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad influenced alignments that later became railbeds. Twentieth-century deindustrialization and rail abandonments mirrored regional shifts seen in Pittsburgh and Bethlehem Steel declines, prompting local preservationists, nonprofit organizations, and federal programs such as the National Park Service’s Rails-to-Trails movement to advocate reuse.

Community activism by groups including the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Commission, historical societies from Northampton County and Luzerne County, and municipal partners led to phased trail acquisition during the 1980s and 1990s. Funding sources mirrored models used for the Appalachian Trail and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, combining state grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, federal transportation enhancements, and philanthropic investments from foundations linked to industrial heirs. Interpretive elements along the corridor reference events like the Molly Maguires trials, the Scranton Strike, and labor history memorials comparable to sites in the Coal Region and Wilkes-Barre.

Route and Description

The linear corridor extends roughly from the confluence of the Delaware River near Easton northwest to the Scranton area, threading through Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Luzerne, and Lackawanna counties. The surface alternates between compacted crushed stone, paved sections in urban cores adjacent to the Lehigh River and Lehigh Canal, and wooden boardwalks where wetlands near the Delaware River and marshes in the Poconos require elevated structures. Key nodes include riverfront promenades in Easton and Bethlehem, industrial heritage clusters in Allentown associated with Bethlehem Steel, and coal-region landscapes around Nanticoke and Wilkes-Barre.

The alignment parallels waterways such as the Lehigh River, Delaware River, and tributaries historically served by the Lehigh Canal, the Delaware and Hudson Canal, and the Susquehanna watershed. It intersects with long-distance trails and greenways including the Appalachian Trail corridor via local connectors, the Erie Lackawanna corridor near Scranton, and municipal trail networks in cities like Allentown and Scranton. Historic bridges, canal locks, and masonry aqueducts along the route reflect engineering traditions comparable to structures found on the James River Canal and the Delaware Canal State Park.

Recreation and Activities

Users engage in bicycling, hiking, inline skating where pavement exists, horseback riding on designated segments, and cross-country skiing during winter months. Anglers access riverine stretches for trout and bass fishing in channels historically stocked under state fishery programs and private clubs. Educational programming and guided tours focus on industrial archaeology, coal-mining heritage, and nineteenth-century transportation innovations, attracting researchers familiar with figures such as Lehigh Valley industrialists and engineers tied to the Erie Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad histories.

Events and endurance activities along the corridor mirror regional festivals, charity rides, and nature walks sponsored by local parks departments, visitor bureaus, and historical societies. Interpretive signage links to collections in institutions like the Steamtown National Historic Site, the Pennsylvania Anthracite Museum, and university archives that document labor movements, rail technology, and canal commerce. Organized birdwatching and ecology workshops draw on biodiversity studies practiced by state universities and natural history museums.

Conservation and Management

Management is collaborative, involving municipal governments, county land trusts, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Commission, and nonprofit conservancies modeled on organizations such as the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy. Stewardship emphasizes cultural resource protection, invasive species control, riparian restoration along the Lehigh and Delaware shores, and habitat connectivity initiatives consistent with state park management practices overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and county park systems.

Historic preservation priorities include maintaining masonry canal locks, railroad viaducts, and industrial ruins tied to corporate entities such as Bethlehem Steel and Lehigh Coal & Navigation. Environmental compliance addresses wetland mitigation, stormwater management informed by the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration framework, and endangered species considerations similar to those guiding management at Pennsylvania state game lands and national wildlife refuges.

Access and Amenities

Trailheads and parking areas are sited at municipal parks, transit hubs, and historic downtowns, providing connections to intercity rail stations, Amtrak services, and regional bus networks operated by providers akin to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the Luzerne County transit system. Trail amenities include restrooms at civic parks, picnic shelters adjacent to riverfront plazas, interpretive kiosks near museums and heritage sites, bike repair stations, and accessibility features meeting standards used by the Americans with Disabilities Act applied across state parks.

Nearby accommodations range from bed-and-breakfasts in historic districts to hotels in Allentown and Scranton, while visitor services are offered by destination marketing organizations and county tourism offices. Volunteer programs coordinate maintenance and educational outreach with partnerships comparable to Friends-of-Trail groups, university service learning programs, and corporate volunteer days hosted by regional employers.

Category:Trails in Pennsylvania