Lehigh River Trail

Lehigh River Trail
Name	Lehigh River Trail
Location	Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States
Length	26 miles (approx.)
Use	Hiking, cycling, fishing, birdwatching
Surface	Paved and crushed stone
Established	20th–21st century (sections)
Managed by	Local municipalities, county agencies, land trusts

Lehigh River Trail is a multi-use linear corridor following the Lehigh River through the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The trail connects urban centers, historic industrial sites, and tributary landscapes, providing access to greenway links, rail-trail conversions, and riverfront parks. It serves commuters, recreational users, and conservationists who engage with nearby cultural institutions, historic districts, and regional natural areas.

Route and Description

The route runs along the Lehigh River corridor between points near Allentown, White Haven, and Jim Thorpe, incorporating sections adjacent to Lehigh Gorge State Park, Lehigh Canal, and the Lehigh River Gorge scenic byway. The corridor passes through or alongside municipalities such as Northampton County, Carbon County, Lehigh County, and boroughs including Catasauqua and Palmerton. Surfaces vary from paved urban sections near Bethlehem and Easton to crushed stone and soft-surface segments approaching state park boundaries and former Lehigh Valley Railroad grades. Trailheads and connector paths intersect with trails such as the D&L Trail, Nor-Bath Trail, and regional greenway projects supported by organizations like the Greenway Conservancy and local land trusts. Scenic features visible from the corridor include remnants of the Lehigh Canal, former industrial sites associated with the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, and natural landmarks near the Appalachian Trail corridor.

History

The corridor’s origins trace to indigenous travel routes used by members of the Lenape peoples and later to colonial-era navigation improvements like the Lehigh Canal and the Erie Canal era transportation network. Industrialization in the 19th century, propelled by anthracite coal mining and the rise of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and companies such as Bethlehem Steel Corporation, shaped riverfront development, towpaths, and rail grades. Decline of heavy industry in the 20th century left abandoned rail beds and canal structures that spurred rail-trail conversions championed by civic groups, historical societies, and agencies including the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and county parks departments. Preservation efforts involved partnerships with entities like the National Park Service, regional planning commissions, and nonprofit advocates tied to initiatives such as the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and local heritage organizations documenting the legacy of the Lehigh Canal and the Industrial Workers of the World-era labor movements.

Recreation and Usage

The trail supports diverse activities: cycling clubs from Allentown Bicycle Club and community cycling programs, anglers targeting species documented by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and birdwatchers observing species listed by the Audubon Society chapters in the Lehigh Valley. Organized events include charity rides, historical walking tours led by local historical societies, and endurance races promoted in coordination with municipal parks departments and visitor bureaus. Users access interpretive signage about the region’s involvement in the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 and industrial heritage linked to the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and railroad companies such as the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad. Trail etiquette and seasonal regulations are overseen by county parks, local police departments, and state wildlife agencies during hunting seasons and flood advisories issued by the United States Geological Survey.

Environment and Ecology

The riparian corridor hosts hardwood floodplain communities, wetlands, and aquatic habitats supporting populations monitored by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program and conservation groups like the Nature Conservancy regional office. Riparian restoration projects have involved native tree plantings coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and volunteer programs organized by watershed associations including the Lehigh River Watershed Coalition. The corridor provides habitat for fish species managed under state fisheries plans and is a migration route for birds tracked by regional chapters of the National Audubon Society. Environmental challenges include legacy pollution from industrial sites addressed through brownfield remediation programs managed with input from the Environmental Protection Agency regional offices and state environmental bureaus, as well as floodplain management interacting with federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Access and Transportation

Access points are distributed at municipal parks, rail-trail trailheads, and riverfront developments tied to transit hubs like the Lehigh Valley International Airport region and commuter rail corridors serving SEPTA and regional rail proposals. Parking, bike-share stations proposed by metropolitan planning organizations, and connector trails link to downtown districts such as Bethlehem, Allentown, and Easton, and to regional highways including Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 22. Long-distance cyclists may integrate the corridor with routes to the Delaware River valley and trail networks connecting to the Appalachian Trail via local spur trails and greenways planned by regional planning commissions.

Maintenance and Management

Management is typically collaborative: municipal parks departments, county park systems, state agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and nonprofit land trusts negotiate easements and maintenance responsibilities. Funding derives from municipal budgets, state recreation grants, federal transportation enhancement programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration, and private philanthropy from regional foundations. Volunteer stewardship is coordinated through conservancies, historical societies, and civic groups, with maintenance priorities including surfacing, bridge inspections, invasive species control regulated with guidance from the Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council, and emergency response coordination with local fire departments and county emergency management agencies.

Category:Trails in Pennsylvania