Trail Section: Durham Aqueduct to Tinicum Park - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
Ringing Rocks County Park - Bucks County
Delaware Canal Towpath and Giving Pond - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park - New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
Delaware Canal State Park - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Highlands
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.51664, -75.06258
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| D&R Canal State Park Riverview Parking Lot (There is a large lot in Frenchtown but I prefer not to park there because Frenchtown gets packed later in the day.) |
TRAIL MAP:
Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park - New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
Delaware Canal State Park - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Ringing Rocks County Park Trail Map - Bucks County
Bike - 25.4 miles
Hike - 3 miles
THE BIKE AND HIKE:
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| From the Riverview parking lot there is actually no path to the trail - you just have to make your way through not-so-short wet grass and a ditch to get there. |
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| Right on the path into Frenchtown. |
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| Completely empty parking lot in Frenchtown at 7 AM. It would be packed in the afternoon. |
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| Crossing the street up ahead and left ... |
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| ... over the bridge. |
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| The Delaware River was fogged in this early in the morning. |
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| The other side of the bridge a left on Route 32 for a short distance then ... |
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| ... the first right on Uhlerstown Hill Road. |
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| Just before the covered bridge ... |
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| ... signs on the left direct to the canal trail. |
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| Right on the canal trail under the covered bridge. |
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| A very short distance ahead, right on a wide mowed path into Giving Pond Recreation Area. |
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| Giving Pond in the fog. |
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| Who is that flying around? |
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| It's an osprey! I had never seen one along the Delaware River before. |
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| Continuing on around the recreation area. |
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| The pond views are to the left through picnic areas. |
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| Coming out at the main parking lot where poop bags await pickup by that elusive Poop Fairy. |
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| To the left is a boat launch. |
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| Continuing through the parking lot to mowed paths on the other side. They are a bit confusing because some lead nowhere so you kind of have to feel your way around. |
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| A view from the far side of Giving Pond where ... |
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| ... that osprey was again. |
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| There were also tons of killdeer hopping around on that piece of land jutting out into the water but they are so camouflaged I did not capture a single one in my pictures. |
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| Finally found my way out to the road where I turned left ... |
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| ... then right just before the bridge ... |
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| ... back to the canal trail. |
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| The trail becomes really narrow at times. |
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| Just after going under this bridge ... |
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| ... there is a path on the right leading up to and over the bridge to access Ringing Rocks County Park. This is also the route of the Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania. |
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| Looking down at the canal trail from the bridge. |
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| The path leads to the parking lot where there is no place to secure a bike. |
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| So I continued on through the parking lot to the trail walking the bike in search of a place to lock it up. |
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| After crossing Route 32 up some steps ... |
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| ... and up the hill to where I finally found a place to secure my bike and change from biking gear into hiking gear. |
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| Following the Highlands Trail up, pretty steeply at times. |
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| At the top is the white-blazed loop trail around the boulder field. The Highlands Trail blazes end here, presumably because there is no connection to Nockamixon State Park yet. |
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| There are a few access trails along the way to the boulder field. |
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| Passing by the kiosk where a parking lot is to the right. |
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| Where else can you see children wielding hammers? Didn't really hear any ringing, just a bunch of clunking. |
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| Continuing on around ... |
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| ... to a trail on the right to ... |
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| High Falls |
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| Then to a path down to the creek. |
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| High Falls Creek |
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| Finishing the loop, right on the Highlands Trail to retrace back down. |
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| Back at the bike to change from hiking gear back into biking gear. |
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| Crossing Route 32 which was pretty busy at this point. |
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| Back at the canal trail and continuing on. |
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| The Delaware River comes into view ... |
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| ... with Nockamixon Cliffs on the left. |
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| This was going to be my turn around point meeting up with where I left off almost exactly 9 years before on May 14, 2017 But it was such a gorgeous day I decided to continue on to Riegelsville. |
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| At the backside of the Riegelsville Inn, turning around to head back. |
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| Turning left the other side of the covered bridge. |
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| Back through a much busier Frenchtown. |
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| Just beyond the 29 1/2 mile marker, Riverview parking lot on the left. |
