Delaware & Lehigh Trail, PA - Easton to Bethlehem with Hugh Moore Park

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Delaware & Lehigh Trail - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

Hugh Moore Park - Discover Lehigh Valley

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.68767, -75.20507

Parking in Easton at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers.

TRAIL MAPS: 

D&L Trail Guidebook - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (good info, worth getting)

Lehigh Valley Region Trail Map & Guide - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

I flipped the map because it is upside down in the kiosk and makes no sense.  Entering Hugh More Park by turning left from the right side of the map just before the bridge over the Lehigh River.  Then continuing to the left side of the map on the paved trail, back on the D&L Trail to the bridge and over the river to continue on the D&L Trail.

BIKE DISTANCE:  31.9 miles

THE BIKE:  

From the parking lot straight ahead to the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers ...

... then right on the D&L Trail to meet up with where I left off in 2017 at Wy-Hit-Tuk Park.

In NJ the spillways are rough and rocky and I won't bike over them but here on the PA side, they have cemented them over.  Nice!

A belted kingfisher in the early morning sun over the Delaware River.

Turn around point.

Coming back up on the confluence, left ...

... then right just before the parking lot.

A better view of the confluence without all of the pipes and fencing.

Now following the D&L Trail west along the Lehigh River.

After turning right and crossing over this lock, the trail splits, either gravel to the left or paved to the right.

I took the paved trail to the right and would be returning from the gravel trail on the left later.

The other end of the gravel trail merges in.

Just before the bridge ...

... left into Hugh Moore Park.

Taking the paved trails out.

Passing the canal boat.

Lehigh River Chain Dam - the view from this side is better than the view from the D&L Trail on the other side of the river.

A little past the lock house ...

... the trail fizzles out.

Heading back but taking the D&L Trail just to the left of the canal.

This becomes a dirt trail...

... that meets back up with the paved D&L Trail where a sharp left ...

... repeats a short section back to the bridge.

Now crossing the bridge.

Lehigh River

Domestic ducks (escapees?) hanging with mallards.

The other side of the bridge the trail resumes on a curvy uphill path ...

... before leveling out.

Lehigh River Chain Dam from the other side with the lock house where I had just been.

The Two Rivers Trail had been following the same route for a while and now leaves to the right.

The paved trail ends at the Route 33 Boat Launch.

At the far end of the parking lot, I would be returning from the left but going right now.  This area is described in the D&L Trail Guidebook.  To the left the trail is very narrow; to the right is the bypass.

The bypass is along a gravel access road for the boat launch.

Left on Hope Road under the stone trestle ...

... then right back on to the D&L Trail just before the gated club entrance.

This is a long, remote feeling section that is incredibly peaceful and serene ...

... until LOUD and INCESSANT gunfire erupts from the shooting range across the river.  Ugh.  The noise does fade away eventually.

Coming into Bethlehem where the trail becomes a bit more urban feeling.

The only drawback is if you stop to step off the trail for river views, you find yourself in (homeless?) tent camps. 

Turn around point at Sand Island Recreational Complex.

The gunfire wasn't as bad on the way back.

Coming up on the private club gate, left on Hope Road ...

... then right on the D&L Trail before the stone trestle.

The guidebook said the trail is narrow and rocky.

Narrow, yes, but I did not find it to be rocky at all.  Fortunately nobody was coming towards me.  That might have been a bit tricky.

The narrow part of the trail comes out on to the Route 33 Boat Launch where I continued straight ...

... to take the switchback up ...

... to retrace through the parking lot.

At the far right corner of the parking lot the D&L Trail resumes ...

... and is paved the rest of the way.

Two Rivers Trail joins in from the left.

Back over the bridge where apparently "WALK YOUR BIKE" does not apply to e-bikes.  Or they are going too fast to be able to read the signs.

After the bridge veer left ...

... to retrace all the way back.

Except this part - I had come up from the left, now taking the gravel trail to the right to meet back up at the lock.

Back on the paved part along the Lehigh River heading back through Easton.

Finishing at the much busier parking lot.

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