The D&L Blog

By Miranda Alvarez Guillen, Community Engagement Manager

The thought of bike commuting sounds overwhelming, whether that’s to work or the grocery store. To help ease the overwhelm, we wanted to highlight low pressure places you can bike to using the D&L Trail. Curb your carbon footprint, ditch the car and get acclimated with using a bike as a mode of transportation. Whether it’s to grab a cup of coffee or check out a new town, these low-pressure destinations are sure to incentivize your ride.

Anthracite Region

Few things go with biking better than ice cream! Our Trail Friendly Business, Chantilly Goods serves up some of the best ice cream and other sweets. Just off the D&L Trailhead in Weissport, trail users can take a short ride or make it a stop along a much longer distance. Just 3.5 miles south of Jim Thorpe, Trail users can ride in from as far as Whitehall in the Lehigh Valley, snag a sweet treat at Chantilly and enjoy the historic downtown area in Jim Thorpe. With Lehighton Outdoor Center and Pocono Biking also conveniently located along the D&L Trail, riders are never too far from trained bike experts who can help them along the way. 

Spend a leisurely day between Anthracite towns, booming with trail friendly businesses. Spandex is regularly sported with a sweaty brow as tourists roll in. The downtown area of Jim Thorpe offers a range of restaurants for every meal, with bike racks scattered around town to easily secure your ride to. 

Lehigh Valley Region

While we still have a seven mile trail gap in the Lehigh Valley, there is still much to explore in the region. Despite the gap, the D&L Trail offers a continuous route between Bethlehem and Easton. As a result, trail users can easily venture into two lively, historic downtown areas. In Easton, trail users can cross into town to explore the booming areas shops and restaurants. Newly added to our certified D&L Trail Friendly Businesses is the Easton Public Market. The market hosts just over a dozen vendors ranging from artisanal chocolates to an Asian-inspired noodle bar. The market offers a bike repair station just out back and bike racks around the building. Plus, individuals who show their bike helmet can enjoy special discounts with participating vendors and pick up a free piece of fruit at the Farmstand. 

For those who never thought they could do groceries without their car, get your bike baskets ready. Easton’s Farmers’ Market is the oldest, continuous open air market in the nation’s history. Since it moved from Easton’s Circle to the Riverfront it’s even closer to the D&L Trail than before. With mostly organic and locally grown offerings, visitors purchase wholesome food. The Easton Farmers’ Market also accepts supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. 

Lastly, we’d be remiss to not mention our very own National Canal Museum. Located just off the D&L Trail in Hugh Moore Park, see history in action. The National Canal Museum is open Saturday & Sundays from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. Starting in June, the museum will be open Wednesday – Sunday. Visitors can enjoy our special exhibit, “Where Creativity Flows,” explore hands-on exhibits, and take a ride on our mule-drawn canal boat, the Josiah White II.

Delaware Canal Region

Enjoy vibrant red crushed stone under your wheels and the view of the river and canal on either side of you as you ride through the Delaware Canal Region. For the person looking to avoid any kind of road riding, our Trail Friendly Business, Homestead General Store & Coffee Roasters cannot get any closer to the D&L Trail. With a trailside storefront, riders need only step off the trail to reach this coffee spot paused in time. Modeled after general stores that would have operated along the canal, pick up bits, bobs, breakfast and fresh brewed coffee. This family owned business has been operating along the Delaware Canal for more than 40 years. They are sure to fuel your ride with their assortment of roasts, plus breakfast and lunch offerings. 

Have you considered riding for your date night? The bustling town of New Hope can be accessed from the D&L Trail. The trail opportunistically runs parallel to busy main street areas in the artsy town. Whether with friends, family or your partner, New Hope offers shops, galleries, and eateries for almost everyone’s taste. Trade in the time circling for parking for time on the trail. 

Tell us about your rides to these destinations and others

While most of us are not ready to ditch our cars completely, it’s worthwhile to explore all the places you can get without one. By opting to ride or walk a bit more often, people can get where they are going with much less impact. 

For a full listing of Trail Friendly Businesses that are in proximity to the D&L Trail, visit delawareandlehigh.org/trailfriendlybusinesses. You can also purchase our D&L Trail Guidebook which offers mile by mile details about the trail and points of interest along the way. If you check out one of these Trail Friendly Businesses, towns or commute just about anywhere on the D&L Trail share your stories and photos with us on social. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram. Plus, use #DLTrail so we can find your adventures!