The D&L Blog

Seasonal Announcements

Written by Liz Rosencrans, DLNHC Director of Trails & Conservation

The Holidays are fully upon us and in some regions of the Corridor we’ve already awoken to blankets of snow – Winter is here! The cooler months can be a magical time to explore the D&L Trail, take a fresh look at the changing landscapes, and visit the cheerful towns throughout our five counties. Check out the tips below to keep you cozy on the trail this season.  

• Start with a Condition Check – before you hit the D&L Trail, remember to take a peek at the weather (temperature, precipitation), road conditions, sunset times, and check the evening temperatures in case you get caught out later than expected. Winter in the Corridor is expected to be warmer than average this year – but it can still get quite cold in the northern regions along the trail! Depending on the trail conditions, winter activities can also take longer – don’t forget to account for a slower pace when you’re planning the start/end times for your trip. 
• Pack to be Prepared – as you grab your jacket on your way out the door, don’t forget those extra layers to keep you warm and dry! Pack your sunscreen (yes – you can get sunburned in the winter!) and cold weather gear to cover your head, hands, nose, cheeks and ears to avoid wind burn. Bring a bag so you can peel off layers as you warm up and stay comfy. Don’t forget to keep a flashlight handy to avoid getting caught in the dark as the sun sets around 5PM and you could get caught in the dark earlier if it sets behind a mountain in the Lehigh Valley or Anthracite regions.  
• Looking for more winter planning insights? Visit REI’s Cold-Weather Hiking Tips page here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/cold-weather-hiking.html 

Winter conditions offer opportunities to explore the trail in new ways. While walking and hiking are always a great option, consider fat tire biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and even snowmobiling which is permitted in Lehigh Gorge State Park between White Haven (MM 130.2) and Penn Haven (MM 114.2). It’s anticipated that we may have a below-average snowfall in our region, but the snow totals are expected to be higher than last year which means we may get some great snowshoeing weather!

As you navigate another hectic holiday season, remember to take a break and explore the winter world around you. As Elizabeth Camden put it, “It seems like everything sleeps in winter, but it’s really a time of renewal and reflection.” Take in the refreshing calm that the stillness of the trail in winter brings as you reflect on the year behind you and open your arms to the year ahead!

Snowshoeing on the D&L Trail

Written by Tiffany Serra, DLNHC Trails & Conservation Associate

Snowshoeing is an exciting and accessible winter activity suitable for all ages. The best conditions for snowshoeing are when there’s at least 12 inches of fresh fallen powder snow on the ground, or when you begin to sink into the snow. At Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, we encourage all trail users to continue enjoying the D&L Trail throughout the winter season. To make it easier for more people to experience the beauty of winter recreation, we offer snowshoes available for free use. The 24 pairs of snowshoes in our collection can carry between 30 and 300+ pounds and includes youth and adult sizes, allowing everyone to enjoy the winter landscape.  

In addition to offering free snowshoes for use, we will also host pop-up snowshoeing events throughout the winter after major snow events. These events will be announced on our Facebook page, so be sure to keep an eye on our page for these spontaneous winter adventures. 

For beginners, snowshoeing is easy to pick up and only requires a few basic skills. To get started, strap on your snowshoes ensuring they’re secure and comfortable. When walking, to avoid tripping on the shoes, walk using a slightly wider stance. Be sure to take deliberate and even steps. Maintaining an even and steady pace is important as snowshoeing can be more strenuous than hiking if you rush. To turn, lift your feet higher and rotate your body in the desired direction, rather than dragging your feet. With little practice, you’ll soon be enjoying winter’s beauty from a new perspective.  

The Great American Getaway

Written by Alice Wannamaker, DLNHC Economic Development Manager

If you are anything like me, you are jumping for joy over the way this winter is starting out.  While I love spending hot summer days by the lakes and on the river (I love our water trails), there is also something very special about winter in Pennsylvania. And it seems, so far, that we may be in for a winter from my childhood filled with piles of snow that last until March, snowmen the size of my uncle, and finding cool new places covered in beautiful snow and glistening ice.   

Earlier this year, Governor Josh Shapiro announced the new official tag line for the state of Pennsylvania “The Great American Getaway” and I couldn’t agree more that we here in The Keystone State are lucky to live in a place that millions of Americans consider their very own playground! There is so much to see and do in all seasons, including winter, that we are living in a prime vacation spot.   

Whether you are lucky enough to call PA home, or come here to enjoy the beauty, there are events that incorporate the D&L Trail and other trails throughout the area to help you experience the best of what’s around.

First Day Hikes

Department of Conservation & Natural Resources – As part of their 30^th anniversary celebration initiatives, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be hosting more than 70 guided hikes across the state on New Year’s Day. Many will also be offering self-guided hikes, story walks, and adventure labs throughout the year. For a complete list of where you can find First Day Hikes in PA State Parks and other DCNR anniversary celebration events, visit Events – DCNR Calendar of Events  

In addition to the 3.5-mile first Day Hike, Friends of Beltzville State Park and State Park Staff are hosting a day of fun beginning at 1 pm on Monday January 1, 2025.  Guests are invited to enjoy a cozy campfire near the amphitheater, where there will be hot chocolate and cookies at the Environmental Interpretive Center while supplies last as well. Well behaved leashed pets are welcome! This is a free event, donations are welcome. When: Monday, January 1, 2025, at 2:00 PM, Sign-In: Begins at 1:00 PM  

Ironton Rail Trail – The Ironton Rail Trail will be participating in First Days Hikes with the Lehigh Valley New Year’s Chaser: Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. The event will be hosted on January 1, 2025 beginning at 8 am at  Saylor Park, 245 N. 2nd Street, Coplay PA 18037. More information and registration can be found here: Lehigh Valley New Year’s Chaser: Half Marathon, 10K and 5K 

Bringing 2024 to a Wrap

Written by Liz Rosencrans, DLNHC Director of Trails & Conservation

This past year has been an exciting one for the D&L Trail! We’ve seen trail sections progress from planning to ribbon cuttings as well as major rehabilitation projects to improve your favorite stretches of the D&L. The below list is just a snippet of the projects our Trails & Conservation Team has been working on with our local landowners and partners in 2024: 

• Cut the ribbon to open the Bridge Street Pedestrian Crossing – completing one of the state’s original Top 10 Trail Gaps with the Borough of Morrisville and Delaware Canal State Park.
• Identified connections with funding secured to find solutions for six trail crossings within the Delaware Canal region in Lower Bucks with Falls and Bristol Townships.
• Got the wheels turning in the Lehigh Valley Gap as we kicked off engineering with the City of Allentown and Hanover Township, and explored connections in Catasauqua with Lehigh County.
• Improved safety and resiliency along a favorite trail section between Jim Thorpe and Weissport with the completion of two new canal overflows by the Lehigh Canal Recreation Commission.
• Moved the needle for two projects in the Luzerne Gap that we hope to see break ground in 2025 with North Branch Land Trust and the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association.

To stay up to date on these projects and more read our DLNHC newsletters, check out the online interactive map, and scroll through our social media.

Join the 30/30 Winter Challenge

Written by Whitney Davison, DLNHC Education Manager

The annual Get Your Tail on the Trail 30/30 Winter Challenge 2025 is coming up. Between January 25th and February 28th, log 30 miles doing whatever activity gets you moving! Any exercise is good exercise and every mile counts.    

This year we will kick off the challenge on January 25th at 1PM at the National Canal Museum in Hugh Moore Park in Easton, PA. Sign up here and come on out for a group walk and some GYTOT SWAG. Remember it’s not required to attend the kickoff to take part in the challenge, however, it is a wonderful way to get out during the colder months and socialize. 

Sometimes winter weather requires even more of an incentive to get outside and go – so have some fun with winter sports this season. Downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, fat tire biking, snow shoeing, and winter backpacking are all great ways to enjoy the outdoors during the colder months. 

Getting out in the fresh air to walk or run every day is a great way to help combat the winter blues. However, if the cold is a deal breaker for you and you need some ideas of ways to get moving while staying warm try walking and running on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or lapping the pool at your local health club. Whatever you choose to do, use our Winter Challenge to keep you motivated and earn an incentive while you are at it. If you still have not joined Get Your Tail on the Trail sign up here. 

Get Your Tail on the Trail is a free program aimed at helping people of all ages and abilities meet their personal fitness goals and experience the outdoors on local trails via day-to-day challenges, public events, and motivating prizes. DLNHC has partnered with St. Luke’s University Health Network to fund this program so that it remains free to our participants. Most of the program is online allowing people to take part in it all over the country.

Tree Talk

Written by Brit Kondravy, DLNHC Conservation Coordinator

Each of Pennsylvania’s eight Conservation Landscapes Partnerships has a unique name, reflecting their distinct placed-based identities and regions. The Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape Partnership, located in the heart of the Corridor, constitutes the most urbanized Conservation Landscape (CL) in the state.  

The Partnership, co-lead by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, is focused on providing ribbons of green throughout the two-county, densely populated area to help keep communities vibrant and connected with hundreds of miles of trails and greenway corridors. So, I’d say its name – Lehigh Valley Greenways –is very fitting.

As many of us celebrate the season by bringing greenery into our homes, I’m reminded of how much greenery partners have planted outside the home. Since 2004, LV Greenways Partners, including non-profits, municipalities, municipal agencies, counties, and educational institutions, have planted over 4,500 native trees and plants throughout the community.  

Trees are planted in parks, preserves, and county, municipal or campus-owned land. They’re planted along stream banks, city sidewalks, and various trails. In honor of these trees and the people that plant them, we’ve reached out to three Partners to find out which type of tree is their favorite, and why. 

Kate Ebel, M.S, Senior Restoration Ecologist, Wildlands Conservancy: Serviceberry 

“It’s beautiful in the landscape with multiple seasons of interest. It flowers relatively early in spring, making it an important source of food for pollinators. The berries are eaten by many species of songbirds, mammals, and ruffed grouse (plus people!). And it’s also a host plant for many moth species.”  

Rob Christopher, Conservation Manager| City Forester, City of Easton: Musashino Zelkova (see picture below) & Slender Silhouette Sweetgum 

“The most tolerant urban trees are not native trees and are new cultivars that have been created for the purpose of resiliency in urban locations. Many also have unique forms like being columnar to prevent wide spreading canopies in commercial districts from encroaching store fronts and parking lanes. In my experience I have found the Musashino Zelkova tree to be very tolerant of urban conditions. It’s a columnar variety, of an Asian species, that was genetically manipulated, with very little disease and insect issues. It’s tolerant of heat, has small leaves, and a nice fall color. A native tree with some similar attributes is the Slender Silhouette Sweetgum.”

Laura Hopek, Environmental Education & Outreach Coordinator, Lehigh County Conservation District: Evergreens

“Studies show that winter is often considered a sad time of year for many people, primarily due to a form of depression triggered by reduced sunlight exposure during the shorter winter days, impacting mood and energy levels. But that is not the case for me. I teach youth just the opposite! Playing outdoors in the cold improves mental and physical health by reducing stress and anxiety, promoting physical activity, and providing a sense of connection to nature. It is proven that the air outside is healthier than the air indoors! And using your senses to experience nature can help you connect with the world around you. I encourage you to get outdoors this winter and try to find two evergreens to walk through as a “gateway for nature exploration.” 

What’s YOUR favorite type of tree and how did it earn that honor?

Web Map Updates

IMPORTANT NOTE: Our Interactive Map is updated regularly with information provided by landowners. Please note, an update will remain posted with the original posting date for as long as the incident is relevant.  

Please check our Interactive Map for current updates before planning any excursions on the D&L Trail.  

• There are multiple construction projects throughout the Delaware Canal Region and D&L Trail statuses may change weekly. Please practice patience and safety while navigating around these closures as it takes time to properly rebuild the trail. For more information about ongoing projects in the Delaware Canal Region, visit DCNR’s website.
  • Closures at MM 44 and MM 31 remain closed to trail users.
• Rockport – Glen Onoko – Complete, Open and Improved – the trail is open while trail surface improvements take place around December between MM 112-114.
• Durham Aqueduct – Tinicum Park – Obstruction within trail section – the trail is open at MM 39.4 after a brief closure at Cross Creek Lane.