The D&L Blog

A Message from Mandy

Happy Summer! Tuesday, June 21 was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the official start to summer – which means more daylight hours on the trail!  

Along the DLNHC, summer is one of the busier seasons with walkers, runners, and bicyclists drawn to the cool, shady tree-lined trail. 

Tourists and locals alike head to towns along the trail to enjoy outdoor dining and festivals.  It’s easy to walk from Sand Island Trailhead to Musikfest in Bethlehem or hop off the trail and walk to downtown Easton for Heritage Day; to take a ride on the Bike Train in Jim Thorpe, visit the Arts Festival in New Hope or check out Community Nights in Catasauqua, just to name a few. 

There is so much to do just minutes off the trail. 

Summer is also a perfect time to consider a multi-day trek along the corridor.  The D&L Guidebook outlines 2-, 3- and 4-days bike-packing trips with suggested stops along the way. Make sure to purchase your own copy and plan your next scenic getaway.

On June 4, the entire staff at the D&L celebrated National Trails Day by setting up informational booths in every county in the corridor. From New Hope in Delaware Canal State Park to the Lehigh Tannery in White Haven, we were there! It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to chat with trail users while raising awareness of the Corridor.

This Saturday, June 25^th, join us for a Trail Tenders clean up in Bristol. We’ll be picking up litter with Delaware Canal State Park in Tullytown. Sign up here!

Finally, don’t forget to mark your calendars for two exciting, free trainings on June 29^th and July 13th. These trainings will be at Hugh Moore Park and will help promote volunteerism along the trail. 

June 29^th is a Trail Patrol Training where participants will learn to be the “eyes & ears” of the D&L. They will learn how to answer visitors’ questions, report about fallen trees, erosion, and trail maintenance issues. 

July 13^th will focus on Adopt-A-Section of D&L Trail. This is a new program where families, organizations, and businesses can volunteer to steward a section of trail. This program will help to maintain the trail throughout the year. Activities will include sign cleaning, litter removal, brush removal, and other “light” tasks.

You can learn more and sign up here. After the training, participants will receive either a first aid kit or sign cleaning kit.

I hope to see you out on the trail! 

Written by Mandy Tolino, D&L Director of Trails & Conservation