D&L Trail: Coplay to Weissport and Back, 40 Miles

I've told you before about the Delaware and Lehigh (DandL) Trail. I've been on portions over the years. Over the years, I've run and biked between Allentown's Canal Park and Bethlehem's Sand Island; between Sand Island and Easton's Riverside Park; and along the Delaware Canal. It's gorgeous. I was unprepared, however, for the stretch of trail between Northampton (Canal Street Park) and Slatington. I've told you it is the Lehigh Valley's best kept secret. The trail is wide, well-maintained, marked, scenic, flat and shaded. But it's really only been a secret to me. Yesterday, in the most beautiful weather you could have for cycling, the path was full of smiling cyclists, walkers and runners. I took it from Coplay (mile 93) to Weissport (mile 103) and back. I'm now just a few miles shy of Jim Thorpe as I work my way up to White Haven and points north. Since I forgot to ask you to join me, I thought I'd share some pictures.

When you pop on in Coplay, the first thing you see is a signpost telling you the distance to various trailheads. There's another sign just beyond telling you the Lehigh Valley has over 300 miles of trails.

It doesn't take long before you're in another world, away from pandemics, politics and the noise that surrounds us every day. Yes, this is still the Lehigh Valley, but your bicycle takes you through a magical portal and into another dimension.

Though obscured by the foliage, you can always hear the rush of the Lehigh River as it makes its way to the Delaware. You can hear the laughter of people on rafts and kayaks. I've been told  fishing here is excellent, and I saw proof of that - a fisherman making his way back to his car with a 16" brown trout.

A concrete telephone booth? You betcha'. The railroads set up phone booths in areas where lines widened or narrowed so they could communicate with conductors and engineers. The first booths were concrete.  A bit beyond this is a little trail library, though nobody has much time to read while cycling. It's better to do that driving.

One you make it to Slatington, you can fuel up with water or a sandwich. I've had hulupki soup, which is magnificent and healthy. I've also had an egg 'n cheese sandwich, which is less healthy but still outstanding. This truck is open until 6 pm, seven days a week and is a lifesaver. I ignored it on my way up to Weissport and bonked as a result. When you cycle, you need lots of water and food. Fortunately, I was able to get some coffee, a cliffbar and water in Weissport, which picked me up.

Just beyond Slatington, there's a private airport full of small hangars and plane, together with a great runway.

Beyond the airport, there's a breathtaking view of an honest-to-goodness mountain. I'm told there are more as you travel north.

In addition to the rush of the Lehigh River on one side, you can see the Zen-like beauty and hear the  soothing sound of waterfalls cascading down the sides of mini-mountains, in search of the river.

Though Weissport was an oasis for me, I neglected to take any pics, except for this magnificent Shikoku. This fellow is four years old and greeted his owner with a bark that sounded different than any bark I've ever heard. He was both gentle and friendly.

On this trip I ran into the Banker, who was cycling with his "pretty in pink" girlfriend. They told me I have to cycle up to Jim Thorpe, and I will. After that, there's Lehigh Gorge State Park, with an abndoned train tunnel, and Glen Onoko Falls (mile 108).

If you have any comments about this stretch of trail, please feel free.