Posted on October 1, 2016
2016 Great Greenway/Trail: D & L Trail (Carbon, Luzerne, Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks Counties)
Environment Great Places 2016
The D & L Trail is located along the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers and follows the 165-mile historic pathway that anthracite coal took. It has resulted from a public-private partnership, with the D & L Corridor organization working with landowners and stakeholders to conserve cultural and natural resources in the five-county region. The Trail offers opportunities for walking, running, hiking, bicycling, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing. With 44 trailheads, the trail is accessible to thru travelers, as well as daily recreational users and commuters. Respondents to a 2012 user survey included people from three countries and 17 states, with the majority being from 27 different counties in Pennsylvania. Trail users experience diverse geography and cultural landscapes, as well as an incredible variety of scenery, communities, landscapes and nationally significant heritage attractions. Communities along the D & L Trail embrace it as a meeting place for festivals, races and other events that bring people together. Additionally, the Trail serves as the long distance spine for other regional trails such as The Circuit, East Coast Greenway, 9-11 Memorial Trail, and Ironton Rail Trail.
