Slatington, PA: Hiking Trails

The D & L Trail is a section of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor that connects Slatington to Northampton. It is a special hiking trail that’s dedicated to the memory of Asher F. Boyer. He was a famous Eagle Scout who worked hard on the project of establishing this section. Because of this new section, fifteen miles of trail currently skirt the western side of the Lehigh River from the Cementon Trailhead, which in turn is near Route 329 in Whitehall Township, to the State Fish and Boat Commission boat launch which is near Route 248, located particularly in East Penn Township.

The D & L Trail – Asher F. Boyer Trail runs through the former Lehigh Valley Railroad and the stacks of railroad timbers are still seen in many areas or sections of the trail. If you take on this journey, you will realize that the entire route is peaceful and you come upon lush forests and towering rock cliffs, which by the way give you a rather breathtaking and amazing view of the large part of the Lehigh River. Meanwhile, majority of the pathway is flat and coated with crushed limestone. This is possible because limestone is a type of mineral which is abundant in the entire Lehigh Valley region.

Reaching the northern end of the trail, you will see an intersection with the Slate Heritage Trail. This is where travelers and hikers can then follow west along Trout Creek for about three miles to Slatedale. An alternative is for trail-goers to continue walking north along the river (about eight miles), through the Lehigh Gap to the East Penn Township. This is another portion or segment of the D & L Trail.

If you wish to know more about the natural habitat, terrain, and wildlife in this trail, you can go to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and ask for more information.

Trail Access and Parking

If you visit this trail today, you might get disappointed a bit because the facilities at the northern trail head are currently undergoing major construction and renovation. However, there’s actually a parking lot for the Slate Heritage Trail, which by the way is only a short distance from this particular trail. You can go south of Main Street in Slatington. Likewise, there’s limited parking space available at the southern end of the trail, specifically at the Cementon Trailhead in Whitehall Township.