Five Cool Places for a Walk

by Carrie Havranek

Do you hear those birds? Can you see grass? It’s March, which means it’s time to take a walk. The going may be muddy, but hopefully not snowy.  Here are five cool places for taking a walk.

1. Bushkill Creek, Easton/Palmer/Tatamy. You can access this pathway at a number of places–in downtown Tatamy, from Bushkill Drive in Easton, from Penn Pump Park in Palmer. Any way you do, it’s a nice way to walk; the terrain varies a bit, and so does the view, passing along private property and through wooded areas.

2. Delaware River Canal Tow Path. Drive  down 611 South, from Easton. You’ll find a handful of little pull-over spots to park the car and hop on the path. Watch out for geese; they can be kind of cranky.

3. Sand Island, Bethlehem. You’ve been here before, I bet, for one of the city’s many festivals (Musik, Celtic, etc.), but have you ever wandered around here without the crowds of people? Biking and walking trails await you here, just paces from downtown Bethlehem.

4. Trexler Park, Allentown. There are 2,000 acres of open space in the Allentown Parks and Recreation system, and plenty of places to go walking. In fact, the Friends of Allentown Parks have put together a series of Discovery Walks for the spring, starting in late April. In the meantime, put on your sneakers or grab your dog leash—this park in west Allentown off Springhouse Road  is popular with both.

5. Wildlands Conservancy. This organization has been a leader in the Valley for 35 years in efforts to preserve our natural resources, including the Lehigh River Water Trail. Since it’s probably a bit too cold to hop on a canoe (although maybe some would), the organization has posted several River-to-Canal Loop maps for places such as Hugh Moore Park, Allentown to Bethlehem, Weissport and Walnutport.

Where do you like to walk? Talk back; tell us!

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who loves walking with her twin two-year-old boys because one of them takes off at full speed, to see what’s ahead and the other stops and picks up every rock, stick, and leaf along the way.

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