Enjoy scenic vistas and waterside views as you bike the Lehigh Gorge between Jim Thorpe and Hickory Run State Park.
The Lehigh Gorge has views for miles.
Courtesy Discover Lehigh Valley
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More than 20 curated points of interest to explore
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About 38 miles a day, almost entirely on car-free multi-use trails.
Choose your mileage as you build your trip
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Turn-by-turn directions with printable cue sheet
Camp, stay in local lodging, or turn this adventure into a day trip
Exclusive content to support your journey
Carved by the running water of the Lehigh River over thousands of years, the Lehigh Gorge is a sight of striking beauty. Once a railroad bed in the 1800's, the D&L Trail is now a peaceful path winding through Lehigh Gorge State Park overlooking the rushing river below. One of the most scenic rides in the country, you'll understand why as you bike past waterfalls, over towering bridges and through this area's bounty of natural wonders. This route is ideal for a day trip on your bike or an exciting overnight journey.
Home to one of America's first railroads, the quaint town of Jim Thorpe is now a hub of history, entertainment, and outdoor adventure. Nestled close to two state parks, many use this town as a launch point for rafting, kayaking, hiking, and other outdoor escapes. For those seeking to break up their jaunts in nature, there are unique museums, tasty food, local libations, eclectic shopping, and more. However you choose to explore, this travel destination won't be one you soon forget!
With turn-by-turn navigation, an extensive list of sights and attractions, a sample itinerary for inspiration and much more, this guide makes it easy for you to plan your own bike adventure on this section of the D&L Trail. Whether you take a two-day bike camping trip with friends, or an independent day trip, you have flexibility to choose your own path.
Proceeds from this Guide benefit the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, the organization responsible for preserving and protecting this historic area. Our points of interest include local organizations and small businesses that benefit from your patronage.
How to use this guide: This guide contains information to help you plan your own trip. Get started by reading through all of the information on this page to familiarize yourself with the route, points of interest and a recommended itinerary. You'll probably want to record your own itinerary using the points of interest and accompanying timing. Once you've planned what you want to see, jump down to the Route section to download the RideWithGPS route for turn-by-turn directions on your mobile device.
The icons below indicate the estimated amount of time a point of interest will take to explore, whether or not a point of interest is family-friendly, if that business supports the trail, if it provides free programming and if it is off our main route.
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Arrive to Jim Thorpe by car, private bus or bike before embarking on the D&L Trail toward White Haven. If you choose, make time to explore the sights of Jim Thorpe before embarking on your 24 mile journey on the D&L Trail.
The second leg of your journey travels from White Haven to a campground in Hickory Run State Park. If you choose, you may decide to stay in Lehigh Gorge Campground or other local lodging.
This route begins at the Jim Thorpe Municipal Parking Lot where you can arrive by car, private bus or by traveling north on your bike along the D&L Trail. Please note that the Municipal Parking lot is a paid lot. The first leg is about 24 miles through Lehigh Gorge State Park before arriving in White Haven, PA. After arriving in White Haven you can take a break before continuing for another 7 miles of road riding on PA Bicycle Route "L" (Route 534) to the campground in Hickory Run State Park.
There are multiple ways to use this route whether you are planning a day trip or overnight experience:
Day trip: For a great day trip, we recommend biking 24 miles from Jim Thorpe to White Haven. You may then choose to bike back for 48 miles round trip, or take an organized shuttle with organizations like Pocono Biking. Please note, the trail follows a drop in elevation when traveling from White Haven to Jim Thorpe. For an entirely downhill ride, start in White Haven, then bike toward Jim Thorpe.
Overnight trip: For a two-day overnight stay, we recommend biking from Jim Thorpe to Lehigh Gorge Campground or Hickory Run State Park Campground for an overnight stay before returning the next day. As an overnight camping trip this ride is 25-31 miles a day for a total of 50-62 miles total depending on your desired points of interest. There are more comfortable lodging options including B&Bs in both White Haven and Jim Thorpe.
Most of this route between Jim Thorpe, PA and White Haven, PA is a predominantly flat pathway of tightly packed gravel and stone on the protected D&L Trail. If you choose to camp there will be anywhere from 3-7 miles of road riding on roadways with live traffic.
Before embarking, riders should feel comfortable on their bikes for 1-3 hours at a time. We recommend checking out our training tips and always consulting a doctor to make sure you are in good health before starting any new training regimen.
How to use this Route: RSVP to our Ride with GPS Event "Outdoor escape inside the Lehigh Gorge" to access the fully mapped route, including all points of interest. When you a ready to ride, simply open the Ride With GPS app, go to"More" then "My Events" and finally select "Navigate" for turn-by-turn directions. Since parts of this route ride through areas with limited cell service, we recommend downloading the route for offline use.
Please note that while our route does offer turn-by-turn directions, you will need to navigate to your desired points of interest. Most points of interest are directly on the route, or within two miles from the trail, as indicated with our "Off main route" icons, above.
We've included many points of interest in our guide to make it easy for you to build a journey around what you would like to do. While we hope you're inspired to create your own adventure, the itinerary below might be helpful in showing how we recommend organizing a trip.
Load your bike and drive 1.5 hours from Philadelphia or 2 hours from NYC & NJ before arriving in Jim Thorpe, PA. You can also arrive via private bus or by traveling north on the D&L Trail if you are completing a long distance, multi-day trip. Please note that the municipal parking lot is a paid lot.
One arriving, consider grabbing breakfast, a coffee, and using the restroom at The Bagel Bunch just two miles down the road. When you are ready to ride, log into the Ride with GPS app and go to "More" and then "My Events." Click into our "Outdoor escape in Lehigh Gorge" Event, click into the route, and once inside the route you can click the "Navigate" button for turn-by-turn directions.
Start biking on the D&L Trail 24 miles towards White Haven. Consider stopping to take a break at Luke or Buttermilk falls and enjoy the view!
After your ride through the Gorge take a break for lunch, whether you decide to pack or pick up something from Renee's Cold Cuts or Antonio's Pizza in White Haven.
After 24 miles of riding you can bike to a campsite in Lehigh Gorge Campground (1.5 miles from downtown White Haven) or Hickory Run State Park (an additional 7 miles from downtown White Haven). There are also plenty of local lodging options in White Haven or back in Jim Thorpe (shuttles are available with Pocono Biking). You'll need to have advanced reservations for camping or a shuttle.
Enjoy a great day of views and adventure by cooking dinner around a campfire and relaxing under the stars.
Enjoy breakfast at camp and if you're staying in Hickory Run State Park you might consider enjoying one of the areas many hikes before starting your ride back.
Begin your return ride through the Gorge, traveling back to Jim Thorpe.
To culminate a great weekend of riding we recommend exploring the many sights of Jim Thorpe including great museums like Asa Packer, and great bites like those at the Notch 8 Craft House.
Mention that you're a Bikeout rider or show confirmation of your digital guide download to access these partner offers.
Our new taproom is open this season at Ferry Market on Main Street in New Hope.
We’ve partnered with Better World Club if you're interested in purchasing emergency roadside assistance for your next bike trip, including a special 10% discount for Bikeout riders. Better World Club is an environmentally-friendly automobile club which provides you with 24/7 nationwide emergency roadside assistance in all 50 States and Canada. What makes BWC different? They’ve got affordable bicycle-only coverage, and they were the first company in the country to offer it. Click here to learn more and to sign-up with our special discount code, click here.
