On the morning of August 23rd, a small group of AMC members headed out in light rain for a three-mile "Urban Bethlehem Hike."
Starting on Sand Island at the Charles A. Brown Ice House, we then crossed the Fahy Bridge to the South Bethlehem Greenway. The Greenway, Bethlehem's newest trail, is a paved path on the South Side that is frequently used for jogging and cycling, but also for picnicking and relaxation. It has been used as a ground for festivals like VegFest, as well, which took place later in the day.
The Greenway took us through downtown South Bethlehem, and we crossed onto the Minsi Trail Bridge, which provided excellent views of the grounds of former Bethlehem Steel, the railroad, and the Lehigh River. We then connected to a section of the D&L Trail (Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor) via the stairs at the end of the bridge. The D&L, an unpaved trail winding between the canal and the river, is also popular with joggers and cyclists, and has a number of interpretive signs about the industrial history of the canal. A short walk on the D&L returned us to our starting point. After a few people said goodbye, the rest of us walked into North Bethlehem's downtown to explore "God's Acre," a historic Moravian cemetery dating from 1762.
Both trails are part of the proposed Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network, which will connect trail users to other recreational trails in the region.