Lehigh Gorge Trail
I’m not a hiker, although I have been on hiking trips with family before. My abbonim is very into going on hikes, so there have been a few times that we’ve tagged along with him as a family to see some pretty amazing views. However, this time around, I knew I wanted to see fall foliage in a new way, but I did not really feel like dealing with having to hike up any mountains. I wanted something that would be a nice trail, but allow us to see the foliage in a new way.
I heard some things about the Lehigh Gorge and the L&T Trail in Pennsylvania, but was a little hesitant because I have not gone on a hike in over a year and was worried about the terrain. How hilly would it be or how steep is it? Much to my surprise, when I did some research, the terrain seemed pretty walkable and awarded some beautiful views of the mountainous landscape. So, we packed our things, drove almost 2 hours up to the Gorge to do a short walk through the foliage.
We originally wanted to go during the weekend that the fall foliage was at its peak on October 19th (tomorrow!), but when we looked at the weather report the Friday before, it reported that there was a chance it was going to rain that weekend. Funny enough, the forecast changed, anyway so we could have still gone on the day we originally planned. However, when we went there was still a lot of beauty to behold and the official “peak week” started on that day.
It also started drizzling a bit that day, which is when I put on my hat, but I digress.
I was super excited to see the trees, experience the quiet of nature and exploring a new place with my husband. It was a bit of a drive to get there from where we were that morning, but the views were worth all of it. It was a nice change of pace from the busy, hustle and bustle of the city – giving us an opportunity to really enjoy God’s creation.
Perhaps this is something that can become a new fall tradition? 😉
Black Watch Plaid Flannel (similar) / Hat (Exact) /
THE TRAIL
Honestly, we did not walk the entire trail. In fact, we didn’t spend nearly as much time as we expected walking the trails. By the time we got to the area is already after 3pm and with sunset being around 6pm, we figured that if we wanted to be able to truly enjoy the fall sights and take a look at the Fall Festival happening in Jim Thorpe, we’d have to cut our walk short.
However, the walking we did do through the trail was a beautiful one. You’re surrounded by gorges, hills, mountains and with the changing colors along the landscape, it made for a truly beautiful walk. If this is how nice it looked that week, I can only imagine how beautiful it looks at it’s peak!
The terrain is flat, which is something I was initially worried about. While there are trails you can hike up the mountain (or so I’ve heard), the main one is pretty flat, easy on the feet and is covered in dirt and gravel.
We’ll definitely be coming back on a day where we have more time and aren’t coming from Korean classes because it’s so stunning. It was such a fun, relaxing day to spend our afternoon and evening. It’s definitely something we’re hoping to do every year, as our schedule permits.
Have you gone leaf peeping? What’s your favorite place to go to do it?
