Frugal Family: Take a Hike

The great outdoors – free fun and exercise. Whether you bike, hike or walk, there are quite a few trails to explore in our backyard. Pack a few snacks, enough water to stay hydrated and set out to explore the great outdoors. Kids may enjoy bird watching, identifying trees or taking their bikes out with friends for some exercise.

The frugalista may not purchase a membership to a gym, so this is a great opportunity to get a workout for free.

The Ironton Rail Trail  is a six-mile loop with a three-mile spur. Originally home to the Ironton Railroad in 1860, the railroad was abandoned in 1984. It passes through a few parks such as Hokendauqua Park and Saylor Park in Coplay, as well as woods and neighborhoods. There’s a map on their website of the entire trail so you can see where you want to start your adventure.

The Northampton & Bath Railroad traveled the seven miles between the two Pennsylvania towns for which it is named for 77 years. Now, you’ll find a tree-lined trail. It begins in a Northampton neighborhood, enters rural terrain featuring open fields, bubbling streams, and bridges and terminates at Route 987 near a cement factory. Eventually it will continue another mile into Bath. A map of the trail is available on this website.

The entrance to Covered Bridge Park is located on Wehr Mill Road and is described as South Whitehall Township's premier park. Besides picnic pavilions and ballfields, there are also walking paths. 

Cedar Creek Parkway East is also located in South Whitehall Township. You’ll find it between Cedar Crest Boulevard and Haines Mill Road. The area along the creek is mowed making it perfect for walking, hiking and fishing. There are also several picnic tables and benches. The west end of the park has been designated as a place where Lehigh County residents can donate memorial trees for planting.

Cedar Creek Parkway West covers almost 300 acres in South Whitehall Township. A wetlands area along Cedar Creek has a trail cut through it for hiking and walking. The park also offers baseball and softball fields, tennis courts and more. A picnic area is located near Cedarbrook Road and an area east of Cedarbrook Road was specifically developed for walking and hiking. There are also two pavilions with picnic tables in this area, in addition to a path system that provides access to the small lake next to Dorney Park.

Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park in Upper Macungie Township is the place in the area for bicycle track racing in the eastern U.S. The main feature of the park is the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. There is a 1.3 mile long asphalt track with a 0.6 mile inner flat loop and a 0.75-mile inner hill loop for bicycling, rollerblading and jogging.  There is also an exterior walking course, picnic pavilion with grill and tot track with sandbox. A wooded nature trail features a boardwalk through the wetlands with opportunities for nature observation.

Lehigh Parkway, running along the Little Lehigh River in the city of Allentown is the most prominent park of the city and is three miles long running from the center of Allentown to Cedar Crest Boulevard. The park runs through the Lil-Le-Hi Trout Nursery and the Museum of Indian Culture is also part of the parkway. The parkway is also home to the Lehigh Valley Road Runners, the largest running club in Pennsylvania.

These are just a few of the parks in our area perfect for a little time outside.

For a more complete list you can check out the Rails-to-Trails Conservatory’s website or Lehigh Valley Bicycling’s website.

If you’re a runner, you may like mapmyrun.com. The website offers an application for android phones and others that allows you to put in your location and create your own run or use someone else’s. It will keep track while you’re running of your distance covered and saves it onto your phone which you can upload to the website to track your progress. And it’s free.