5 For Friday: Hiking in the Lehigh Valley

The Greater Lehigh Valley is a beautiful place, and the best place to see it is through the many trails that run through it. This month, Homeway Real Estate's Broker of Record, Josh Young, goes over some of our favorite hikes. The weather is starting to warm up, so be sure to get out there and check some of them out!

Hawk Mountain 

Hawk Mountain was the world's first refuge for birds of prey. The conservatory was formed all the way back in 1938 after a huge increase in hunting during the great depression. This trail is a must in the Lehigh Valley. It features breathtaking panoramic views and a chance to see hawks as well as other birds of prey. The hike up these trails is moderate and attainable for the average hiker. If you would rather skip the hike, though, you can head to the south lookout point and start bird watching right away.

The Lehigh Gap

Whether you hike the East gap or west, both trails offer great views alongside the Lehigh River and Blue Mountain. Near the Lehigh Gap nature center, you can choose between various trails covering over 15 miles, and they are open to the public from dawn to dusk. Be careful as the Trails alongside the river are a bit rockier, so if you are up to the challenge, get ready for a little bit of boulder scrambling and wear a good pair of shoes. The most popular section of the trail is a 2.4-mile section situated on the greater Appalachian trail to find runners, hikers, and bird watchers. 

Lehigh Valley Trails

Suppose you are looking for a more everyday trail to take the kids and the dog on look no further than the great rail-trails in the Lehigh Valley. A rail trail is an abandoned railroad turned either into a paved or gravel trail for walking, cycling, and sometimes even horse riding and snowmobiling. Some of these trails are the Ironton trail, Saucon, south Bethlehem greenway, and the D and L trail. All of these can be found on the website thelinktrails.com. This is a site that shows all the various paved and more maintained trails in the Lehigh Valley. This is an awesome asset if you look for some more information on the rail-trails in the area. 

The Trexler Nature Preserve 

Trexler nature preserve is a county park in Lehigh County. They offer several different hiking trails and mountain bike trails that are different in length and difficulty, so you can choose what you want the day to look like. It is a very well-maintained park that keeps the animals in mind, so don't be surprised if you come across Bison, Elk, Buffalo, or eagles. Visit alltrails.com if you are looking for ratings on specific trails in Trexler. One of our favorites is the covered bridge trail, a 2.4-mile loop that takes you along the Jordan Creek and is a perfect hike for even an inexperienced hiker.

The Bake Oven Knob

Situated on the greater Appalachian trail, the bake oven knob is a great hike and offers a great payoff at the end with one of the best views in the entire region. This hike is less than a half-mile long with mild terrain, and so it is suitable for hikers of any age. The knob is a great place to go for a quick hike if you are short on time. If you are up for a longer trail, you can extend it on the knife's edge trail and make a day of it.

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