UPDATED!!! Lower Cost
Delaware & Lehigh (D & L) Rail Trail
D&L Interactive Map
September 28, 2025 - October 5, 2025
Co-Trip Leaders: Jeanine Mikell and Diane Osborn
Type of Trip: Biking/Resort Condominium
Trip Cost: $740 Non-Refundable (unless a replacement if found)
Riders are responsible for having a bike in good working condition and wearing a helmet.
Please note, ONLY conventional and e-bikes are allowed (NO trikes, recumbents or tandems allowed).
Wilderness Level: 1
Trip Difficulty: Easy/Moderate – Crushed gravel trail, 140 miles total, longest day is 47 miles,10-12 mph, moderate grades
Policy on Fitness Self-Assessment
Level 2: Need to be comfortable with biking all day. Experienced riders; bike with sufficient tire tread width to ride on fine gravel path (32 – 50 mm). Recommend proficiency riding 50 miles in one day. Essentially flat route with a gentle downhill grade north to south. Biking on a Rail Trail.
Group Size: 8/8 Maximum/Minimum
Join us for 8 days and 7 nights on an adventure in the Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) National Heritage Corridor of Pennsylvania.
On Sunday, September 28th we will meet and carpool from Indianapolis to our resort condominium at the Shawnee Ridge Top Summit in Shawnee on Delaware, PA. There we will spend the next day and night exploring and biking (?) the area before leaving for the 4 Day bike adventure. We will return to the condo each evening.
Tuesday, we will start the 140 miles on the Delaware & Lehigh Trail, also known as the D&L Rail Trail.
- Enjoy three of Pennsylvania’s award-winning small towns. From the mountains of Jim Thorpe, to the cobblestone streets of Bethlehem and onto the revolutionary architecture of New Hope. Each of these towns are well established tourism destinations and are as unique as they are attractive.
- Travel through 57,600 acres/90 miles of State Park interrupted only by quaint river towns.
- Explore some of the oldest history in the USA. Follow the route of Anthracite Coal from mine to market during the Industrial Revolution.
Bike Tour Summary
Bike Day 1 (Tuesday) – 36 miles: We will drive to the start. The adventure begins in the wilderness of the Lehigh Gorge State Park, riding past waterfalls and spotting wildlife as you bike on the newly connected D&L Rail Trail into the award-winning town of Jim Thorpe. Our first day is spent surrounded by the mountains in the Inn of Jim Thorpe, circa 1849. At the end of the day, we will be shuttled back to our cars and return to the resort condominium.
Bike Day 2 (Wednesday) – 35 miles: Today, we will continue to follow the locks and canals along the Lehigh River to the town of Bethlehem, PA. Along the way, we will pass the Lehigh Gap Nature Center with its protected land. We will be afforded stunning views of the Blue Mountain and Appalachian Trail. Bethlehem, circa 1741, an old Moravian settlement, is home to cobblestone streets, quaint shops, and history around every bend. At the end of the day, we will be shuttled back to our cars and return to the resort condominium.
Bike Day 3 (Thursday) – 47 miles: We will drive to the next leg, starting in Bethlehem and travel south following the path of 19th-century aqueducts to the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers. Take a minute to explore the confluence and the preserved lock that remains before leaving the Lehigh River behind and following the Delaware River into the Delaware Canal State Park. Pass through many quaint river villages, until we arrive in New Hope. New Hope is a small town with a big city feel. It offers gourmet food and cultural attractions such as the Bucks County Playhouse. At the end of the day, we will be shuttled back to our cars and return to the resort condominium.
Bike Day 4 (Friday) – 22 miles: Day four, we will travel to Washington Crossing where George Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776. We will also cross the Delaware to the D&R Canal State Park and head north to Bull’s Island. At the end of the day, we will be shuttled back to our cars and return to the resort condominium.
Saturday we will recover from the four day of bike riding and have another day to explore the area.
Sunday we will carpool back to Indianapolis for the return trip.
Meals are not included in the cost, but there is a full kitchen for meal preparation. As group, we can decide if we want to prepare meals or dine out. We plan to stop at a grocery store for supplies (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner).
The condominium accommodates 8 adults. The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort (and Brewery) are also nearby for use at a discount. The Delaware Water Gap bike trail and river are close by for additional activities.
Questions may be submitted to ciwcinfo@gmail.com.
All trip participants must fill out and submit a CIWC Medical Form and Long Waiver Form.
