Lehigh Canal Letterboxes
The Lehigh Canal stretches from MaChunk (Jim Thorpe) in Pennsylvania's Pocono reigon all the way to the city of Easton at the confluence of theLehigh and Delaware Rivers. There is a walking/bicycle trail that runs the length of the canal. These are a series of letterboxes placed along this former canal tow path. Clues for these boxes will be given for travelers going in either the upstream or downstream direction. The boxes are spaced miles apart, so riding a bicycle might be a good way to go.
Please read disclaimer and waiver of responsibility before setting out to hunt these or any other letterboxes.
UPSTREAM, from Easton
Take the tow path/bike trail through Hugh Moore Park, cross the green bridge and turn left. Due to construction, you will have to go along the road for a short distance until you enter the Palmer Township playing fields.
Continue on the bike path which rises above the river and follows an old rail right of way, passing some newly constructed housing and then passng under a highway bridge. Here the path will make a sharp left, going down hill, through a stone railway arch and reaching the Bethlehem Boat Club.
At the boat club, you can rejoin the tow path along the canal (turning right).
Eventually you will come to the hole in the wall.
Standing in center of the tow path, peering through the hole in the wall, walk downstream 60 paces, turn left, cross the canal and look in the box.
This box reported missing 4/02
From Hole In The Wall Box, continue up stream, passing the Lehigh Canal Park in Freemansburg, where they are restoring an old grist mill, and several other historic buildings in the area.
Stay on the towpath, passing by a red bridge that goes over the canal.
Proceed upstream between canal and river until you see a very small footbridge that crosses the canal.
Turn right, crossing the footbridge.
Walk six paces from the end of this foot bridge, and turn to a bearing of 255.
Walk twelve paces and look for the box at the base of the wall.
You can continue upstream and view the huge and silent Bethlehem steel plant across the river. A mile or so beyond this is the city of Bethlehem.
Pass the Tennis Courts, Playground, and Ice House in Bethlehem, continue up stream under another bridge through a large open area and again on to the towpath.
Well past the next lock and footbridge over the canal, note the blessed structure.
Notice the train tracks on the other side of the canal, and eventually come to a dip in the path.
Look for a tall steel structure along the railroad tracks. It has a windsock hanging from it.
When you come to tree #2 (or maybe it's #22) continue six more paces.
The steel structure should be at 43 degrees from your position, and you will see a large, hollow trunked tree behind you.
BACK to other SpaceTraveler Boxes
The Lehigh Canal stretches from MaChunk (Jim Thorpe) in Pennsylvania's Pocono reigon all the way to the city of Easton at the confluence of theLehigh and Delaware Rivers. There is a walking/bicycle trail that runs the length of the canal. These are a series of letterboxes placed along this former canal tow path. Clues for these boxes will be given for travelers going in either the upstream or downstream direction. The boxes are spaced miles apart, so riding a bicycle might be a good way to go.
Look for the bulbous red, white and blue water tower atop a hill on the left.
Well past this water tower, look for two white posts on either side of the towpath.
Beyond the white posts, look for a tall steel structure along the railroad tracks. It has a windsock hanging from it.
Find tree #2 (or is it #22).
From this tree, turn and walk back upstream for six paces.
Sight the steel tower at 43 degrees and look in the hollow trunk of the large tree behind you.
Continue downstream to the city of Bethlehem.
This box reported missing 4/02
Starting at the Ice House on Sand Island, travel east along the tow path, passing under two bridges.
Note the huge and now silent Bethlehem Steel plant across the river.
After passing under the second bridge, look for a small footbridge that crosses the canal.
Turn left, crossing the footbridge.
Walk six paces from the end of this foot bridge, and turn to a bearing of 255.
Walk twelve paces and look for the box at the base of the wall.
Returning to the towpath, proceed downstream, passing by a red bridge that goes over the canal, and enter the Lehigh Canal park in Freemansburg. Here they are restoring an old grist mill and several other historic buildings.
Pass the spot that goes From Mountains to Market until you come to the hole in the wall.
Standing in center of the tow path, peering through the hole in the wall, walk downstream 60 paces, turn left, cross the canal and look in the box.
You can continue downstream to the Bethlehem Boat House and thence to the city of Easton. Please note that at the present time there is some construction that causes you to detour from the tow path and on to a bike trail that rises some distance above the river, passing newly constructed housing and the Palmer Township playing fields. The bike way follows a road for a short distance before turning right onto a green bridge and into Hugh Moore Park in Easton, where you can once again pick up the tow path and follow it to the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers.
BACK to other SpaceTraveler letterboxes