Frugal Family: Take a Hike

The great outdoors provides plenty of opportunities for free fun and exercise. Whether you bike, hike, or walk, there are quite a few trails to explore in our own backyard.

Pack a few snacks, water to keep hydrated and set out to explore. Kids may enjoy bird watching, identifying trees or riding their bike with friends for 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. (The Ironton Railroad was abandoned in 1984.) The trail passes through Hokendauqua Park and Saylor Park in Coplay as well as woods and neighborhoods. There’s a map of the trail so you can see where you want to start your adventure.

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

The entrance to Covered Bridge Park, framed by two historic bridges in South Whitehall, is on Wehr Mill Road. Besides picnic pavilions and ballfields, there are walking paths.

Cedar Creek Parkway East is also located in South Whitehall, between Cedar Crest Boulevard and Haines Mill Road. The area along the Cedar Creek is mowed, making it perfect for walking, hiking and fishing. There are also several picnic tables and benches. The portion of the park near Cedar Crest Boulevard 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. A wetlands area along Cedar Creek has a trail cut through for hiking and walking. The park also offers baseball and softball fields, tennis courts and more. A picnic area is 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 as well as a path system that provides access to the small lake next to .

Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park in Upper Macungie has a 1.3-mile asphalt track with a .6 mile-inner flat loop and a .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 Allentown runs from the center of Allentown to Cedar Crest Boulevard. The picturesque parkway is also home to the Lehigh Valley Road Runner.

These are just a few of the parks in our area that are 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 phone application that allows you to put in your location and create your own run or use someone else’s. It will keep track of your distance and saves it onto your phone, which you can upload to the website to track your progress. And it’s free.