About The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L) is both a nonprofit organization preserving the historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol to fuel America’s Industrial Revolution, and a multi-use trail spanning 165 miles from the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania through Bucks County. Today, the D&L Trail connects us to our industrial heritage as well as health and wellness, nature and the environment, and more than $250 million in economic impact.

The Corridor traverses through three distinct areas: the Wyoming Valley and Carbon County, home to many of Pennsylvania’s former anthracite mines; the Lehigh Valley, where the discovery of coal to the north spawned prosperous iron and steel industries and the Delaware Valley, through which coal-laden canal boats traveled to Philadelphia and other markets. Today visitors can explore by car, boat, bike or on foot to enjoy the scenic beauty and cultural heritage of eastern Pennsylvania.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor was designated a National Heritage Area in 1988, when it became one of 55 National Heritage Areas to tell the “vibrant story of the nation’s evolution and culture.” National Heritage Areas or NHAs are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. Through their resources, NHAs tell stories that celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage.