Lehigh: Nature, Culture and Special Experiences

Lehigh combines expansive nature, active trails, wildlife viewing, science, and industrial heritage with special recreational experiences. Anyone planning a trip can put together very different day ideas here: exercise on a level trail, discoveries in museums, encounters with animals, or a visit to a large amusement park. When choosing your vacation rental, it is therefore worth first deciding on your preferred travel rhythm.

Nature and Outdoor Activities Around Lehigh

The Ironton Rail Trail is a notable destination for anyone who wants to combine their trip with physical activity. The trail extends for more than nine miles and has a wide, level surface. It is paved for cycling, inline skating, walking, and jogging. This makes it possible to include the trail in your daily plans without having to commit to just one activity. Depending on your travel group, a vacation rental in Lehigh may therefore be particularly suitable if you also want to allow time for outdoor exercise alongside excursions.

Trexler Nature Preserve offers a different perspective on nature. The public park covers 1,108 acres and is located in Lehigh County. The preserve protects endangered bison and elk. In addition, Lehigh Valley Zoo covers 29 acres and is home to approximately 340 animals from 130 species. Depending on the season, visitors may have the opportunity to feed goats, sheep, swans, lorikeets, or giraffes there. Free parking is available near the entrance. These different nature experiences allow you to choose between landscapes, wildlife viewing, and a specific activity.

Recreation, Science, and Discoveries

For an eventful excursion, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom offers a wide selection. The park covers 200 acres and features more than 100 rides, games, restaurants, and attractions. One notable detail is The Whip: The ride was added to Dorney Park in 1920 and is now the park's oldest ride. Anyone interested in the history of individual attractions will therefore find more here than just a list of modern offerings.

The Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion has a different focus. It offers permanent experiences and changing traveling exhibitions. The Science Theater presents interactive live science shows, demonstrations, and special events. The exhibition gallery also includes “Lehigh River Watershed: Explore Nature Nearby”. This allows you to plan a day of hands-on science experiences or focus on the natural environment of the Lehigh River Watershed.

Culture and Industrial History

Lehigh also offers points of interest for culture enthusiasts. The Museum of Indian Culture was founded in 1980 as an educational and resource center for learning about the cultures of Native Americans. America On Wheels focuses on rare vehicles and interactive exhibitions for all age groups as a transportation museum. Both places have different focuses and complement more active excursion ideas with history, technology, and cultural topics.

At the Mack Trucks Historical Museum, tours are led by a Museum Ambassador and last approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Self-guided tours are only possible there on open-house days. This condition should be taken into account when planning if you want to explore the museum independently of a guided tour. Lock Ridge Furnace also represents the area's industrial past. It was built in 1868 by the Lock Ridge Iron Company and operated as an ironworks from 1868 to 1921.

Which Accommodation Fits Your Travel Plans?

The range of nature, recreational, and cultural topics supports choosing accommodation based on your planned focus. If the Ironton Rail Trail or Trexler Nature Preserve is the main focus, you can structure your daily plans around exercise and landscapes. For a trip involving science, rides, or wildlife viewing, other day-trip themes may be more suitable. It therefore makes particular sense to look for a vacation rental in Lehigh once you have prioritized your desired experiences and compared the location of the accommodation with your personal travel itinerary.

For further orientation, you can also visit the pages for Allentown, Breinigsville, Coopersburg, Laurys Station, Whitehall, and Upper Saucon Township. The locality pages Bucks and Wayne are also available.

For the overarching travel overview: Pennsylvania.