This Serene Pennsylvania Trail Hugs The Picturesque Delaware Canal For Nearly 60 Miles

Though it's often overlooked for the big-hitters out west, Pennsylvania is a great state for outdoor recreation. There are great hiking and kayaking opportunities in the Poconos Mountains, and stunning driving routes cutting through the heart of the state, like the forest-shrouded Longhouse Scenic National Byway, Pennsylvania's "Road to the Authentic America."

For one of the Keystone State's most serene outdoor activities, head to the Delaware Canal, which, despite the name, hugs the border with New Jersey. Built in 1832, the canal was part of the grand network of waterways designed to ferry trade around the newly minted United States of America. With 165 feet of drop and more than 20 locks across its 60 miles, it's a marvel of old-world engineering. While the 1900s and the rise of the "iron horse" of rail travel sounded the death knell for the Delaware Canal as a trade route, it now offers modern visitors that perfect mix of bucolic scenery and historic charm.

To experience this, you'll want to journey along the Delaware Canal Towpath Trail, running along the bank of the waterway from stem to stern. Starting at Easton in the north and finishing in Bristol in the south, the tree-shadowed path winds leisurely past locks and aqueducts, historic homes and inns, picnic sites, and lovely little towns.

There are six designated loop trails — outbound on the Pennsylvania side, back on the New Jersey side — along the towpath's 60 miles, though some may close occasionally due to construction. You can't get lost on these routes: simply follow the towpath along the canal, cross over one of the river bridges, then come back down on the opposite side. 

You could, for example, head northbound from New Hope, cross the river from Center Bridge to Stockton, then head south to Lambertville and take the bridge back to New Hope. This round trip is a little over 7 miles. A longer route, totaling 18.9 miles and starting and finishing in Lumberville, passes through Uhlerstown, Frenchtown, and Bulls Island. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, like eagles, foxes, and turtles, all of which call the area home.

Several stretches of the canal are perfect for kayaking, like between locks 23 and 24 at the northern end, or the waterway between Yardley and lock 5. For specific boating access points, consult the chart on the Delaware Canal Towpath Trail website. Fall might be the prettiest season around here, when the deciduous trees don their autumnal raiment, but winter travelers shouldn't be deterred by Pennsylvania's bitingly cold winters. Sub-zero temperatures turn the canal into an ice skating rink and the hiking and biking trails into cross-country ski tracks.

If you opt for the first of the abovementioned hiking trails, be sure to spend some time wandering around New Hope, a tiny town with a rich industrial past and an underrated arts and culture scene. Built around a lock in the Delaware Canal, New Hope's name suggests its inaugural residents saw prosperity written in the town's future. While the lock may now be little more than a tourist attraction, the town still feels prosperous and well-to-do, with its tree-lined avenues, white picket fences, clapboard homes, and cozy Main Street.

After young creatives flocked here during the hippy era, New Hope became known as an "art colony," which is reflected in the trendy boutiques and galleries around the area. You'll also find great live theater at the Bucks County Playhouse, including headliners like "Elf, The Musical" and "The Rocky Horror Show." New Hope is a great place to stay, too, with B&Bs like the Victorian-era Aaron Burr House — named after the bitter rival of Alexander Hamilton, who fled here after killing him — and farms, estates, and taverns nearby offering room and board.

Elsewhere in Bucks County, you'll find 19th-century grist mills and period-style manors, as well as the National Canal Museum in Easton. Here, audiovisual displays and exhibits take visitors back to the days pre-railroad, when canals were a symbol of America's growing ambitions. You can also hop aboard a train car pulled by a steam locomotive on the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, and chug through Pennsylvania's rolling hills.