Take a walk on the Lehigh Canal. Then take a rest here!
9/21/03 - NOTE: Please do not put anything in this microcache. Someone evidently put a keychain in it, and got the contents all wet. No room! No trading! Doh!
Head over to Walnutport, Pennsylvania, and park by the footbridge at the trail head on North Canal Street. You will find a small parking area just off Main Street (Rt. 946), between Rt. 145 and Rt. 873. This is a favorite spot for local residents to walk a dog or take a morning constitutional.
Places where several habitats meet, like this area along a path that runs between the Lehigh River and the Lehigh Canal, are chock full of wildlife. Each species favors a particular type of vegetation, and may also need either the fast or slow-moving water to provide the right kind of food. When you have a confluence of habitats like this, there is bound to be more wildlife to observe. You will see a variety of birds, small mammals, fish, and insects on your walk, so keep your eyes open. Birders will want to their bring binoculars.
During our walk to hide the cache in early August, we saw more butterflies in number and species than either of us could remember. We saw ducks, geese, hawks, songbirds, huge dragonflies. The loud kerplunks of jumping fish in the canal drew our attention more than once. On the other side of the path was the roaring Lehigh River, running high with the accumulated precipitation of many summer thunderstorms. Mother Nature is very busy here!
The Lehigh River Canal Path website is about a similar, but different section of the same canal system. If you want to learn about the fascinating history of the Lehigh Canal area, visit The Lehigh River & Canal at Jim Thorpe, PA website.
NOTE: This is a micro-cache. Inside the 35mm film canister you will find a geocaching statement, a rolled-up log sheet to sign, and a stubby pencil. There is no room for prizes, so you won't need anything to trade. The goal here is simply to enjoy a walk along the canal. Please bring a camera, and share a photo or two of your visit. We just love to see our fellow geocachers in action!
If you're traveling in this part of Pennsylvania, you might want to visit our popular letterbox-hybrid geocache on the nearby Nor-Bath Rail Trail. It's another gravel-bed trail suitable for walking and bicycling. Have fun!
Nor-Bath Rail Trail Letterbox - by Anton & Lon
[The Lehigh Canal Walk cache is outside the normal caching territory of co-owner Anton, but co-owner Lon lives nearby, visits the cache area weekly, and will maintain the physical cache. Just leave a note on the cache page if there are any problems or questions about this cache.]