Plainfield Township Recreation Trail
Details
The 6.7-mile Plainfield Township Recreation Trail passes through an area known as the Slate Belt. The quantity and quality of local slate made this part of Northampton County the world’s largest slate producer for a time and prompted construction of a railroad that later became the rail-trail. The trail crosses Little Bushkill Creek five times on scenic wooden bridges from West Pen Argyl to the outskirts of Stockertown on a slight downhill grade. The trail is lined with horse farms and dense forest.
Activities: Walking, Biking, Horseback Riding, Cross Country Skiing, Handicap-Accessible, Pet-Friendly
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 6.7 mi
Surface: Asphalt (mostly), Ballast, Grass, Gravel
Elevation Gain: 412 feet total both ways
Route Type: Out and Back
Trail End Points: Buss St. near Pennsylvania Ave. (West Pen Argyl) and Main St./SR 191 (Stockertown)
Access Points: 2 Points (Stockertown has ample parking, West Pen Argyl has limited parking)
Points of Interest along or Near the Trail:
- Pen Argyl—where Jayne Mansfield, a Hollywood actress of the 1950s and 1960s, now rests beneath a heart-shaped tombstone—is about a mile east of the trail.
- Pen Argyl is also home to the 1923 vintage Weona Park Carousel, which is ringed with three rows of horses and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
