Delaware Canal Heritage Trail

The Towpath begins in Easton at its trailhead on S. Delaware Drive and SR 611, and travels south to its terminus at Bristol on Jefferson Avenue, and resides within the linear Delaware Canal State Park. While this trail is super dog-friendly, it requires that dogs be on a leash throughout. This is a good idea anyway, given the number of bicyclists, rollerbladers and runners that may pass you on the trail.

The trek from Easton to Bristol is long but easy, and rewards you with the scenic beauty of the canal and its treed banks, as well as abundant historic buildings and canal features like locks and aqueducts which take you back to an earlier time. The pawsome reward for your fur-baby is the abundant wildlife you'll likely encounter, including water-loving birds like egrets and herons, bald eagles, osprey and other raptors, turtles sunning themselves on fallen logs, and red foxes. This isn't even a comprehensive list so it's easy to imagine your  fur-buddy's excitement with this smorgasbord of sights, sounds and smells! 

The Canal Towpath travels through quaint towns where you can jump on or off the trail, stop and dine, buy snacks or pick up water for the un-shady parts of the hike. While there's no state-run camping, private campgrounds welcome you and your pup. Parking lots are scattered along the trail, and bridges cross to New Jersey in several places where you can connect with the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail, transforming your point-to-point hike into a loop.

Detours are necessary in two sections: between Morrisville and Bristol, and between Stockton and New Hope. Bridges across the Delaware allow you to continue your hike on the Delaware and Raritan Trail on the New Jersey side until you pass the obstructions. Be sure to consult a map to see what sections are obstructed or closed when you and Fido take your hike!

Picnic areas are pawrfect resting spots for you and Fido to sit quietly for a bit and contemplate what the busy canal must have been like in the 1800s. Canoe and boat launches provide access to the water, and restrooms are conveniently located along the route. Don't forget your clean-up bags, though!

Whether you and your pooch have the stamina to complete the entire 60 miles or plan to hike it in smaller pieces, the Delaware Canal Towpath trail will be a long-lived memory for you both!