Delaware Canal State Park Towpath has been named Pennsylvania’s 2022 Trail of the Year by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This was most certainly true in 2020.
Suffering through the pandemic with few exercise options, the towpath was open to pedestrians, joggers and bike riders as a healthy form of escape. New Jersey shut down their towpath and parks and even erected a chain link fence at the New Jerside side of the Lumberville foot bridge to restrict pedestrian and bike access to and from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the remnants of Hurricane Ida still linger today at the Pennsylvania Towpath.
The aqueduct in Lumberville was removed because of storm damage and is awaiting reconstruction. In the meantime, towpath users are stranded at this juncture. Also, parts of the towpath devastated by Ida were reconstructed, but more recent flood damage once again limits bicycle traffic.
And, we are all awaiting water to flow once again in the canal between Point Pleasant and Centre Bridge. The Delaware River towpath and canal are treasures that we hope become restored soon.
Curt Biehn, Lumberville
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