Lehigh Gap, PA

Quick Facts

Trail Rating: Hard

Distance: 2.3 Miles

Route Type: Loop

Elevation Gain: 831ft

The Lehigh Gap, a personal favorite section of ours, is located along the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail.

A short 2 mile out and back hike with high exposure and priceless views suspended above the Lehigh River.

Shauna and I first met here a year previous, so we decided to set out to catch the sunrise for our one-year meeting anniversary!

We arrived at 6 am and found ourselves to be the only ones in the parking lot. We grabbed our flashlights and proceeded to the white painted blazes, marking the Appalachian Trail. It was just as steep as we had remembered, and the sky was nearly pitch black. In the first half of a mile, we were greeted by a pleasant view of the valley below.

From this point, the path transforms into large steep boulders that require some basic climbing skills to conquer. Now we were fully exposed above the trees and the sun began to rise. The cars began to buzz and hum in the distance.

There seemed to be a greater view in each step we took. Once we reached the sharp edge of the mountain, we climbed higher and higher being very careful with our footing. In only a single hour, we had made it to the top and looked out at the seemingly endless landscape in awe.

Sadly we couldn’t see the sunrise due to the cloudy weather but the trip was still well worth it. We sat for a while, and took lots of pictures and reminisced on the day we met.

If you are looking for a short but challenging trail in Pennsylvania the Lehigh gap is the trail for you!