Lehigh Gap Nature Center
Nature center and trails
About
Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs the Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge, 756 acres with more than 13 miles of hiking trails. It is in Slatington, in Lehigh County, just outside the Pocono counties. Start at the Osprey House visitor center, which has the main parking area, a nature store, bathrooms and a picnic pavilion.
The center says its trails link the D&L Trail with the Appalachian Trail. In fall you can watch for migrating raptors.
History
Zinc smelting began just north of the site in 1898 and left about 3,000 acres of mountainside bare by the 1950s. The EPA made it a Superfund site in 1983, and the center says it is the first nature center in the US on one. It has since replanted the land with native prairie grasses.
When to go
The refuge is open from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year. The Osprey House is staffed by volunteers and has limited hours, so call (610) 760-8889 if your visit depends on it being open.
Good to know
Leashed dogs are allowed. Biking is limited to the D&L Trail and the flat part of the LNE Trail.
Hunting, camping, fires, alcohol and motorized vehicles are not allowed. The Woodpecker Trail lies in State Game Lands 217, where hunting is allowed in season, so wear orange.
Price
- TrailsFree
Prices checked November 2026 on the website of Lehigh Gap Nature Center. They can change, so check before you go.
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