Ironton — the main paved loop

Ironton — the main paved loop — detailed guide

Source review: 2026-10-17. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.

Ride approximately five to five-and-a-half miles around Coplay and Hokendauqua, north of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The trail operator describes a ten-foot-wide paved rail corridor with a flat, ADA-compliant grade. This outing follows the main loop, leaving the western spur for another visit. It suits an ordinary recreational bicycle, with several street crossings that require attention.

Start at the designated Ironton trailhead and pavilion at 3853 Chestnut Street, Whitehall, near North Ruch Street. The operator identifies public parking here. This is separate from its municipal office on MacArthur Road and the historical-walk meeting point at the barn farther west on Chestnut Street. Walk your bicycle from the parking space to the trail and use the manager's map to identify the loop.

Follow the loop toward Columbia Street, continuing past the Park Avenue and Center Street access points to the South Ruch Street area. Stay on the designated rail trail toward Hokendauqua Park, the Lehigh Street bridge area and the Lehigh River side of the loop. Continue through the East Church Street and Hokendauqua Street areas toward Coplay Parkway and Saylor Park. Complete the loop back to the Chestnut Street trailhead. At the western junction, choose the loop rather than the spur toward Whitehall Parkway and Levans Road.

This ride is mostly separated, with street crossings. Stop at each crossing, look both ways, and follow signs before proceeding. Walk a crossing if that feels more comfortable. Stay on the existing trail: proposed river crossings, a future D&L connection and adjacent industrial property are outside this outing. Historic industrial sites and park views offer reasons to pause without extending onto nearby roads or private land.

The distance is deliberately approximate. The operator's profile lists a 5.2-mile loop, while its linked map reaches a 5.5-mile marker and the website's marker list stops at five miles. The advertised seven-mile historical walk starts at a different barn location and includes additional travel. The entire 9.2-mile trail network is longer than this selected loop. None of these figures is a surveyed measurement from your parking space.

The current operator and township both describe paved cycling access, despite older regional descriptions of dirt, stone and millings. A numerical maximum slope and elevation gain are unavailable. Expect shared use by walkers and other cyclists; slow down around people, announce passing and keep right. The website suggests 15 mph, but the linked older map instructs users to obey 12 mph. Use the lower figure and obey current posted limits. Leash pets and remove waste.

Plan a daylight visit. Whitehall Parkway's published hours are dawn to dusk; hours for every municipality on the loop have not been independently resolved. An ordinary admission or parking fee is not explicitly stated in the reviewed sources. The $175 event application fee and $100 cleanup deposit apply to organized events, rather than automatically to an independent recreational ride. Check trailhead signs. The operator directs e-bike users to the Pennsylvania DCNR policy; review that linked policy and any local signs before riding.

Bring water. Parking and picnic facilities are identified on the map, but current restroom operation and drinking-water availability have not been independently confirmed. Wet leaves, debris and temporary maintenance can affect a paved trail.

The township homepage, reviewed October 17, 2026, still carries a Water Street road-closure notice beginning September 22, 2025 until further notice. It does not give a current road extent or establish an effect on this loop or its Chestnut Street start. Check the actual driving approach and posted trail interfaces; this is not a whole-trail closure or an instruction to take a street detour. Township notice

Checked October 11, 2026: full operator and township profiles, map page, complete linked map, event application, current events and municipal news. Upcoming events may increase crowds, including the October 24 historical walk and November 21 race. The reviewed pages do not provide a complete live, section-by-section condition report. Recheck current access and posted rules before publication or a visit.

Sources: operator description and parking, manager map and etiquette, complete trail map, township cycling profile, current events, Whitehall Parkway rules, organized-event policy, DCNR e-bike policy.