Sand Island Park — Attraction in Bethlehem

biked on the rails to trails friday sept. 20 2019. this was my third ride on this kool way trail. this day the cusp of the official transition from summer into fall was more like a mid summer day. mid 80 degrees and all sunshine. just a beautiful day for a leisurely bike ride (i don't try to break any land speed records). the sceanary on the trail is awesome. had the joy of standing no more than 7 feet eye to eye with a 4 point buck. the buck stared at me for minutes then continued foraging on something it found appetizing. i was with my girlfriend and the buck seemed not frightened in the slightest. when we decided to continue our ride he moved about 10 feet up the hill and we rode on. we went further than i've gone before past the easton pa bridge and onto the delaware canal stare park. and again nice scenery. not wanting to risk returning in any kind of nighttime darkness at 4 00 pm we turned back toward sand island. on the return ride there were a couple of doe that greeted us. pretty kool! for me the return rides last 5 miles was a struggle my legs on fire when we reached our car parked by the tennis courts at sand island. our estimation of distance was about 18 miles round trip with the return trip seemingly more challenging than the ride out due to a slight head wind and what appeared to me to be all uphill climbs what seemed like a flat trail on the way out. we made it to our car drove back to southern nj thinking about what an awesome trail the lehigh valley rails to trails is. we recommend it to bike enthusiast who don't mind driving about 80 miles to bethlehem from the south new jersey/phiadelphia area. and bethlehem is a kool town. by the way while we were there the famous celtic classic which i've been more than a few times was gearing up. all should check that...

Sand Island has changed so much throughout the years, mostly for the better. Fishing in the area is not too bad since the creek, the river, and the canal are all right there. Now and then I see kids swimming in the area although I would not recommend it. The walking/bike trails are nice and scenic and generally quiet if you are in the mood for a ride or walk. They have tennis courts, basketball courts, and a playground for the little ones. There is a public restroom but it is not kept up well at all and it's far from sanitary ... I try to avoid it at all costs. My little one really likes the playground. There are 2 sizable jungle-jim/play structures to climb around on complete with bridges, slides, etc. The area is fenced in and safe from the traffic that comes through. There are a few small parking areas at different locations on the island depending on what activity you have in mind. My experiences there have been mostly good although there have been times where the people, both old and young, have been loud, rude, and downright difficult to be around. Twice I witnessed people leave the area because the older kids rolled through and basically took over the playground. My personal experiences there have been...

Great hidden gem in Bethlehem along the river. Lots of different options of trails to walk along! Depending on which direction you head you will see different things. The history is alive here, especially when you walk along the canal, that was man built between the early-mid 1800s. Or perhaps the rich history that is the Bethlehem Steel, which you get a different point of view of the stacks and the steel mill! You’ll be on the other side of the river from the steel mill and it’s definitely picture worthy!

The playground has been built up over the years, probably could use an upgrade in some fashion, however it’s handicap friendly and pretty big! I know firsthand that playground is old because I remember what it was like with the “older” park, before that was built. I’m 33 now and that had to of been when I was about 9-12 yrs old lol.

I remember playing a 3v3 basketball tourney in the summer growing up with the local playgrounds in Bethlehem.

Plentiful tennis courts, outdoor activities and options for enjoying the great outdoors as well as some historical lessons...