Over four miles of trails are now available to the public at the formerly named Tekening Trails in Lower Mount Bethel Township.
In November 2018, the township bought 179 acres -- 1.3 miles of Delaware River frontage -- from Talen Energy Generation LLC for $1,075,000.
Township Land Acquisition Project Manager John Mauser said he and the township’s road crew have been working to clear trails and make them passable for hikers and bicyclists. The trails are open to walkers and non-motorized vehicles.
Township officials have renamed the area the John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System in honor of Mauser’s efforts to acquire the long sought-after land.
There are several marked trails that connect with each other at various points.
The red trail begins at a southern parking area which has a covered pavilion toward the end of Depues Ferry Road. The trail is rough but walkable at the southern end and conditions improve as the trail passes a formation known as Turtle Rock.
The blue trail can be accessed from the Jerry Brunetti Welcome Center and Riverton Ball Fields at 7701 Martins Creek-Belvidere Highway. One must be mindful of exposed roots and rocks on the blue trail but its path along the river is the most scenic of the trails, according to Mauser. The blue trail leads to an area that overlooks a section of the river known as Foul Rift.
The orange trail head begins at a parking area on Martins Creek-Belvidere Highway about 0.3 miles southwest of the Riverton-Belvidere Bridge. The orange trail eventually connects to the red trail but there are several trail connectors to the blue trail, which provide different lengths of path loops.
The easiest trail for biking is the orange trail, according to Mauser. The blue trail would require a more skilled mountain biker.
A map shows shows paths at the John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System in Lower Mount Bethel Township.John Best | For lehighvalleylive.com
As part of the acquisition deal, Talen Energy logged certain sections of the area before transferring ownership to the township.
Logging efforts focused on Oak, Ash and Walnut trees, according to Mauser. Some of the trees that appeared to be over 200 years old were marked to be left standing, he said. Most Locust and Sycamore trees were untouched, along with all trees left as a buffer along the river.
The heavy logging equipment took its toll on wet ground last year, Mauser said.
Thin soil that sits atop limestone was compressed by the logging equipment. However, an unexpected benefit from this has been the creation of vernal pools, which are now habitats for leopard frogs, American toads, tree frogs and spring peepers, Mauser said.
Another concern from newly created meadows where trees once stood is the spread of invasive species, which were on the land prior to logging.
The township has agreed to partner with the Pennsylvania Game Commission through its Hunter Access Program. The township will have access to agency biologists, who can help manage the habitat to deal with invasive species.
The area, along with portions of abutting property still owned by Talen Energy, will be open to archery for deer and spring turkey hunting seasons by permit only, which will be managed by Talen.
The property was purchased with the help of $450,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and $200,000 from the Northampton County Livable Landscapes Program.
The balance came from the township’s earned income tax Open Space Fund.
John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.