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Lehigh Gap Nature
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Osprey House Office Directions
View Larger MapFrom Slatington:
Travel north on Rt. 873 (from traffic light at Sunoco Mini Mart) 1.5 miles and bear right (45 degree angle) onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.From Lehighton or Route 248 East:
Turn right on Rt. 873 at Lehigh Gap and cross the bridge. Continue .25 miles south on 873 after crossing the bridge and make a hard left turn onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.From Route 248 East:
Travel to Lehigh Gap on 248. At junction with 145 there will be a traffic light. Get in left lane after passing light. Turn left at traffic light and cross the bridge on Route 873. Continue .25 miles south on 873 after crossing the bridge and make a hard left turn onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.From Route 145 North:
Proceed to end of 145 and turn left onto 248 West. Get in left lane. Turn left at traffic light and cross the bridge on Route 873. Continue .25 miles south on 873 after crossing the bridge and make a hard left turn onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.From I 78 East and Route 22:
From I 78 take Route 22 exit and proceed through Allentown area. Take MacArthur Road (Route 145 North) exit from Route 22. Proceed north about 15 miles to end of 145 and turn left onto 248 West. Get in left lane. Turn left at traffic light and cross the bridge on Route 873. Continue .25 miles south on 873 after crossing the bridge and make a hard left turn onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.From Northeast Extension of PA Turnpike (I 476):
Take Mahoning Valley Exit (#74) and travel South on Route 209 toward Lehighton. Turn left on Route 248 East. Travel about 7 miles to the junction with Route 873 in Lehigh Gap. Turn right on Rt. 873 at Lehigh Gap and cross the bridge. Continue .25 miles south on 873 after crossing the bridge and make a hard left turn onto Paint Mill Road. Proceed on Paint Mill under 873 bridge, then turn left after about 200 yards into Lehigh Gap Nature Center driveway. Park there and walk to main house – office entrance is from porch on the side of the house facing away from the river.
Directions to Bake Oven Knob
Access to the Bake Oven Knob lookouts is generally by car to the parking lot along Bake Oven Road, at the crest of the Kittatinny Ridge, or Blue Mountain, then by foot via a short section of the Appalachian Trail (AT). The site is on the border between northern Lehigh County and southern Carbon County. It is about 20 miles northwest of Allentown.
Directions to Parking Lot
View Larger MapFrom the intersection of Rts. 22 and 309 in Allentown
Take 309 north and travel 14.5 miles to Mountain Rd. (After passing through Schnecksville, be sure to take the left fork at the Y, staying on 309.) Turn right on Mountain Rd. (SR4024) for just over 2 miles, then turn left on Ulrich Rd. (T808). Continue straight on Ulrich as it turns to a gravel road, then merges with Bake Oven Road as it ascends the Kittatinny Ridge. At the crest of the ridge turn into the parking lot on the right.From north of the Kittatinny on Route 309
Travel south over the ridge, and make the first left at the base of the mountain on Mountain Raod (SR4024) and proceed as above.From the intersection of Rts. 22 and 145 (MacArthur Rd.)
Follow 145 north for 14.5 miles to its junction with Rt. 248. Turn left onto 248 and stay in the left lane. Turn left at the first traffic light and cross the bridge over the Lehigh River. Bear right at the west end of the bridge up the steep hill which is Mountain Rd. (SR4024). Travel west on Mountain Rd. for 6.2 miles and turn right on Church Rd. (SR4014). At 0.2 miles, Church Road bears hard to the left with a farm road continuing straight ahead -- bear left on Church. After 0.2 more miles, turn right on the gravel road and ascend the mountain. Park in the parking lot on the right upon reaching the crest of the ridge.From U.S. 209 and Rt. 248 intersection near Lehighton
Travel south on Rt. 248 to Bowmanstown and turn west on Rt. 895. Travel 4.5 miles to Germans Road and turn left. Follow Germans road 1.1 mile and turn left again on Bake Oven Road. Follow Bake Oven Road to the crest of the mountain and park on the parking lot on your left (east side of road).
Trail to the Lookouts
South Lookout
From the parking lot, find the trail as it enters the forest at the southeast corner of the parking lot. Walk along the AT (marked with white blazes, or paint marks, on the trees) for 0.4 miles to reach the first of the lookouts. This very rocky trail climbs steadily as it follows the ridge top through an oak dominated mixed hardwood forest. When the trail suddenly becomes steeper next to a rock slide, then levels off at what is obviously the highest point on the ridge, you will see an old concrete foundation of an abandoned airplane beacon tower. To your left is the Northside Lookout, a jumble of boulders with a rather restricted view of the ridge and valley province to the north. To your right, about 25 yards away, is the dramatic South Lookout.North Lookout
To reach the North Lookout, continue straight past the weather station foundation another 0.1 mile of very rocky trail going gradually down hill. At about 0.1 miles, the trail drops over several very large boulders to a flat, grassy spot. The North Lookout is the pile of boulders just East through the trees. Scramble over the top of the boulders to the front of the lookout, or skirt the lookout to the north following the AT blazes on the rocks for about 50 feet, then climb up the side of the North Lookout. From here, you will be able to see both sides of the ridge, but cannot look directly down on the forest canopy below as at the South Lookout.
