There is a long range plan under way to create a recreational trail on canal towpaths and abandoned railroad right-of-way to reach from Philadelphia to Wilkesbarre. More details may be found at the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor website.

From the anthracite region along the northern reaches of the Lehigh River, a combination of canal reaches and basins created the Lehigh Navigation to bring canal boat loads of anthracite ("hard") coal from the mines down to Easton. At Easton, the boats connected to the Delaware Canal along the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side. The Delaware Canal provided a southerly path to bring the coal down to Philadelphia. The canal and its towpath are now a long skinny state park.