Paddle the Lehigh River Sojourn: 7-Mile Board Rental & River Cleanup (2026)

The Lehigh River Sojourn 2026 Paddleboard Rental Add-On launches from the Route 33 Boat Launch in TATAMY Borough, Pennsylvania, offering a guided seven‑mile paddle through the Lehigh Valley between Bethlehem and Easton. This add-on ticket gives you a paddleboard, life jacket, and paddle delivered to the launch point and pairs easy, flat-water strokes with skyline views of the Steel Stacks, braided islands, and riverside habitat. Paddlers meet at 8:45 a.m., start a comfortable downstream rhythm, and typically finish in three to four hours while stopping for a short cleanup near the river’s lower reaches. The experience is structured around community stewardship: morning yoga with Miss Melanie, watershed outreach from Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards, and complimentary breakfast and lunch provided by Roasted and St. Luke’s Health Network. You’ll paddle past the hulking red-brick profile of Bethlehem Steel’s Steel Stacks and through urban green corridors where herons, kingfishers, and mink slip away into willow-lined shoals. Because this is an official add-on, every participant must also register with the Wildlands Conservancy or the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s Sojourn page; the rental ticket covers only the gear. Groups are capped at twenty for the MMY rental option, and Miss Melanie’s team delivers gear to the Rte. 33 access so you start on the water instead of hauling boards upriver. Bring quick-dry layers, sun protection, and a sturdy water bottle; the organizers provide life jackets but double-check fit before launch. Photographers should favor low-angle shots near islands for reflections, and early light on the Steel Stacks turns the brickwork into dramatic texture. Expect wildlife sightings—great blue herons, kingfishers, turtles—and occasional barges that remind paddlers this corridor carries both recreation and industry. The route’s islands and shoals are composed of alluvial deposits and urban riparian plantings that shelter nesting birds and provide natural pickup sites during the scheduled cleanup. After the paddle, free overnight camping and entertainment at the Walnutport Canal Association create a festival atmosphere that stretches stewardship into social connection. This is a singular way to experience the Lehigh—active, practical, and civic-minded—where you leave the river cleaner than you found it and return with a clearer sense of place. Beginner paddlers with basic balance can handle the distance if they pace themselves; bring snacks and hydrate between checkpoints to maintain energy. The organizers emphasize safety and conservation education throughout the float, so pay attention during the watershed briefings to learn how local volunteers and agencies keep the Lehigh navigable and healthy. Whether you reserve a board through MMY or join as a paddler through Wildlands, this section of the Sojourn delivers easy mileage, urban-industrial scenery, and a tangible chance to contribute to a river worth protecting. Bring curiosity and respect.