Lehighton is a Carbon County borough on the Lehigh River, incorporated in 1866. It began as the Moravian mission of Gnadenhuetten in 1746, and its streets and central square were laid out by 1794 before it grew into a mill and railroad town. The Visitors Bureau calls it the gateway to Carbon County.
It's a practical base for Jim Thorpe (about 10 minutes), Beltzville State Park (about 20) and the Lehigh River rafting outfitters.
Things to do
- Beltzville State Park: a 949-acre lake with boating, a sand beach and trails, about 20 minutes away.
- Jim Thorpe: the Victorian railroad town, about 10 minutes away, with the scenic railway, Penn's Peak concerts and Lehigh Gorge rafting and biking.
- Country Junction on Route 209, which calls itself the World's Largest General Store: fudge, gifts, a hardware store, a pet store, a free petting zoo and a restaurant.
- Baer Memorial Park, 1101 Bridge Street: 17 acres with baseball, basketball and bocce, and day fishing in Mahoning Creek. (The pool is for Carbon County residents only.)
- Waldorf Estate of FEAR, Interchange Road: a haunted attraction on fall weekend nights through Halloween.
Sources: Lehighton Borough: history · Lehighton Borough: Baer Memorial Park · PMVB: Lehighton
Groceries and essentials
- GIANT, 1241 Blakeslee Boulevard ((570) 386-4146), open 6 AM to 10 PM daily, with gas.
- Fine Wine & Good Spirits, 101 Blakeslee Boulevard, Suite 2 (484-206-5964): Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM, Sunday noon to 5 PM.
- Emergency room: St. Luke's Carbon Campus, 500 St. Luke's Drive (866-785-8537), just off the Turnpike's Mahoning Valley exit and Route 209. The old Gnaden Huetten ER in town has closed and moved there. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources: GIANT Lehighton · St. Luke's Carbon Campus ER
Driving
- From Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, take the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension (I-476) to Exit 74, Mahoning Valley, then US 209.
- Drive times without traffic: Jim Thorpe about 10 minutes, Beltzville State Park about 20, Albrightsville about 30, Lake Harmony about 35, Kalahari about 55 and Camelback about an hour.
Sources: PA Turnpike interchanges
