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River
Conditions to Next Access Point:
Adams and Eves islands are about 0.7 mile downriver from this access
point. The larger island -- Adams --contains numerous residences.
No trespassing is allowed. The smaller island -- Eves -- is
owned by PPL.
Be
cautious of power boats in the area.
Danger! Although the river flows gently along
this section, the 15-foot-high Hamilton Street Dam is one mile downriver
from this access point. Portage starting
about 250 feet above dam on RIVER LEFT at the stone/dirt beach above
the dam. Follow the dirt/grass path past the fish ladder at
the dam. At this point, boaters should put into the Lehigh
Navigation canal near the bridge abutment. Continue in the
canal to the red pedestrian bridge over the canal. Before
the bridge, exit the canal (towards the river) at the small dirt
area marked by some stonework. Portage 100 feet across the
trail and down the bank to the river. This re-entry (which
is above the Allentown Canal Park access) will bypass a set of technical
rapids which can be a problem for inexperienced paddlers, particularly
in low-water conditions. Kimmetts Lock to the Hamilton
Street Dam is a "no-wake zone" as a courtesy to the Lehigh
University Rowing Team.
Linkages:
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Access Point Orientation and Description:
Access is on RIVER LEFT. A boat
ramp is located at the end of a parking lot. The ramp leads
into a small, protected cove. The left riverbank is wooded;
the opposite bank is given over to residential, commercial, and
industrial uses.
Locating the Access Point from the River:
After passing under the Route
22 bridge, then under a railroad trestle, look on RIVER LEFT for
a (different) railroad trestle crossing the entrance to a cove.
Turn left under the trestle into the cove. The access point
is straight ahead 50 feet away.
Directions to Access Parking/Unloading Area by Land:
From
Route 22, turn onto Route 987 South (Airport Road South) and go
0.8 mile to the American Parkway. Turn right onto the American
Parkway and go 1.0 mile to North Dauphin Street . Turn
right onto North Dauphin Street and go 0.1 mile to the access
area on the left.
Access Point Location:
A concrete boat ramp is on the south
end of the parking area.
User Facilities:
-
Portable
toilets
- Road access
directly to river
- Parking for
50 vehicles
- Fish ladder at the Hamilton Street Dam
- Historical Lehigh Navigation canal and
locks
- Area is heavily
used for power boating
- Fishing in
season
Ownership
and Maintenance:
Present
Use and Conditions:
This access point is used for motorized
and non-motorized boats. The area is maintained by the city
of Allentown's Bureau of Parks, and patrolled by the city's police
department. It is also a Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
facility, which means your canoe must be licensed to use it.
A fine is levied if your boat (all watercraft) is not registered,
or if you do not have proper safety equipment. The boat
ramp is concrete. Motorized boats -- including jet skis
-- use this area heavily in the warm season. The city has
designated the section the river between the Hamilton Street Dam
(which is downstream from the access point) and Kimmetts Lock
as a "no-wake zone" as a courtesy to the Lehigh University
Rowing Team, which has a boat house on the opposite side of the
river.
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