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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Slatington
Slatington, Pennsylvania
Skip Slatington as a base: no lodging in town. Sleep in Allentown or Lehighton and come for a half-day on the D&L Trail or Lehigh Gap.
Slatington is a small Lehigh County borough of about 4,200 people on the Lehigh River, 30 minutes northwest of Allentown by car. Its own sights take an hour; the reason to come is the trail and ridge country around it — the D&L Trail, the Slate Heritage Trail and the Lehigh Gap refuge where the Appalachian Trail crosses the river. There is nowhere to sleep in the borough, so most visitors stay in Allentown, Lehighton or Danielsville and drive in.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Slatington, Pennsylvania
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (ice on the trails); July–Aug heat and humidity
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison Center 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee to go | $2–4 |
| Diner breakfast | $9–15 |
| Pizza slice or small pie | $3–14 |
| Sit-down dinner, one person | $15–28 |
| Draught beer at a tavern | $5–8 |
| Lehigh Valley Zoo entry | March $11; April–October adult $16, senior 65+ $15, child 2–11 $14 |
| D&L Trail and Slate Heritage Trail | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ABE · Lehigh Valley International, Allentown
- Closest airport, about 30–35 min by car via PA-309 and PA-873; direct flights from Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, Orlando and other US cities.
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 77 mi (124 km) south; wider domestic and international route network. Allow 1 h 45 min–2 h 15 min by car.About 77 mi (77 mi) south; wider domestic and international route network. Allow 1 h 45 min–2 h 15 min by car.
Typical fares
- ABE airport → Allentown hotel
- about $25–45 by taxi or rideshare, 15–20 min
- Allentown → Slatington by car
- about 30 min via PA-309 and PA-873
- Lehigh Valley Zoo adult ticket
- $16 April–October (check)
Get around
You need a car. PA-873 runs through the borough and links to PA-309 at Schnecksville for Allentown (about 30 min) and to PA-248 for Lehighton and Easton. LANTA buses serve the Lehigh Valley but service in Slatington is limited — check the current timetable before relying on it. Trailheads on the D&L Trail have parking at Main & Railroad Streets, a few yards from the bridge to Walnutport.
See and do
Known for
- Slate industry history
- D&L Trail along the Lehigh River
- Lehigh Gap and the Appalachian Trail crossing
- Fireman's Drinking Fountain (National Register)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown | PA-873 south to PA-309, then into the city | About 30–40 min |
| Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | PA-873 to PA-309 or US-22 east | About 40–50 min |
| Easton, Pennsylvania | PA-248 east, then US-22 | About 45–55 min |
| Emmaus | PA-873 to PA-309 south, then local roads | About 40–50 min |
| Hellertown | PA-309 south, then I-78 east | About 50–60 min |
| Whitehall Township | PA-873 south to PA-309 | About 25–30 min |
Sleep
- Allentown (nearest full range of hotels)
- About 30 min southeast by car; chain hotels, restaurants and the LANTA bus hub. The practical base for Slatington.
- Lehighton
- About 20–25 min north via PA-248; smaller choice of motels and inns, closer to the northern end of the D&L Trail.
- Danielsville / Woodstone Country Club
- The closest lodging to the borough, at 3777 Dogwood Rd; a lodge rather than a hotel, so book ahead.
- Bethlehem or Easton
- 40–50 min south; more to do in the evening, better for a two- or three-night Lehigh Valley stay.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trailhead parking? | Where is the trailhead parking? |
| Is the trail open today? | Is the trail open today? |
| How far to the river bridge? | How far to the river bridge? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the nearest hotel? | Where is the nearest hotel? |
| Thanks, have a good one. | Thanks, have a good one. |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No hotel, motel or B&B in the borough: book in Allentown, Lehighton or Danielsville before you arrive.
- Trail surfaces on the D&L and Slate Heritage trails are crushed stone; ice and flooding close sections after winter storms — check trail conditions.
- The Lehigh Gap trails climb steep, rocky ground with exposure; wear real shoes and carry water.
- Cell coverage is fine in town but patchy in the gap and on the ridge.
- Dial the area code (610 or 484) on every local call.
Slatington is a quiet small town and violent crime is not the concern; the real risks are trail ice, river flooding after storms and deer on PA-873 and PA-248 at dusk. Lock your car at trailheads and do not leave valuables visible.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Slatington yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Slate industry history
- D&L Trail along the Lehigh River
- Lehigh Gap and the Appalachian Trail crossing
- Fireman's Drinking Fountain (National Register)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Lehigh Valley — official destination site: www.discoverlehighvalley.com/
- Lehigh Valley Zoo: www.lvzoo.org/
- Blue Mountain Resort: www.skibluemt.com/
- Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE): www.flyabe.com/
- Wikivoyage: Slatington, revision 5301343 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5301343
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
SlatingtonSlatington, Pennsylvania
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison Center1-800-222-1222
No embassies in the Lehigh Valley. Consulates-general sit in Philadelphia and New York; national embassies are in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/slatington). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.