Louise W. Moore Park, Bethlehem Township/Nazareth Township, PA

Getting outside for a walk is good for you, and I try to remember that everyday when I’m putting on my sneakers in preparation for a stroll. At the peak of summer, when the humidity is high and the sun is shining hot and bright, our walks are shorter and I will cross the street in order to stay in the shade. Fall is my favorite time to walk, when the air is turning crisp and the sunshine highlights the changing colors of the leaves.

Living in a city is great for walking because no matter how many times we walk around the same streets, I swear there’s always something new to discover, but it’s also nice to find a park away from the crowded sidewalks and passing cars.

We have driven past Louise W Moore Park many times but never stopped to check it out. With the pandemic fears and restrictions making a simple walk in town feel a little like navigating a minefield when the sidewalks have turned into dining areas and so many more people are out and about to get some fresh air, the park seemed like a good alternative.

What a great choice!

The former working farm was donated to Northampton County by Louise W. Moore Pine (1919-2009), an accomplished musician, activist, and philanthropist, who married Hugh Moore (founder of the Dixie Cup Company of Easton, PA) in 1947. In 1973, a year after Hugh passed away, she deeded the farm to the county to be a public park, the first in what was to later become a county park system in Northampton. She was named Chair of the new Northampton County Park Board and held the position for 10 years while also overseeing the farm’s transformation.

Louise was pretty amazing. You can read about her accomplishments in her obituary in the Morning Call HERE. 

The park is separated by Country Club Road, just off of Route 33, with one side boasting recreational areas for tennis, volleyball, softball, and playgrounds for the children, and the other loops of walking trails amid tall trees and open fields of green. That’s the side we enjoy the most.

There are three kinds of trails to walk: paved, gravel, and mulched rubber (lending a bit of spring to your step while also giving you a good workout). The trails are mostly flat, and even the few inclines are not too difficult. While a majority of the trails are in the direct sunlight (and oh how hot that sun can be on summer days) the trees lend their shade to those willing to keep going to reach them, and there are benches scattered around for anyone needing a break or a moment to just sit and enjoy the quiet.

They began planting many of the trees in the 1970’s, though I swear some must be older judging by their size. According to the county website, the trees are a mix of American, European and Eurasian species. There is also a large wildflower field where butterflies and bees flitter around, a fairly new addition to the park, I believe.

There are pavilions to rent, though on our visits we’ve only seen two or three people sitting at the tables chatting. We tend to go on weeknights rather than weekends which is when, I’m sure, the pavilions are most often reserved. The park system was closed for most of April due to the pandemic, but opened again with restrictions in early May.

There are exercise stations along the outer loop, though I cannot remember ever seeing anyone using them. (That could be one of the restrictions for the park at this point.) There is also a fenced off windmill that will be rehabilitated in the future, along with work being done to naturalize the nearby stormwater basin.

We’ve seen graduation pictures taken, engagement pictures, and then there’s me taking pictures of everything except people. Despite Route 33 being within (faint) hearing distance, the sound of the cars and trucks is often drowned out by bird calls and the chattering of squirrels. It’s peaceful. On our last trip we passed by a young woman laying on a blanket in the grass reading, and we’ve taken advantage of the benches to sit down and take in the scenery.

If you play PokemonGo, there are stops scattered throughout the park and three gyms. I like to have the game going when we’re walking that outer loop to distract myself from the burning in my calves and thighs. I’m looking forward to the day when I’m back in shape enough to do that loop twice in a row without wondering if my legs are going to turn to rubber and give out on me.

While we haven’t seen any since, on our first visit we saw a fawn sitting in the shade of a tree, waiting for its mother to return. I didn’t stop for pictures; it looked too young and entirely too trusting. I do keep an eye out for it, now a few months later, but no luck. I’m sure that little deer family is either hiding in the woods, where there’s a self-guided nature trail, or happily munching corn from the field next door.

The park closes at sunset, which means that soon we won’t have the chance to walk there during the week after work, but I know we will take advantage of the trail on the weekends. In the winter the trails are open for cross-country skiing, but I gave up my skis years ago.

Although, maybe it’s a good time to get back into it this winter now that I know of a safe and well-maintained park to go visit. Now there’s a workout that would put the mulched rubber trail to shame…

To visit the park, take the Hecktown Road exit off Route 33 and make a left at the light, and another left at the next light. The park is less than a mile on Country Club Road. The recreation area is on the left and the walking trails are on the right. Only service animals are allowed in the park. Normally there are restrooms open from April-October and a portable toilet otherwise, but only the portable toilet is open due to the pandemic restrictions. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and is ADA accessible. For more information about the Louise W Moore Park and other country parks, visit the Northampton County Parks website at https://www.northamptoncounty.org/

Photos are all mine except where noted, and taken with my Samsung Galaxy S10e cameraphone.