Parks Easton PA: Riverfront Greens, Canal Trails & Treetops
Quick Answer: The best parks in Easton PA start with Hugh Moore Park — 520 acres between the Lehigh River and the historic Lehigh Canal, home of the National Canal Museum and the mule-drawn Josiah White II canal boat, with a 4.7 rating across nearly 1,300 reviews in our directory data. For adrenaline instead of towpaths, Hangdog Outdoor Adventure (4.8 stars) bills itself as the East Coast's largest high-ropes course. And downtown, Scott Park and Riverside Park put you right on the Delaware at the Forks.
Key Takeaways:
- Best all-day park: Hugh Moore Park — 520 acres, flat canal towpath trails, the National Canal Museum, and an actual mule-drawn canal boat ride on the Josiah White II.
- Best adventure park: Hangdog Outdoor Adventure on Cedarville Road — 100-plus climbing elements, 240-foot ziplines, a low-ropes course for kids, and a 4.8 rating across our directory data.
- Best free riverfront: Scott Park at the Forks of the Delaware — amphitheater, playground, boat launch, the Larry Holmes statue, and the Saturday farmers' market on the riverfront in season.
- Best walk: The Karl Stirner Arts Trail, a roughly 1.75-mile sculpture-lined path along the Bushkill Creek from the Simon Silk Mill to Third Street.
- Shortcut: Browse our full parks directory, or see the rest of the series — parks in Allentown and parks in Bethlehem.
What Are the Best Parks in Easton PA?
Parks Easton PA: A local search for the green spaces in and around Easton — the riverfront parks where the Lehigh meets the Delaware, the canal-side acreage upriver, the creek-side arts trail, and the neighborhood squares that have anchored the city since the 1800s.
Easton's park scene is defined by water. The city sits at the Forks of the Delaware, so nearly every great outdoor space here touches a river, a canal, or a creek. The two standouts in our directory data — Hugh Moore Park and Hangdog Outdoor Adventure — hold a 4.7 and 4.8 respectively, and the free city parks downtown fill in everything between a concert and a picnic.
Local rule of thumb: In Easton, follow the water. Canal day? Hugh Moore. Concert or market? Scott Park or Riverside on the Delaware. A walk with something to look at? The arts trail along the Bushkill. If you end up dry and bored, you took a wrong turn somewhere.
Why Is Hugh Moore Park Easton's Signature Park?
Because nowhere else in the Valley can you ride a mule-drawn canal boat. Hugh Moore Park stretches 520 acres along the strip of land between the Lehigh River and the historic Lehigh Canal, and it wears its history proudly: the National Canal Museum sits inside the park, and the Josiah White II — a canal boat pulled by actual mules — runs in season. A 4.7 rating across 1,298 reviews in our directory data makes it the most-reviewed park in our Easton rankings.
The everyday draw is simpler: flat towpath trails. The old canal towpath is level, shaded, and stroller-friendly, which makes it one of the easiest long walks or family bike rides in the region.
Is Hangdog Outdoor Adventure Worth It?
If anyone in your group likes heights, yes. Hangdog Outdoor Adventure on Cedarville Road bills itself as the East Coast's largest high-ropes course, with more than 100 climbing elements and 240-foot ziplines — and it holds a 4.8 rating across 114 reviews in our directory data. A low-ropes course keeps younger kids in the game, and the beer garden and food truck mean the non-climbers in your party have somewhere pleasant to spectate.
It's the opposite of a towpath stroll, which is exactly why it belongs on this list: Easton's park day can be a canal boat or a zipline, sometimes both.
What's at Scott Park and Riverside Park Downtown?
Scott Park sits on Larry Holmes Drive at the Forks of the Delaware, just south of the free Northampton Street bridge, and packs a lot into a riverfront strip: an open-air amphitheater, a playground, a free boat launch, and the eight-foot statue of hometown heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In season, the Easton Farmers' Market sets up on the riverfront here on Saturday mornings — one of the oldest market traditions in the country.
Riverside Park, its neighbor along the Delaware, adds a covered-stage amphitheater that hosts shows and community events through the warm months, plus riverfront paths and fishing access. Both parks sit minutes from the restaurants in our downtown Easton dining guide, so a concert night plans itself.
Where Should You Walk: The Karl Stirner Arts Trail?
The Karl Stirner Arts Trail follows the Bushkill Creek for roughly 1.75 miles, from the restored Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street down to Third Street near Lafayette College's stone stairs. Named for the Easton sculptor who helped build the city's arts scene, the trail is lined with contemporary sculpture and even includes the city's first dog park — a creek-side walk where the scenery is half nature, half gallery.
What About Centre Square and the Neighborhood Parks?
Centre Square is Easton's living room — the downtown traffic circle around the Civil War Soldiers' and Sailors' monument, ringed by shops and restaurants and glowing under the giant Peace Candle each holiday season. It's less a park than a gathering place, and our downtown Easton guide covers everything within a few blocks of it.
Up on College Hill, Nevin Park at Mixsell and Lafayette streets is the quiet local pick — a green donated to the city by David Nevin in the 1800s, where neighbors raised over $100,000 to restore its Victorian three-tiered fountain, a replica of the one that once stood in Centre Square itself.
How Should You Plan an Easton Park Day?
- The classic: Morning canal boat and towpath at Hugh Moore Park, then lunch from our Easton restaurant rankings.
- The adventure day: A climbing session at Hangdog, then recover at the on-site beer garden.
- The downtown loop: Saturday farmers' market at Scott Park, a walk up the arts trail along the Bushkill, dinner off Centre Square.
- The summer-evening formula: Any riverfront park plus a cone from our Lehigh Valley ice cream guide — Easton's best spots are minutes away.
Bottom Line: Easton's Parks All Lead to the Water
The best parks in Easton trace the city's three waterways: the Lehigh and its canal at Hugh Moore Park, the Delaware at Scott and Riverside parks, and the Bushkill along the arts trail — with Hangdog waiting in the trees when you want altitude instead. Start with the two directory standouts, then let the rivers plan the rest. That completes the set: see our Allentown and Bethlehem parks guides for the other two-thirds of the Valley.
Find the best local businesses in Lehigh Valley. Browse our curated parks directory, plan the rest of the day with our downtown Easton guide, or book a table from our Easton restaurant rankings — real businesses vetted by locals.
