Palmerton Zinc Loop: Smoke, Stone, and Sky

On the Palmerton Zinc Loop, we walk Blue Mountain—the Kittatinny Ridge—where ancient quartzite holds a long, rocky skyline. We trace how the Lehigh River carved Lehigh Gap, how a century of zinc smelting stripped thousands of acres, and how native warm-season grasses brought the slopes back to life, turning a Superfund scar into habitat. Along the Appalachian Trail, we ride the wind with migrating raptors and consider why this ridge remains a vital, connected corridor for the decades ahead.