About Us

Come experience one of the gems of the Lehigh Valley and gain a different perspective of Bethlehem as you see it from the river.

"It all started one summer afternoon during a picnic in Lehighton on the banks of the Lehigh River." Said Eric Allred, Owner of Historic Bethlehem River Tours. "I watched as 1,000 boaters paddled past us in 4 hours. I was an MBA student at Lehigh University at the time and I was trying to figure out, What am I going to do with this MBA? It hit me all of the sudden, I could bring recreational kayaking to Bethlehem.  I had kayaked the Lehigh River around Bethlehem and Easton for years, and I rarely saw anyone else on the river."  The question Allred tried to get answered was, what is the matter with our stretch of river through Bethlehem? A few weeks later he got a group of friends together and ran the river in Bethlehem. Allred said "I kept asking everyone, What do you think? Could we do a tour here?" The answers came back readily – YES! this is beautiful and so much history and the Steel Stacks make such a great photo opp in the Kayaks! With that encouragement, Allred spent the last half of his MBA studies at Lehigh putting together Historic Bethlehem River Tours.

One of the obstacles to enjoying the river is not having the equipment. Kayaks, Canoes and Rafts are expensive, big, and hard to store. They are a challenge to transport, and to put a trip together can be lots of work. It can take over an hour once you get to the river just to position vehicles at the take out and get to the put in.

Our goal is to take away the hassle and let everyone enjoy the river. We have the equipment, trained guides, transportation, and provide a great trip souvenir, a picture of you or your group passing by the iconic Bethlehem Steel Stacks. It is a great way to enjoy the day.