The Lehigh Gorge State Park is a jewel in our community offering walking, biking, hiking, rafting, kayaking, and allows our visitors and citizens beautiful vistas of our mountains and the Lehigh River. What I don't understand is why there are not barriers along the river-side of the trail preventing bikers or hikers from falling down a steep decline to the Lehigh, or riding over the side of the edge to serious injury or death.

Every weekend the emergency squads must rescue visitors who climb the very challenging hike up to the Glen Onoko falls. This is a serious problem for the park Rangers. There are signs everywhere about the danger, but people climb with flip-flops and wonder why they have an accident.

In the last century, when the Wahnetah Hotel hosted hundreds of guests at the Glen, the falls had a wooden staircase and platforms that allowed Victorian visitors to enjoy the cascading water and feel the spirit of Onoko, which legend says, Onoko still waits for her Indian lover after she jumped to her death, avoiding marriage to another chosen brave. So many visitors do not heed the warning about this dangerous climb and many have had rescues from slipping and falling. Glen Onoko Falls are part of State Game lands, not the State Park. You are climbing at your own risk!

We salute the courageous rescue squads, the fire departments, and the DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) Rangers who are diligent about patrolling to protect the thousands of visitors to our beautiful State Park.

Know your skill level. If you are an occasional walker, do not attempt to climb the Falls trail. This trail requires hiking shoes, poles and experience. This is not a trail for a beginner hiker.

There are beautiful photo opportunities along the Lehigh Gorge bike trail. Look for well- traveled paths down to the riverside for photos. Never climb out on a precipice and lean over to get a shot of rafters or kayakers. There are beaches at White Haven, Rockport and Glen Onoko where kayakers, canoeists, and rafters embark on the river. These beaches are safe spots to get some interesting pictures of dedicated water enthusiasts and the action of the river.

Contact the DCNR on their excellent website. Give them your suggestions about helping them improve visitor awareness and safety along the trail. We thank the brave rangers who constantly patrol and appreciate the swift response of our emergency squads who save the tourists who venture beyond their abilities. If rafting, or boating, wear a personal floatation device (PFD) and a helmet. Read the signs around the park and river.