Moving Along the Lehigh River Valley
The Lehigh River cuts through the heart of the Lehigh Valley and provides rafters with miles of river to enjoy. The Lehigh River is located in beautiful eastern Pennsylvania and is a tributary to the Delaware River. Along the rivers winding course there are access points mapped out for rafters to enter the river.
Some notable access points to enter the river are:
- Jim Thorpe- This access point is at the southern edge of the Lehigh Gorge State Park. This access point is located between the Glen Onoko access point and the Parryville access point. Along this stretch of river rafters will find some class 1 and class 2 rapids for whitewater enthusiast.
- Parryville- This access point below is the next one below Jim Thorpe and is near the village of Parryville. This piece of the river has class 2 rapids and is home to the Old Bear Trap Lock. As rafters travel down the Lehigh, the Old Bear Trap Lock is something of interest that rafters may want to take the time to look at.
- Lehigh Gap- This access point lies between West Bowmans and Walnut Port and is a relatively mild stretch of river with the exception of some class 3 rapids.
Some things that rafters should look for going down the Lehigh are Beartrap Rapid, a class 2 rapid that is just south of Jim Thorpe, and Dunbar’s surfing wave located at Lehighton. These are just a two of the whitewater runs that rafters will find on the Lehigh, there are more to be experienced. In addition to the whitewater runs, there are nature trails and biking trails to be enjoyed along the Lehigh River. These trails can be enjoyed along with the river to provide visitors to the Lehigh Valley a well-rounded, nature experience.