The JournalA 32-mile river gorge carrying two centuries of coal, canal, and railroad history — and today, the region's central corridor for whitewater rafting and rail-trail biking.
The discovery of anthracite coal at Summit Hill in 1791 set off intensive development along the upper Lehigh Valley, and the gorge carries that industrial history visibly: canal systems built to move coal downriver were destroyed by severe flooding in 1862 and replaced by railroads, and the remains of locks, dams, and towpaths are still visible along the banks today. The park itself wasn't formally established until 1980, protecting 6,107 acres along a 32-mile stretch of the Lehigh River from the Francis E. Walter Dam south to Jim Thorpe.
That river corridor is now the region's hub for whitewater rafting — our own Pocono Whitewater listing runs guided trips through this exact stretch — while the flat, converted rail-trail alongside it is equally popular for biking and walking, passing waterfalls and rock outcroppings for its full length. Our Lehigh Gorge Trail hike and the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway both trace pieces of this same corridor, which makes the park less a single destination than a connective thread running through several things we already feature.
Access points at White Haven, Rockport, and Glen Onoko make it easy to pick a shorter stretch rather than committing to the full 32 miles. For guests staying near Mauch Chunk Lake, the gorge is a five-minute drive from downtown Jim Thorpe — genuinely one of the most efficient half-days available from that destination, combining a scenic hike or bike ride with lunch back in town.