Carved over millennia by the Lehigh River, Lehigh Gorge State Park stretches across 4,548 acres of rugged terrain in Carbon and Luzerne Counties. Established in 1980, the park protects one of northeastern Pennsylvania’s most dramatic landscapes — steep canyon walls draped in hemlock and hardwood forest, with the river churning through rapids and past cascading waterfalls below.

The park’s crown jewel is the Lehigh Gorge Trail, a 26-mile crushed-stone path built on a former railroad bed that runs the length of the gorge from White Haven to Jim Thorpe. It’s one of the finest rail-trails in the state, popular with cyclists and hikers who come for the riverside scenery and the dozens of waterfalls visible from the path, including the striking Buttermilk Falls and Luke’s Falls.

Whitewater rafting and kayaking draw crowds to the Lehigh River, particularly during scheduled dam releases from the Francis E. Walter Reservoir, which create reliable Class II and III rapids from spring through fall. Fishing for trout and smallmouth bass is productive in quieter stretches.

The park itself has no developed campground, but nearby Hickory Run State Park and Mauch Chunk Lake Park offer camping within a short drive. Jim Thorpe, the charming Victorian town at the gorge’s southern end, provides lodging, dining, and bike shuttle services.

Visit in mid-October for peak fall color — the gorge becomes a tunnel of orange and gold reflected in the river. Spring dam releases make April through June ideal for paddlers.

Explore Nearby

• Little Gap Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Pennsylvania
• Kreidersville Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Pennsylvania
• Marble Mountain Rock Collecting Area (Trilobite) — Public Land
• New Jersey State Highway Routes — Scenic Byway in New Jersey
• Gateway to Amish Country — Scenic Byway in Ohio