Lehigh Gap: Part I, Palmerton

Looking Toward the Gap.

If you have never been to Palmerton, Pennsylvania, you should definitely put it on a list of places to visit. You may have heard of Centronia, PA where the ground is on fire, well Palmerton is similar in the aspect of man made disaster. On the mountainsides surrounding the Palmerton you will see trees still standing that have been dead for over fifty years. The soil has been stripped away and in many places all that is left is bare rock. A single zinc smelting operation was to blame. I find it amazing what we as humans can do to our surroundings unintentionally and if you do too, make sure you visit this destination.
       Over the years projects have been put into place which have started to help the area rebound from this environmental catastrophie, so it is getting better. I enjoy the Palmerton side of the river in Lehigh Gap for fishing and swimming. Just a note: It is not a good idea to swim in any river without a personal floatation divice (PFD). There is no biking path along this side of the river in this location, but if you walk downstream from Palmerton you can find the old canal and some of its sections are hikable.
       For fishermen, this is my favorite place for night fishing along the entire Lehigh River. This year I caught more catfish at this location than all the others combined that I fish on the Lehigh. I have also reeled in carp, rockbass and eels during my nighttime excursions here.