Glen Onoko Falls (TRAIL CLOSED AS OF 5/1/2019)/Broad Mountain - Lehigh Gorge State Park and SGL 141, PA

PLEASE NOTE:  As of May 1, 2019 the Glen Onoko Falls Trail is CLOSED. 

ABOUT THE PARK:

Lehigh Gorge State Park - Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

Glen Onoko Falls - Pocono Record

The Legend of Glen Onoko - Pennsylvania Haunts and History

Turn Hole Tunnel - Wikipedia

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced that most of the Glen Onoko Falls Trail on State Game Lands 141 near Jim Thorpe is closed due to hazardous trail conditions. The 0.4-mile closed portion of the trail runs from the trail head to the Upper Falls.

The Game Commission cites stormwater damage, unstable surfaces and a history of accidents along the trail as factors that prompted closure. Severe injuries and fatalities have occurred over the years despite posted signs warning visitors to be cautious, wear appropriate footwear and avoid dangerous areas near the three major falls.

“Volunteer emergency personnel spend significant time rescuing people that hike the Glen Onoko Falls Trail,” said Game Commission NE Region Land Management Group Supervisor Michael Beahm. “A typical rescue for an injured hiker will involve 20 to 25 volunteer first responders and require a minimum of four to six hours.”

Heavy rainfall during the past year changed trail conditions considerably and several areas are washed out below the middle and lower falls. Sections of the trail are now unrecognizable and have become part of the stream channel. Hikers have been using alternate routes around these areas – negatively impacting soils and vegetation.

Signage and physical barriers will warn visitors of the trail closure at the Glen Onoko Falls trailhead and at other appropriate locations.

Other hiking trails in the area remain open, including the Overlook and Shortcut Trails that connect to form a 1.6-mile loop offering a panoramic view of Jim Thorpe. The Upper Falls can be accessed via Overlook Trail.

DIRECTIONS:

GPS coordinates to Glen Onoko Access parking 40.883555, -75.760422

The parking lot above is the last lot just on the other side of the bridge over the Lehigh River with direct access to the Glen Onoko Falls Trail and it fills up quickly.  You will notice many other parking lots on the drive in.  If this lot is full, drive back out to the next lot with available space and walk back on the Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail which runs parallel to the road.

TRAIL MAP:

I have not been able to find any trail maps for this area. I roughly drew in trails for this hike but it is completely unofficial and is by no means accurate, just intended to give an idea of how this hike plays out.

Official maps that do not show hiking trails:

State Game Lands 141 Map of Broad Mountain

The Lehigh Gorge State Park map will give you an idea of the surrounding area but does not show trail detail for this hike.

HIKE DISTANCE: 5.9 miles

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
As you drive into the last parking lot, just after crossing the bridge, there will be a picnic table on the right with a sign to the Falls Trail and information boards.  Go down the steps at the Falls Trail sign. The maps at the sign are Lehigh Gorge State Park maps which do not show the trails for this hike.

At the bottom of the steps you will see the sign above.  While the trail is indeed steep and treacherous at times, wearing proper hiking shoes that provide good traction on wet rock surfaces, carefully watching your footing and staying away from edges of steep drops is all it takes to navigate safely.  I was worried about how my dog would handle it but she had no problems with the trail at all.  Keep in mind this is an unmaintained trail with inconsistent blazing and lots of erosion.  At times you will be walking on stone steps, remnants of stairways built into the mountain at the turn of the 20th century by a hotel/resort which was destroyed by fire in 1911.

Turn right at the sign, go under the railroad tracks, turn right taking the trail parallel to the tracks until it turns sharply left leading away from the tracks.  The trail starts out deceivingly smooth and easy:

You will notice a variety of trail markings, where they exist.  There are many orange blazes that have been blacked out - do follow those anyway. The trail is obvious and the arrows do help so be sure to watch for them.  I read that the trail crosses the creek several times.  I did not find this to be the case at all as I was on the same side of the creek throughout entire hike.  In fact, it seems kind of dangerous to be crossing over.

Various types of trail markers.

The trail becomes rockier as it follows next to the falls.

Remnants of old stone steps.

Eroded trail section.

Chameleon Falls

Looking down from the top of Chameleon Falls - better view on clear days

You can stand behind these falls - orange "UNDER" with arrow painted on rock directs you to behind the falls.

Upon reaching the fire ring at the top of the falls, turn right and follow the trail up stone steps along large rock formations.  This foot path follows the rim of Broad Mountain to views.  At the first view below, make note of a trail that makes a sharp right heading down the mountain. This will be the return route.

First view of the Borough of Jim Thorpe with mountains in the background on a hazy day.

Second view of Lehigh River at end of foot trail along Broad Mountain rim.

Woods road through State Game Lands 141 popular for mountain biking.

Power Cut

Oxbow Bend view reached by side trail on right just beyond the pipeline.

View of the Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail from above.

For this hike, the Oxbow Bend view is the turnaround point.  The hike can be made much longer by continuing on the woods roads to form a loop but you might find the woods roads boring after having already experienced the best part of this hike so why not revisit the views on the way back? Returning to the first view of the Borough of Jim Thorpe, take the trail that bends sharply to the right to descend from Broad Mountain.  You will notice many more stone step remnants as will as old stone wall ruins.

Eastern Milk Snake on Trail

After rejoining the Falls Trail from the beginning of the hike, go under the railroad tracks and continue a short distance ahead along the river to see the opening of the Turn Hole Tunnel.

To enter this tunnel go back up the steps to the parking lot, turn left and cross over the bridge you drove in on.

 A short distance ahead, turn left into the first gravel parking lot.  Walk through that end of the lot to a wide trail on the left which brings you to the tunnel entrance.  It is very dark - step carefully over old railroad ties still in place.

Inside dark tunnel.

View from tunnel opening.

LITTER REPORT:
Please take a piece of carelessly discarded litter out with you.  This is what my dog packed out in her backpack so you won't have to look at it.

 

HIKE SUMMARY:
THE FALLS TRAIL IS CLOSED AS OF MAY 1, 2019
[  0.00]  Follow Falls Trail sign down steps; turn right at warning sign, go under railroad tracks; turn right parallel to railroad tracks; follow trail to left away from railroad tracks at top of hill
[  0.15]  At fork turn left up stone steps (trail on right is return route); left at T intersection top of stone steps
[  0.25]  Follow large blue arrow on tree as trail reaches the waterfalls
[  0.45]  Orange tape shows to follow badly eroded section, can be bypassed to the right;
[  0.50]  Chameleon Falls (wall of water coming straight down); trail veers right away from falls
[  0.55]  Top of Chameleon Falls - blue arrow says to cross over falls - no not cross, follow orange arrow straight to stay on same side; go up steps; continue following blacked out orange blazes
[  0.60]  Arrow pointing left indicates "Under" to go behind falls; retrace and take right fork with arrow to "Top"
[  0.65]  Top of falls at "You Made It" painted on rock; continuing straight, stream forks, take trail to right of the smaller right fork of the stream following blacked out orange blazes
[  0.70]  At fire ring turn right and go up stone steps to the right of large rock formations***
[  1.00]  View at right down stone steps; make note of trail veering sharply right for return route but go back up stone steps to continue on unmarked foot trail along mountain rim
[  1.05]  Left at fork
[  1.40]  Continue straight over rock field; trail continues on other side
[  1.60]  Right at fire pit to view; retrace and continue straight past fire pit on rock/gravel road
[  1.75]  At grassy intersection, turn right on woods road; blue blazes painted on trees
[  2.00]  Rock hop to left over small stream
[  2.20]  Cross power cut; stay on woods road with blue blazes go right
[  2.40]  Follow woods road to left when narrower path goes straight (path goes to limited views blocked by foliage)
[  2.55]  Cross petroleum pipeline (sign on right)
[  2.60]  Turn right on trail shortly after crossing pipeline; keep left at split
[  2.70]  View of Oxbow Bend; retrace
[  2.80]  Left on woods road
[  2.85]  Cross petroleum pipeline
[  3.00]  Follow woods road to right when trail to limited views goes to left
[  3.10]  Stay on woods road when blue blazes go to left
[  3.25]  Cross power cut; blue blazes along woods road
[  3.45]  Rock hop to right over small stream
[  3.65]  At grassy intersection, turn left on narrower rocky road leaving woods road
[  3.75]  Back at view beyond fire pit; turn right at fire pit on foot path along rim of mountain
[  4.25]  Keep right at fork
[  4.40]  Go down stone steps to left to view; continue downhill where trail goes sharply to the right - return route noted from earlier in the hike
[  4.75]  At bottom of steps at T intersection turn left (trail coming in from right comes down directly from the top of the falls at the fire ring from what hikers coming down that way told me)
[  5.15]  After going down stone steps and passing wall ruins, left at T intersection, hop over log, turn left at next intersection - this is the Falls Trail where the hike started
[  5.20]  Make sharp right at railroad tracks, follow downhill, turn left under railroad tracks; pass steps up to parking lot to side trails on right for river view; return to parking lot
[  5.40]  Back at parking lot turn left and cross bridge over river
[  5.55]  Left into gravel lot, left to railroad tunnel entrance and continue through tunnel; retrace
[  5.75]  Exit tunnel, right through gravel parking log, right on park road, cross bridge over river
[  5.90]  End at parking lot

*** This picture provided by Anonymous of July 15, 2012 for further clarification of where to go from the fire ring.  Thank you!

Per Anonymous of 7/15/2012:

"After making right and up after fire pit, if you don't see large rock formations and rock steps within 5 minutes (one landmark: two big, almost rectangular rocks standing 4-5 feet apart, a tree right in the middle, but on top of one of the rocks), you are going the wrong way. Retrace to fire pit and try to find these rock formations and steps."

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