Palmer Township Restricts Weekend Access to Penn Pump Park

PALMER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WLVT) - Weekends bring lots of people to parks in the Lehigh Valley, but Palmer Township officials say it’s getting out of control at Penn Pump Park, and now, they’re making changes.

"On some summer weekend days, we’re getting four to five hundred people showing up here," said Dan McKinney, the township's parks and recreation director.

The park sits along the Bushkill Creek. McKinney said the water draws the crowds.

"Somewhere on the internet, Penn Pump Park is showing up as a...a lakefront park, and we have people from out of state traveling maybe two hours," he said.

In 2015, McKinney said charter buses brought large groups to the park, and it led to littering, parking issues and more.

"We had people setting up some camping situations in the water, bringing hookah pipes, things like that, things that are prohibited in Palmer parks," he said.

It forced the township to close the park on weekends for the summer and add new rules for visitors.

"You cannot come here even at any time on a weekend and set up a group of more than 10 without a permit," McKinney said. "That’s one thing we did to limit the crowds."

Despite the changes, township officials have noticed issues for permit holders this summer, including a situation a few weeks ago.

"They couldn’t bring their cars in, they couldn’t park their cars due to significantly increased activity," McKinney explained.

The township’s restrictions from 2015 are now re-enforced for this summer. The park is still open during the week, and the bike trail will be open on the weekends, but everything else requires a permit.

To get one, visitors would have to go to the township community center. Palmer residents would pay $100. For everyone else, it’s $175 -- but the township said permits are very limited for the rest of the summer. McKinney said weekend permits are already booked.

"We hate to have to turn them back, but to keep the situation safe, that’s what we’ll have to do ‘til the end of the summer," he said.

The restrictions will continue through Labor Day and will only get lifted when officials consider conditions to be safe. Police and township staff will be at the park's entrance on the weekends to check if visitors have permits.