Unquestionably, the half-mile that Pequea Creek alternately rushes, then languidly meanders, through a glen of cliffs, boulders and tall, shading trees is one of Lancaster County's natural gems.
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Trouble in Pequea Gorge
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Where else in Lancaster County is there such a compression of wild water in such an un-Lancaster County-like setting than the Pequea Gorge, more commonly known as Suzie's Hole?
You might see otters, mink, deer and beavers.
You can walk along the edge of these beautiful sights via a level, half-mile former trolley bed that begins (or ends) at a covered bridge. And all this on public land only a 12-mile drive from Penn Square.
All the more reason to be saddened and angry that the gorge has become party-central and abused in the last year, unleashing such a rash of ongoing ill behavior that some families and longtime fans of the wild spot have been scared away.
VIDEO: Trouble in Pequea Gorge
Brian Resh, who has lived next to the gorge for 42 years, and neighbor Patricia Henry say there has been intermittent mis-use of the gorge for decades, but that the last year has been the worst.
"You name it, except for rape and murder we've seen it all," says Resh.
"They come in here and raise hell," adds Henry, who has lived across from the gorge's entrance for about 20 years. "I thought I was moving into beautiful, peaceful Martic Township.
"You can't sit on your porch because you'd be embarrassed because there's so much cursing and fighting."
Dennis Warfel, the Pennsylvania Game Commission's wildlife conservation officer for the southern end, for one, won't surrender the natural area without a fight.
Acting in concert with neighbors, Warfel and deputies have been cracking down on violators, even conducting nighttime sweeps.
He feels for neighbors who have become increasingly frustrated at the shouting, peeling tires, vandalism, late-night fires, drugs, drinking, car break-ins and trashing that descend each weekend on the tranquil spot.
"We want to believe it's not hopeless," says Henry.
But it's an uphill fight. One of the gathering spots at one end of the trail, on the grounds of the former Martic Forge Hotel that burned to the ground in 2004, is on private property. No-trespassing signs are torn down within days.
Both banks of the creek and the trail are owned by PPL, which does not have a security force. State police sometimes respond to complaints but enforcement is sporadic, neighbors say. Similarly, Martic Township does not have its own police force and Southern Regional Police can't provide the almost daily monitoring it would take to catch violators.
The trail is bordered for most of its length by small State Game Lands 288, which gives Warfel jurisdiction. PPL also is a Game Commission cooperator, so Warfel can cover almost all of the gorge.
But he's only one person.
"We try to be very good stewards of our land," says Resh, an amateur naturalist who knows the area's flora and fauna. He loves the place and makes trash pickup forays two to three times a week.
On his tour with me, he used a grabber to pluck and fill four plastic grocery bags with beer and soda cans, plastic water bottles, towels, cigarette packs, a t-shirt and a tampon.
He says other volunteer stewards also do trash detail. Otherwise, the gorge might look like a trash heap by now.
The spot seems to have become a favorite get-away spot with high school and college students. Warfel, Henry and Resh all note that, with few exceptions, those busted are not from the southern end. Of the 17 violators Warfel caught in 2008, only one was from Solanco.
Hikers, dog walkers, anglers, hunters, birdwatchers and those seeking a dose of solitude are those losing out.
"It's basically selfish people versus unselfish people," sighs Resh. "I've heard more than one say they've written it off because of all the problems."
Says Henry, "As lovers of Martic Township, people should respect where we are and the treasures that we own. That's what I want."
The gorge has always attracted its share of notoriety. In the 1970s, skinny-dipping and streaking were commonplace.
The chute of whitewater that gushes through narrow boulders, known as "The Washing Machine" or "Suzie's Hole," has seen its share of injuries.
The source of the name, Suzie's Hole, has long been a source of conjecture. But old-timers say it was named for a woman who drowned there. In addition, the actual Suzie's Hole is not the narrows but a placid swimming hole slightly upstream.
Cliff and rope swing diving have been mainstays. With hidden ledges and rocks just under the surface, and the falls' strong hydraulics, there have been injuries.
In recent years, a 4-year-old girl tubing with her father through the gorge drowned in 1998. A man who had been drinking at the former Martic Forge Hotel drowned in 1994. His clothing was found on the bank.
There have been at least a half-dozen broken bones and rescues from tubing, swimming and rope-jumping since 2004.
Still, those activities are permitted uses — at your own risk.
On a late-morning walk last Wednesday through the gorge, Warfel points to a house-sized boulder along the trail near the east entrance. That's where lookouts often are posted by groups doing illegal things in the natural area.
He approaches a fire ring overlooking the river that is filled with trash. It was cleaned up only three days earlier, he says. The area is shorn of downfall and even live trees have been wrested from the forest floor to keep fires going. At another spot, he has removed a fire ring five times.
We come to a large flattop boulder overlooking the creek. On the opposite steep hillside, several rope swings hang from trees. Swimmers do cannonballs from boulders.
Five young people are sunning themselves, taking occasional Tarzan-like swings into the muddy water.
Ethan Burkhart, 19, of Reamstown, here with his 2-year-old-son, says they have come early to avoid the hell-raisers likely to materialize in the afternoon heat.
"People don't consume drinks early in the morning," says Burkhart. "It's beautiful here and I think it's a bit of a shame that people who are coming here for perfectly innocent reasons kind of miss out on it because if they're here and if someone else is doing something illegal, it's kind of guilt by association and you're asked to leave."
As we talk, about a dozen teens recently graduated from area high schools begin to arrive. Most are carrying just towels and water bottles. But one man jauntily bounces down the trail hoisting a white Styrofoam cooler.
As he walks by, Warfel asks him what's in the cooler.
"Beer."
"Didn't you see the signs?"
"No. You can't drink in here?
The man, 21, is issued a citation for possession of alcohol on lands open to hunting and will likely be assessed a fine by a district judge of $75 to $200. He makes a half-hearted joke about how expensive the case of beer turned out to be.
Warfel and neighbors think one solution at Pequea Gorge is for the spot to become more popular than ever with frequent use.
Says Warfel, "More use means more eyes."
IF YOU GO• PPL's Pequea Gorge is open from dawn to dusk. Swimming and tubing can be dangerous and is allowed at your own risk. No alcoholic beverages. There is a half-mile flat, dirt trail through the gorge.• The eastern trailhead begins off River Road, at the intersection with Marticville Road (Rt. 324). Parking is allowed along Marticville Road or on the section of River Road on the other (north) side of Marticville Road where the railroad trestle is located.• The western trailhead begins at the Colemanville covered bridge off Fox Hollow Road. Do not park in front of the trailhead. Nearest parking is one-quarter-mile away in the Pequea Creek Campground.Ad Crable can be reached at acrable@LNPnews.com or 481-6029.
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