Thursday, August 4, 2016

State Police Remind Public Regarding Peace Rock Area

On Wednesday, The Pennsylvania State Police reminded the public that the land area in the vicinity of Peace Rock in the Port Clinton area of southern Schuylkill County is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

While it is owned by the Commonwealth of PA, it is NOT open to the public therefore anyone traveling onto this property is trespassing. Until a few years ago, the area was virtually unknown except to local residents. However, with the recent advent of social media, the number of people coming to swim at the Rock has increased by the hundreds. The resulting influx of people has overwhelmed the area in a number of ways. There is virtually no safe or legal place to park vehicles. There is also nowhere to deposit trash and there are no sanitary facilities available. Simply put, the area is not a formal “recreation area” and therefore not equipped to support the ever increasing number of visitors. In addition, jumping off of the Rock and swimming in the river in this area has proven dangerous as we have investigated an average of one drowning per year, including the most recent drowning on July 24, 2016.

In light of the above and in the interests of public safety, the PSP wanted to inform the public that anyone traveling onto the Rock and/or the area surrounding it is TRESPASSING and faces possible arrest.