PHILADELPHIA – A lot of folks like to swim in Devil's Pool in Wissahickon Valley Park, but the Friends of the Wissahickon, along with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and Philadelphia Police, are urging people to avoid swimming and wading in the area.

Devil's Pool is not a designated swimming area, so it is unsupervised, and that alone makes it a hazardous place to swim, Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) said. But there are many other dangers when swimming at this site: strong currents can lead to drowning, submerged objects can cause severe injury when jumping into the water, and poor water quality can result in skin infections and/or gastrointestinal distress. "We want visitors to enjoy many activities in the park, but our number one mission is to make sure they do so safely and responsibly," Maura McCarthy, FOW's executive director, said.

Devil's Pool is the most trafficked area in Wissahickon Valley Park, FOW said. That means more cars compete for parking, notably at the Livezey Lane trailhead, which is closest to the site. Parking here is not allowed as it's the only direct point for emergency vehicles and personnel to gain access in and out of the Devil's Pool area.

This summer, police and park rangers will be issuing tickets to any cars illegally parked there, FOW said. Park ranekrs and police will also have increased presences at the park all summer. Increased use also brings more trash left in the park, which the FOW says is a major problem at Devil's Pool and throughout the park. Seasonal clean-up crews recently pulled 68 bags of trash from Devil's Pool on one day alone, the FOW said.

When it comes to swimming, McCarthy encourages using local public pools instead of Wissahickon Valley Park. If you want to swim this summer, check out the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation website to find a pool near you.

Picnicking is welcome in the many designated areas of the park, but park goers carry out what they carry in.