From the article....
“Vernal Falls is marked with warning signs and barricaded off with a metal-bar guardrail that “takes some effort” to climb over, Gediman said.”
The guardrail in that picture would take no effort at all to climb over. But regardless.... That water scares me just looking at it.
Anyone who would climb into that is just asking for it.
Maybe you two are right. Calling it a “barricade” is a reach.
At least going by the picture.
One of these days I’ll get out west and hike it myself.