The first time you drive into the Pocono Mountains, something happens around the point where the highway narrows and the trees take over both sides of the road. The noise just stops. I have made this drive more times than I can count and it still happens every single time. What I tell first-timers is this: do not overthink it. The Poconos are not trying to be anything other than what they are — mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and a pace of life that reminds you what a weekend is actually supposed to feel like. The dining has become genuinely good over the years, the lodging runs from a historic lodge with 5,500 acres to a budget resort on a lake, and the outdoor options will fill every hour you have and then some. Go with a loose plan and a full tank of gas. The region will take care of the rest.
The Poconos sit in northeastern Pennsylvania, roughly two hours from both New York City and Philadelphia, which makes them one of the most accessible mountain escapes on the East Coast. But accessible doesn’t mean overrun. The region covers more than 2,400 square miles of forested ridges, river gorges, waterfalls, and lake towns, and there is more than enough space for everyone who shows up. The key is knowing where to go — and on that front, the options are genuinely impressive regardless of what you’re spending.
If the goal is to do it properly, Skytop Lodge at One Skytop Lodge Road is where you start. The Dutch Colonial stone manor has been on its 5,500 acres since 1928, a member of Historic Hotels of America, and everything about the place earns that distinction. There are 192 individually furnished rooms, four restaurants, a spa on the top floor of the main lodge, an 18-hole championship golf course, a 75-acre lake, hiking trails that lead to six different waterfalls, a treetop adventure course, kayaking, fly fishing instruction, and a naturalist on staff who leads guided hikes through the property. Rates start around $242 a night and rise depending on which meal plan you choose. It is the kind of place that families come back to for generations, and there are guests who have been making the drive for thirty years running. | (800) 345-7759
For something smaller and more personal, The Settlers Inn in Hawley is a 1920s bed and breakfast on the main street of one of the prettiest small towns in the region. The rooms are warm and comfortable, the restaurant is legitimately one of the best in the Poconos, and the garden patio overlooking the Lackawaxen River is the kind of setting that makes you want to cancel Monday’s obligations. Hawley itself is worth an entire afternoon — independent shops, galleries, and good coffee, all within walking distance of the inn. | (570) 226-2993
Families traveling with kids have a clear answer in Camelback Resort at 193 Resort Drive in Tannersville. In winter it’s a ski mountain. In summer it becomes Camelbeach, one of the better outdoor waterparks in the region. Year-round there is an indoor adventure center with laser tag, rock climbing, an escape room, a two-level arcade, a mountain coaster, zip lines, and off-road UTV treks through the woods. The resort captured USA Today’s top spot for snow tubing in 2023, which tells you how seriously they take the activity side of things. The rooms are modern and clean, and the kids will be occupied from arrival to checkout. | (855) 515-8900
For adults who want the full resort experience without the full resort price, Mount Airy Casino Resort at 312 Woodland Road in Mount Pocono punches well above its rate. The 21-and-over property covers a full-service casino, spa, 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor pools, and several restaurants running the range from a steakhouse to casual dining. Rates run around $173 a night for what amounts to a complete package in a mountain setting. | (877) 682-4791
On the budget end, Split Rock Resort at One Lake Drive in Lake Harmony delivers more than its rates suggest. A waterpark, indoor pool, golf, tennis, and a genuinely scenic position on Lake Harmony give it more substance than the price implies. It’s not the most polished operation in the Poconos, but for families who want the mountain resort experience without the resort pricing, it covers the ground. Rates start around $100 a night. | (570) 722-9111
Where to Dine
Once you’ve settled on where to sleep, the first morning decision is usually whether to eat at the inn or find breakfast in town. In Mount Pocono, that question answers itself at The Pioneer Diner — a classic diner that charges classic diner prices and delivers the eggs, burgers, milkshakes, and pie that the genre requires. It’s been around long enough to be considered a Pocono institution, and the stack of pancakes before a long day on the trails is a tradition for a reason.
For dinner, the region’s most reliable name is The Frogtown Chophouse in Swiftwater. Hand-cut steaks, a local butcher program, American and Japanese Wagyu, fresh fish, a Maryland-style crab cake that draws its own following, and a chicken parmesan worth ordering even at a steakhouse. The stone fireplace and the dark wood give the room a proper dining atmosphere, and the filet mignon and pork osso bucco are the two dishes that come up most in conversation afterward. It’s not the cheapest dinner in the Poconos, but it’s the best one.
The farm-to-table answer is The Settlers Inn Restaurant in Hawley, where the menu changes with the seasons and the sourcing is genuinely local. The braised short ribs and the maple-glazed duck breast are the dishes regulars come back for specifically, and the outdoor garden patio along the river is one of the finest dining settings in the entire region. Reservations are a good idea on weekends. | (570) 226-2993
The most ambitious kitchen in the Poconos belongs to Tree Restaurant at The Lodge at Woodloch at 109 River Birch Lane in Hawley. High wooden beams, plush seating, forest views through floor-to-ceiling windows, and a menu that runs through cauliflower bisque, bibb wedge salads, and pan-seared salmon with the kind of technique you don’t expect this far from a major city. It holds a 4.8 on TripAdvisor, which is not an accident. Book ahead. | (570) 685-8500
In Jim Thorpe, Moya draws diners from across the region for its Mediterranean-influenced American menu, beautiful presentation, and a room that feels genuinely special in a town full of interesting spaces. The duck breast with blackberry sauce and the pan-seared scallops are both worth the drive. Make the reservation before you leave home — the town itself is the afternoon plan, and Moya is how the evening ends.
For a more casual night out, Barley Creek Brewing Company at 1774 Sullivan Trail in Tannersville has been producing quality craft beer in the Poconos for years, the pub food is solid, and the atmosphere is exactly right after a day on the river or the trail. It’s family-friendly, reasonably priced, and consistently busy because the formula works. | (570) 629-9399
In Milford, Bank+Vine brings a polished wine bar sensibility to a town that already has plenty going for it. Creative seasonal menu, serious wine list, and the kind of room that makes you order one more glass than you planned. Milford is worth its own day trip — the Hotel Fauchère, the antique shops, the river views — and Bank+Vine is the dinner that closes it properly.
And when the mood is right for something low-key and local, Stone Bar Inn in Canadensis is the tavern that the regulars know about. Hearty American comfort food, a full bar, a historic setting, and the easy atmosphere of a place where people have been gathering for a long time. Visitors fit right in.
What Are We Doing
Now for the days themselves. The first stop on any Pocono itinerary should be Bushkill Falls, and not just because every brochure says so. The eight waterfalls on the property’s trail system are genuinely impressive — the main fall drops 100 feet, which is why it earned the nickname the Niagara of Pennsylvania — and the trails that connect them run through old forest that feels properly wild. The gem-panning sluice on the property is a good hour of engaged entertainment for younger kids, and the range of trail difficulty means everyone in the group can find their pace. Plan two to three hours minimum. Bushkill, PA
If you’ve never rafted the Lehigh Gorge, that changes on this trip. The 13-mile run through Lehigh Gorge State Park delivers Class II and III rapids through a steep-walled gorge with waterfalls and rock outcroppings along both banks, and operators like Whitewater Rafting Adventures and Pocono Whitewater have been running the river for decades. Families who want a gentler version can take the Class I–II option. Either way, it’s the kind of afternoon that ends at dinner with people still talking about it.
The town of Jim Thorpe deserves a full day and gets underestimated by first-time visitors who don’t know it’s there. It sits in a tight valley along the Lehigh River, ringed by forested ridges, and the Victorian architecture along Broadway Street earned it the nickname the Switzerland of America back when people still gave places nicknames like that. The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway runs narrated excursions through the gorge from the historic station in town. The antique shops, art galleries, and independent restaurants on Broadway fill the afternoon. And the Lehigh Gorge Trail starts at the Jim Thorpe trailhead — 20 miles of flat, scenic bike path along the river through the gorge, with rentals available steps from the station.
Lake Wallenpaupack is the largest lake in the Poconos — 13 miles long, 52 miles of shoreline — and a full day on it goes faster than expected. Fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and pontoon rentals are all available. The surrounding area includes the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary for a nature walk, and the lake towns along the north shore have enough cafes and shops to fill the time between the water and dinner.
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers 40 miles of the Delaware River and offers some of the finest hiking, fishing, swimming, and paddling in the Northeast — all free, all open year-round. The view from Mount Tammany looking back at the Gap is one of those sights that stays with you. The Appalachian Trail runs 25 miles through the park, which gives serious hikers a proper objective. For everyone else, the scenic drives through the recreation area alone are worth the detour.
For the adrenaline side of things, Camelback Mountain Adventures runs the largest adventure center in Pennsylvania. The zip line experience soars above the Pocono treetops with views in every direction, the mountain coaster runs through the warmer months, and the off-road UTV treks cover real terrain. The Pocono Raceway in Long Pond hosts NASCAR events and offers stock car driving experiences on race days and off, which is as specific a thrill as you’ll find anywhere in the region.
For the quieter version of the Poconos, the back roads between Hawley and Honesdale along Route 6 are lined with antique shops, independent bookstores, pottery studios, and candy factories. Callie’s Candy Kitchen in Mountainhome has been making candy by hand for decades and is worth a stop just to watch the operation. Promised Land State Park and Tobyhanna State Park offer miles of hiking through old-growth forest past beaver ponds and rock formations, with no admission fees and no crowds. They are the kind of parks that locals protect by not talking about them too much.
Things to Know
A few things worth knowing before you go: fall foliage in the Poconos runs from late September through mid-October and is among the best in the Northeast. The forested ridges turn every shade at once, and the back roads through the Delaware State Forest during peak color are genuinely remarkable — worth planning a trip around if the schedule allows. And whatever the season, the two-hour drive from New York or Philadelphia means a long weekend is the right unit of time. Leave on Friday afternoon and you’ll have two full days before the Sunday return. That is enough time to get on the water, cover a good trail, eat well twice, and come back with the specific kind of tired that only the mountains produce.
