Big Boulder Lake

American · Lake Harmony, PA

A casual Lake Harmony tavern serving burgers, steaks, and wings on a patio overlooking Big Boulder Lake.

Contemporary · Jim Thorpe, PA

An upscale, contemporary restaurant in Jim Thorpe known for ambitious, technique-driven cuisine—book ahead.

American / Gastropub · Pocono Lake, PA

A lively gastropub in Pocono Lake with a sprawling menu, closest full-service restaurant to Arrowhead Lake.

American / Bar · Lake Harmony, PA

A Lake Harmony institution since 1987, famed for live music, karaoke, and a lively lakeside nightclub scene.

American · Pocono Pines, PA

Family-friendly Pocono Pines spot serving all-day breakfast and casual American-Italian-seafood dinners for groups with mixed tastes.

Breakfast / American · Lake Harmony, PA

Casual all-day breakfast spot on the lake in Lake Harmony, known for generous portions and a family-friendly waterfront setting.

Gastropub · Jim Thorpe, PA

A well-reviewed, exposed-brick gastropub on Race Street serving farm-to-table pub fare like a local-beef burger.

American · Blakeslee, PA

Family-run Blakeslee restaurant and bar near Pocono Raceway known for hand-baked bread and award-winning chili.

Breakfast / American · Blakeslee, PA

Family-owned Blakeslee diner serving budget-friendly breakfast and lunch, famous for the Messy Mike sandwich and daily-baked pastries.

Breakfast / American · Jim Thorpe, PA

A cash-only, no-frills neighborhood diner near Jim Thorpe's main strip serving classic breakfast and lunch to a local crowd.

Steakhouse · Lake Harmony, PA

A well-reviewed Lake Harmony steakhouse serving dry-aged cuts and seafood towers for a dressed-up splurge dinner.

Cafe · Lake Harmony, PA

A cozy, well-reviewed cafe and gift shop near Big Boulder in Lake Harmony, perfect for a quick coffee or pastry stop.

Italian · Lake Harmony, PA

A casual, family-friendly Lake Harmony spot for classic Italian-American red-sauce favorites like baked ziti and chicken parmesan.

American · Lake Harmony, PA

Casual lake house restaurant near Lake Harmony serving burgers, seafood, and comfort food in a rustic, family-friendly setting.

Pizza / Italian · Blakeslee, PA

A family-run pizzeria near Blakeslee serving hand-tossed pies, hoagies, wings, and pasta for quick, casual takeout.

American / Pub · Jim Thorpe, PA

Jim Thorpe gastropub known for its poutine cheesesteak, lively bar, and casual pub-and-comfort-food menu.

Poutine Cheesesteak

Italian / Pizza · Jim Thorpe, PA

A casual downtown Jim Thorpe pizzeria serving pizza, hoagies, and Italian-American mains plus a full bar.

American / Pub · Lake Harmony, PA

A casual, no-reservation Lake Harmony pub with beer, wings, burgers, and a lively TV-lined room for big games.

American · Lake Harmony, PA

Casual waterfront bar-and-grill in Lake Harmony, popular with families and groups off the water.

· Lake Harmony, PA

A casual pub, golf simulator, and grocery-and-gift counter all in one at Split Rock Golf Club in Lake Harmony.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

An easy, centrally located American food stop right on Broadway in Jim Thorpe's walkable historic downtown.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A casual, unpretentious pub on Broadway in downtown Jim Thorpe, popular with locals and visitors alike.

Steakhouse · Jim Thorpe, PA

Casual Jim Thorpe steakhouse-pub combo, great for relaxed group dinners after a day of hiking.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A well-reviewed restaurant in walkable Jim Thorpe, PA, rated 4.4/5 on Google across over 1,000 reviews.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A locally loved restaurant on Broadway in downtown Jim Thorpe, rated 4.5/5 on Google and 4.3/5 on Yelp.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A casual pub-and-bar spot at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA, good for a relaxed meal or drink before a show.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A solid, unfussy restaurant on Route 903 just outside Jim Thorpe, PA, rated 4.3 on Google and Yelp.

Coffee & Ice Cream · Jim Thorpe, PA

A casual, budget-friendly coffee and ice cream shop on Broadway in walkable downtown Jim Thorpe.

Crepes & Bakery · Jim Thorpe, PA

A casual, budget-friendly Jim Thorpe bakery spot serving crepes and cakes, highly rated by locals and visitors alike.

American · White Haven, PA

Casual fine dining inside a restored early-1900s power plant in White Haven.

Farm-to-Table American · Blakeslee, PA

A women-owned, all-day brunch spot built around scratch-made Southern comfort food.

Brewery Taproom · Tannersville, PA

16 taps of Barley Creek's own award-winning beer at the Crossings Premium Outlets.

A 6.5-mile out-and-back hike to the Boulder Field National Natural Landmark, a stark, treeless ice-age rock expanse.

An easy 1.2-mile round-trip hike in Hickory Run State Park to a scenic 25-foot waterfall.

A flat, easy 26-mile rail-trail along the Lehigh River, great for families, strollers, and bikes.

Once one of Pennsylvania's most photographed trails, Glen Onoko Falls has been officially closed since 2015 due to numerous fatalities and rescues — do not attempt it.

An easy, wide 4.62-mile dirt trail near Big Boulder Lake, great for groups, runners, and dog walkers.

An easy 3.3-mile dirt trail tracing General Harry C. Trexler's old game preserve fence line near Big Boulder Lake.

An easy 1.32-mile dirt trail through a former picnic area, great for butterfly watching and families.

A short but difficult 1.58-mile dirt loop near Big Boulder Lake, connecting to Hawk Falls Trail and Mud Run fishing access.

A 2.66-mile moderate dirt hike near Big Boulder Lake passing a wooden water tower and 1930s-40s CCC/WPA waterlines.

A short but difficult 1.37-mile dirt trail near Big Boulder Lake, passing remains of early 1800s logging mills and dams.

A moderate 2.08-mile dirt trail off Fireline Trail offering a ridge view over the Lehigh River.

A easy-rated loop in Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area, running 2.2 miles with about 150 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated out-and-back route in Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area, running 2.3 miles with about 118 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated loop in Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area, running 0.8 miles with about 68 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated loop in Thomas Darling Preserve, running 2 miles with about 68 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Thomas Darling Preserve, running 2.5 miles with about 85 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Pocono Lake, running 2.4 miles with about 203 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Maple Tract Preserve, running 1.9 miles with about 55 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 12.4 miles with about 219 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A difficult-rated loop in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 2.1 miles with about 879 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A difficult-rated loop in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 1.5 miles with about 702 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A difficult-rated loop in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 1.7 miles with about 849 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated point-to-point route in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 24.4 miles with about 734 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated loop in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 7.2 miles with about 1099 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 3.7 miles with about 134 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Lehigh Gorge State Park, running 1.2 miles with about 19 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated out-and-back route in Jim Thorpe, running 1.4 miles with about 492 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated loop in Mauch Chunk Lake Park, running 10.5 miles with about 751 ft of elevation gain.

A moderate-rated loop in Mauch Chunk Lake Park, running 7.2 miles with about 583 ft of elevation gain.

A moderate-rated out-and-back route in Hickory Run State Park, running 1.4 miles with about 229 ft of elevation gain.

A moderate-rated loop in Hickory Run State Park, running 5.3 miles with about 849 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated loop in Hickory Run State Park, running 7.3 miles with about 820 ft of elevation gain.

A moderate-rated loop in Hickory Run State Park, running 8 miles with about 1079 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A difficult-rated loop in Hickory Run State Park, running 11.5 miles with about 1528 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Hickory Run State Park, running 1.4 miles with about 127 ft of elevation gain.

A moderate-rated loop in Pinchot State Forest, running 8.6 miles with about 469 ft of elevation gain. Part of the Pinchot Trail system near Thornhurst/Gouldsboro. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated loop in Pinchot State Forest, running 8.8 miles with about 492 ft of elevation gain. Part of the Pinchot Trail system near Thornhurst/Gouldsboro. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated loop in Hickory Run State Park, running 3.8 miles with about 223 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Hauser Nature Center, running 1.9 miles with about 32 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Dixon Miller Recreation Area, running 2.5 miles with about 393 ft of elevation gain.

Pocono Raceway

Motorsports Seasonal (Race Weekends, May–July)

A 2.5-mile tri-oval known as "The Tricky Triangle," hosting NASCAR Cup Series race weekends each summer alongside track tours and driving experiences on off-weekends. The track's unusual asymmetric layout, with three distinct turns of different radii and banking, is part of what makes it a favorite among drivers and fans alike, and race weekends bring a full festival atmosphere with camping, vendors, and concerts alongside the racing itself. Off-season track tours and ride-along experiences let non-race-weekend visitors get a taste of the track at speed.

Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway

Scenic Railway Seasonal (Spring–Fall, plus Holiday Trains)

Vintage passenger trains departing from Jim Thorpe's restored 1888 station, following the Lehigh River through Lehigh Gorge State Park with narrated views of whitewater and old canal ruins below. The route runs along tracks that once carried coal out of the region, and the narration covers both the natural scenery and the area's industrial history as the train winds through the gorge. Seasonal holiday-themed trains add a festive option in late fall and winter alongside the standard scenic runs.

Skirmish Paintball

Outdoor Recreation Seasonal (Weekends, Spring–Fall)

Billed as the birthplace of paintball, this sprawling wooded property offers dozens of themed playing fields for groups, from wooded bunkers to mock village scenarios. The sheer number of distinct fields means a full-day group visit rarely repeats the same setting twice, and the site's history as the location of the first organized paintball game in 1981 gives it a genuine claim to the sport's origin. Equipment rental and package options make it easy for a group to show up without any gear of their own.

Pocono Whitewater

Water Sports Seasonal (Spring–Fall)

Guided whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River, with a family-friendly stretch of calmer rapids alongside more technical runs for experienced paddlers. Summer trips wrap up with a riverside barbecue and bonfire at the outfitter's Jim Thorpe base. Trip length and difficulty vary by season and release schedule, since much of the river's flow depends on scheduled dam releases upstream — the outfitter can match a group to the right trip based on experience level and how much whitewater everyone's up for.

Daisy Field Farm Horseback Riding

Horseback Riding Year-Round (Sleigh Rides Winter Only)

A family-owned working farm outside White Haven offering guided trail rides across its wooded and open acreage, with routes that pass a sunflower field and range from short scenic loops to longer guided rides. Beyond standard trail rides, the farm runs pony rides for younger visitors, carriage rides, and — once the snow arrives — horse-drawn sleigh rides, so it has an option across most of the year rather than being a single-season stop. Riders should plan ahead: the farm operates by appointment, and there's a minimum age of 8 and a maximum rider weight of 265 lbs.

Alvin's Offroad Playground

Outdoor Recreation

An off-road playground in Long Pond.

Jim Thorpe Trolley Company

Natural Attraction

Narrated trolley tours through the historic town of Jim Thorpe.

Pocono Outdoor Adventure Tours

Outdoor Recreation

Guided outdoor adventure tours based in Long Pond.

Spruce Ridge Reindeer

Natural Attraction

A hands-on, educational experience with reindeer — one of the most mystical and magical animals of the Arctic. Gift shop on premise.

Wonderland on Broadway

Casino & Entertainment

A family entertainment attraction on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Lake Harmony Watersports

Water Sports

A watersports rental outfitter on Lake Harmony.

Peaceful Woodlands Campground

Outdoor Recreation

Family-friendly wooded camping close to Pocono attractions. RV and tent sites, cabin rentals, heated pool.

Captain Joe's Fishing & Waterman Services

Fishing Guide Service

Guided fishing services on Lake Harmony.

Pocono Outdoor Adventure Paintball

Outdoor Recreation

A paintball facility in Long Pond.

Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area

Natural Attraction

A natural area in Blakeslee.

Precision Fly and Tackle - Evening Hatch

Fishing Guide Service

A fly fishing and tackle shop on Lake Harmony.

Pocono Biking

Outdoor Recreation

Hourly and full day Trek bicycle rentals, shuttle services, 2-day, 4-day, and 6-day Inn-to-Inn tours, bike train rides, and multisport adventures including rafting, hiking and paintball.

100 Mile View Camping & Winery

Outdoor Recreation

A camping and winery property in Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe Camping Resort

Outdoor Recreation

A campground resort in Jim Thorpe.

Pocono Fly Fishing

Fishing Guide Service

A fly fishing guide service in Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe Horse Adventures

Horseback Riding

A horseback riding outfitter in Jim Thorpe.

Asa Packer Mansion

Historic Home Built 1861

The Victorian mansion of railroad and coal magnate Asa Packer, founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University, preserved largely as the family left it. Guided tours move through the original 1860s furnishings on a hillside overlooking downtown Jim Thorpe. Little has been changed since the Packer family's era, down to the original wallpaper and furnishings, which gives the tour an unusually authentic, lived-in feel compared to many historic house museums. The hillside setting also offers some of the best views of Jim Thorpe's Victorian downtown from anywhere in town.

Old Jail Museum

Museum Built 1871

The former Carbon County prison, now a museum best known for the seven Molly Maguires hanged here in 1877 and a disputed handprint said to remain on a cell wall. Tours move through the dungeon cells and the warden's quarters. Beyond the well-known handprint legend, the museum covers the broader story of the Molly Maguires — Irish immigrant coal miners convicted amid a controversial 19th-century labor conflict — alongside a look at daily prison life from the building's decades of active use. The dungeon-level cells in particular give a vivid, sometimes unsettling sense of period incarceration conditions.

Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center

Museum

A museum and cultural center on West Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Old Mauch Chunk Landing

Historic Home

The former NJ Central Railroad Station in Jim Thorpe.

The Stabin Museum

Museum

A museum dedicated to the illustration work of artist Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell's collaborator Arthur Stabin, on West Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Historic Stone Row

Historic Home

A row of 19th-century stone rowhouses on Race Street in Jim Thorpe, built to house employees of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company.

Harry Packer Mansion

Historic Home

A Victorian mansion built for Asa Packer's son Harry, now operating as an inn, on Packer Avenue in Jim Thorpe.

Resort

Three distinct nine-hole courses — Divide, Fairway, and Orchard — set across rolling Pocono terrain at Split Rock Resort, with sweeping mountain views from several elevated tees. Having three nines to mix and match gives golfers flexibility to play a quicker round or combine courses for a full 18 with varied scenery and difficulty. The resort setting also makes it easy to pair a round with other Split Rock amenities for a fuller day.

Championship

An 18-hole championship course carved into the mountainside at Jack Frost Mountain, known for dramatic elevation changes and holes routed through native rock outcroppings. The mountain terrain gives the course a genuinely distinctive character compared to typical Pocono golf — expect significant elevation shifts hole to hole and tee shots framed by exposed rock formations rather than flat fairways. It's considered one of the more challenging, memorable rounds in the region and tends to draw serious golfers willing to make the trip specifically for it.

Historic Downtown Jim Thorpe

Historic District

A walkable Victorian-era streetscape of independent boutiques, galleries, and antique shops lining Broadway and Race Street, set against the town's dramatic hillside architecture. The shopping here is inseparable from the setting — narrow, hilly streets lined with 19th-century buildings that make browsing feel more like exploring a small historic town than running errands. It's easily combined with a meal or a stop at one of the town's museums for a half-day spent entirely on foot downtown.

Antiques Queen

Antique Shop

A well-loved antique shop above Jim Thorpe's Broadway storefronts, packed with curated vintage finds, jewelry, and collectibles from the town's Victorian heyday. The upstairs location and dense, curated layout give it a bit of a treasure-hunt feel, rewarding visitors willing to spend real time browsing rather than a quick in-and-out stop. Given Jim Thorpe's Victorian-era history, the inventory here tends to have more genuine period character than typical antique-mall finds.

Pocono Mountain Provisions

Artisan Marketplace

A provisions shop in Pocono Lake.

Jim Thorpe Guns & Ammo

Artisan Marketplace

A gun shop on Center Street in Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe House of Jerky

Artisan Marketplace

A jerky and specialty snack shop on Broadway Street in Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe Olive Oil Co.

Artisan Marketplace

A specialty olive oil shop on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Jingle Bells Christmas Shoppe

Artisan Marketplace

Created out of love for the celebration of the most magical time of year — ornaments, candles, clocks, greenery, and nostalgia year-round.

Local Fair

Artisan Marketplace

A shop featuring locally made goods on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Fireworks Outlet - Mount Pocono

Artisan Marketplace

A fireworks outlet location in Pocono Summit.

Pocono Mountain Dairies

Farmers Market

A dairy farm and market in Blakeslee.

Pohopoco Creek Alpacas

475 ft Vertical 10 Lifts

Pennsylvania's first commercial ski resort, Big Boulder is the more beginner-friendly half of the Jack Frost Big Boulder operation, with a compact 15-trail layout well suited to families and first-timers. The resort's history as the state's original commercial ski slope gives it a foundational role in Pennsylvania skiing, and its more compact, gentler terrain compared to sister resort Jack Frost makes it a natural choice for a family group with mixed skiing experience. Ten lifts keep wait times manageable even without the trail count of the region's larger resorts.

475 ft Vertical 10 Lifts

Paired with Big Boulder under the same Vail-owned operation, Jack Frost skews toward intermediate and advanced terrain across 21 trails, with a summit elevation of 2,175 feet and a quieter, more spread-out feel than Camelback. The combination ticket with Big Boulder gives skiers access to two distinct trail systems and difficulty profiles on the same pass, and Jack Frost's generally smaller crowds make for a more relaxed day on the mountain than the region's busier resorts.

Bright Path Brewing

Brewery

A multi-generational, locally owned Jim Thorpe brewery specializing in low-ABV, session-style ales, with a taproom in the historic district and a rotating food truck out front. The focus on session-style, lower-alcohol beers makes it a good stop for an afternoon of steady drinking without the effects of higher-ABV craft beer, and the rotating food truck means there's usually something to eat on-site without needing to plan a separate meal. Its historic-district taproom location makes it an easy add-on to a Jim Thorpe shopping or dining day.

Session Ales

Mad Hatter Winery & Smokehouse

Winery

A winery and smokehouse on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Mauch Chunk Brewery

Brewery

A craft brewery on Race Street in Jim Thorpe.

Nomad Distilling Co.

Winery & Brewery

A craft distillery on Race Street in Jim Thorpe.

Wild Elder Wine and Cider Co.

Winery & Cidery

A winery and cidery on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Blue Ridge Winery

First Three Weekends of October Downtown Jim Thorpe

One of the region's largest and longest-running fall festivals, filling Jim Thorpe's Victorian-era downtown with craft and food vendors, live music across multiple stages, and scenic train rides against a backdrop of peak foliage on the Lehigh Gorge hillsides. Spanning the first three weekends of October, it lines up almost exactly with peak foliage season, and the combination of a historic downtown backdrop and genuinely large-scale vendor and music programming makes it one of the most popular fall events in the entire region. Expect significant crowds and plan parking accordingly on festival weekends.

Carbon County Est. 1945

At nearly 16,000 acres, Hickory Run is one of the largest state parks in the region, built around the Boulder Field — a 16-acre, nearly 1,800-foot-wide expanse of boulders left behind by glacial activity more than 20,000 years ago and designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967. More than 40 miles of trails also lead to Hawk Falls and some of the Poconos' best trout streams. The park's sheer scale means it can absorb a full day or more without repeating scenery — from the otherworldly Boulder Field to shaded streamside trails to open picnic areas — and its status as a National Natural Landmark gives the boulder field a scientific significance beyond its striking appearance. Camping, fishing licenses, and picnic pavilions are all available on-site, making it a workable base for a group planning more than a single afternoon visit, and the trail network is well-signed enough that self-guided exploring is easy even for first-time visitors.

Hiking · Trout Fishing · Camping · Picnicking

Carbon/Luzerne County Est. 1980

A steep-walled, 32-mile river gorge following the Lehigh River from the Francis E. Walter Dam south to Jim Thorpe, carrying a heavy industrial history of coal-era canals and railroads whose stone ruins are still visible along the banks. The flat, converted rail-trail and the river itself make it the region's central corridor for whitewater rafting and long-distance biking. The gorge's dramatic, steep-walled terrain is a genuine visual standout in a region more defined by rolling hills than sheer drops, and the combination of a flat rail-trail alongside a genuine whitewater river gives it two very different ways to experience the same landscape. Multiple access points along its length mean a group can choose a short rail-trail stroll near Jim Thorpe or commit to a much longer point-to-point bike ride or raft trip, depending on how much of the day they want to spend in the gorge.

Whitewater Rafting · Biking · Hiking · Fishing