Mauch Chunk Lake

Contemporary · Jim Thorpe, PA

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

American · Tamaqua, PA

Upscale American dining in a restored 1874 railroad station where excursion trains still depart.

Gastropub · Jim Thorpe, PA

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

New American · Pottsville, PA

A lively New American restaurant and bar spanning three connected buildings in downtown Pottsville.

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.

Farm-to-Table American · Tamaqua, PA

Family-owned farm-to-table spot known for creative burgers made from beef raised on the owners' own Tamaqua farm.

Spicy Peach Burger

Mexican · Tamaqua, PA

A lively Mexican and Tex-Mex spot on Tamaqua's main strip serving tacos, burritos, and margaritas.

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.

· Lansford, PA

A casual, well-loved pub in Lansford, PA, ideal for a relaxed drink after exploring the southern Poconos coal region.

· Lehighton, PA

A casual restaurant at Country Junction in Lehighton, good for an easy mid-outing meal in Carbon County.

· Lehighton, PA

A casual American pub and grill in Lehighton, popular with locals and highly rated on Google and Yelp.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

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

· Palmerton, PA

A well-reviewed inn and restaurant in Palmerton, PA, offering a sit-down meal with the option of a room upstairs.

· Weissport, PA

A well-reviewed Weissport restaurant (4.8 on Google), conveniently located near Jim Thorpe and the Lehigh Gorge corridor.

American / Italian · Nesquehoning, PA

Upscale American-Italian restaurant in Nesquehoning, PA, known for fine dining, events, and large groups.

· Summit Hill, PA

A Summit Hill, PA restaurant with a strong 4.5-star Google rating from 253 reviews.

· 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.

Pub · Lehighton, PA

A casual, mid-range pub & restaurant in Lehighton, popular for easygoing meals and drinks after a day on the trails.

· Lehighton, PA

A casual, unfussy pub-style tavern in Lehighton, highly rated by locals for drinks and straightforward food.

· 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.

American · Palmerton, PA

Casual mountaintop pub at Blue Mountain Resort where every table has endless Pocono views.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

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

· Weissport, PA

A casual Weissport café and goods shop for coffee, a bite, or browsing, no reservation needed.

· Lehighton, PA

Casual market-and-eatery combo in Lehighton with no reservation needed, popular for relaxed lunches.

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 Pub Fare · Palmerton, PA

Mountain-view burgers and live music at the base of Blue Mountain Resort.

New American Gastropub · Jim Thorpe, PA

A classy-casual gastropub inside two 1880s row homes in downtown Jim Thorpe.

American Bar & Grill · Lansford, PA

An '80s-themed bar with karaoke, live music, and a full steak-and-cheesesteak menu.

A challenging white-blazed 2.2-mile dirt loop climbing a ridge above Locust Lake with valley views and fall color.

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.

A moderate-rated loop in Locust Lake State Park, running 3.6 miles with about 515 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Locust Lake State Park, running 3.5 miles with about 216 ft of elevation gain.

A easy-rated loop in Tamaqua, running 1.8 miles with about 42 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

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 easy-rated out-and-back route in Flagstaff Mountain Park, running 4.7 miles with about 255 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated out-and-back route in Tuscarora State Park, running 7.1 miles with about 462 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated loop in Tuscarora State Park, running 3.2 miles with about 344 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A moderate-rated loop in Tuscarora State Park, running 5.5 miles with about 423 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in Tuscarora State Park, running 3.6 miles with about 229 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated loop in Beltzville State Park, running 1.7 miles with about 98 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

A easy-rated out-and-back route in State Game Lands Number 141, running 3.3 miles with about 219 ft of elevation gain. Consistently well-rated by AllTrails hikers.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train

Coal Mine Tour Seasonal (April–November)

A genuine anthracite coal mine tour 20 miles from Locust Lake, riding a mine car 1,800 feet into the side of Mahanoy Mountain on a 35-minute underground tour led by former miners. Back above ground, the Henry Clay — a restored 1920s narrow-gauge steam locomotive — loops around the mountain past the exposed Mammoth Vein coal seam. It's one of the most authentic coal-heritage experiences left in Pennsylvania, and a natural full-circle stop given Locust Lake's own mining and logging history.

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.

Jim Thorpe Trolley Company

Natural Attraction

Narrated trolley tours through the historic town of Jim Thorpe.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Natural Attraction Year-Round

A nature center and preserve in Slatington.

Narrow Valley Sportsplex

Outdoor Recreation

A sportsplex in Nesquehoning.

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.

Pocono Mountain Zipline

Adventure Park

Fly over 900 feet, 8 stories high, at speeds up to 30MPH — the only zipline in the Jim Thorpe area, just 5 miles from downtown.

Summit Adventure Park at Blue Mountain Resort

Adventure Park

An adventure park at Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton.

Adventure Center at Whitewater Challengers

Adventure Park

A biking, camping, and adventure center in Weatherly.

Blue Mountain Resort Downhill Mountain Biking

Outdoor Recreation Seasonal

Downhill mountain biking trails at Blue Mountain Resort.

Jim Thorpe River Adventures

Water Sports

A biking and river outfitter in Lehighton.

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.

Don Laine Campground

Outdoor Recreation

Pool, playground, pickleball, wooded and open sites, big rigs — weekend activities with bands & DJs.

Jim Thorpe Camping Resort

Outdoor Recreation

A campground resort in Jim Thorpe.

RoundStone Camping Resort

Outdoor Recreation

A camping resort in Weatherly.

Whitewater Rafting Adventures

Water Sports Seasonal (April–October)

The premier outdoor adventure center in the Pocono Mountains, located 5 miles from downtown Jim Thorpe, offering mild to wild rafting trips.

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.

Pocono Mountain Paintball

Outdoor Recreation

Shoot your friends and get away with it — great for birthday parties, bachelor parties, and team building.

Carbon County Environmental Education Center

Natural Attraction

An environmental education center in Summit Hill.

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.

No. 9 Coal Mine & Museum

Museum

A former anthracite coal mine and museum in Lansford.

Old Mauch Chunk Landing

Historic Home

The former NJ Central Railroad Station in Jim Thorpe.

Palmerton Area Heritage Center

Museum

A local heritage museum in Palmerton.

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.

Carbon County Courthouse

Dimmick Memorial Library

Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

St. Mark and St. John Episcopal Church

Switchback Railroad Trail

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.

Kowalonek's Kielbasy Shop

Specialty Food Shop

A family-run kielbasy shop dating to 1911, still smoking its Polish sausage in a small cherry-wood smoke shack down the street from the store, much as founder Joseph Kowalonek did four generations ago. People drive in from well outside Schuylkill County for the kielbasy alone, and the small-town storefront has barely changed since the shop moved to its current corner in the early 20th century. It's a genuine slice of the region's coal-country immigrant history, and a good stop to stock the kitchen with something the rest of the group won't have tried before.

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.

Anthracite Vintage Mercantile & Auctions

Antique Shop

Rare finds and nostalgic mementos, from furniture to décor, in Lehighton.

Bronson EBikes

Artisan Marketplace

Electric bike rentals in Weissport, perfect for riding the scenic D&L Trail along the Lehigh River.

Country Junction World's Largest General Store

Outlet Mall

Billed as the world's largest general store, in Lehighton.

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.

Walker's Tree Farm

Farmers Market

A tree farm in Lehighton.

Yenser's Tree Farm

Farmers Market

A tree farm in Lehighton.

Bronson EBikes & Trikes

Pose Mortem Portrait Parlor

Renewed Life Marketplace

Alchemy Lounge

Day Spa

A day spa and lounge in Lehighton.

The Spa at the Y / Jim Thorpe Massage & Wellness Studio

Massage & Bodywork

A massage and wellness studio on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

1082 ft Vertical 16 Lifts

The tallest vertical drop in Pennsylvania at 1,082 feet, with 40 trails across the Lehigh Valley side of the Poconos — a short drive from Jim Thorpe and a favorite for guests who want more advanced terrain than the region's other resorts typically offer. The state's tallest vertical translates into longer, more sustained runs than anywhere else nearby, and the trail mix includes genuinely steep, advanced terrain alongside the usual beginner and intermediate options. Sixteen lifts keep the mountain moving even on its busiest days.

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

Yuengling Brewery

Brewery

Founded in 1829 by German immigrant David G. Yuengling, this is America's oldest operating brewery, still family-owned six generations later. Free 75-minute tours run several times a day, leading through hand-dug 19th-century fermentation caves, the restored original brewhouse, and the modern bottling line still in daily use, finishing with a tasting of two beers. It's less a brewery stop than a genuine piece of American brewing history, and it's worth booking ahead of a Locust Lake visit since weekend tour slots fill quickly.

America's Oldest Brewery

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.

Radical Wine Company

Winery

An urban winery in Lehighton with 20+ wines and mix & match flights of draft beer, slushies, sangrias, and wine-infused soft-serve ice cream, year-round.

Wild Elder Wine and Cider Co.

Winery & Cidery

A winery and cidery on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

Wine & More on 1st

Winery

A wine shop on 1st Street in Lehighton.

Cellar Beast Winehouse

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.

Late September Through Late October Country Junction

A month-long fall celebration at Country Junction — billed as the world's largest general store — with carnival rides, pumpkin picking, live entertainment, and seasonal food running most weekends through the end of October. The month-long run, rather than a single weekend, makes it easy to work into almost any fall itinerary without needing to hit an exact date, and the general-store setting adds a genuinely unique shopping stop alongside the usual festival attractions. It's a strong option for a group with kids given the carnival rides and pumpkin-picking focus.

Schuylkill County Est. 1972

A 1,772-acre park built around the 52-acre Locust Lake in Pennsylvania's Schuylkill County coal region, reclaimed from logged-over, flood-prone forest after the Commonwealth purchased the land from the Marchalonis family in 1966. The park officially opened on June 10, 1972, and today offers two campgrounds flanking the lake, a swimming beach open Memorial Day through Labor Day, and trails ranging from an easy paved loop around the water to a steeper ridge circuit through mature deciduous forest. Year-round fishing for brown trout, brook trout, bass, and panfish draws anglers even outside camping season, and the lake's spring-fed water stays notably clear for a park built on former mining land. Its Schuylkill County setting makes it a genuine change of scenery from the glacial lakes further north in Monroe and Pike counties.

Hiking · Camping · Boating · Fishing · Swimming

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

Carbon County Est. 1972

Built around a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control dam completed in 1972, Beltzville centers on the 949-acre Beltzville Lake and its 19.8 miles of shoreline — the site of a former farming village vacated for the dam's construction. A guarded sand beach and 15 miles of trails make it one of the more full-service state parks near Jim Thorpe. The guarded beach in particular sets it apart from many of the region's other lakes, making it a genuinely reliable swimming destination, and the substantial shoreline gives boaters and anglers plenty of room to spread out even on busy summer days. Multiple boat launches, picnic areas, and a marina with rental options round out the park's amenities, making it one of the easier parks in the region to show up to without much advance planning.

Swimming · Boating · Fishing · Camping