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.

· 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.

American / Italian · Nesquehoning, PA

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

· Summit Hill, PA

A restaurant in Summit Hill, PA.

· 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 restaurant in walkable Jim Thorpe, PA.

· Jim Thorpe, PA

A locally loved restaurant on Broadway in downtown Jim Thorpe.

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.

· 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.

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 by the Pennsylvania Game Commission since May 1, 2019, 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.

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

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

An 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.

An 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.

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

An 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.

An 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.

An 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.

An 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.

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

An 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.

An 8.5-mile, most-difficult loop above the Lehigh River in Lehigh Gorge State Park.

A 0.8-mile, most-difficult trail to vistas above the Lehigh River, reached from the Bald Mountain Loop Trail.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train

Coal Mine Tour Seasonal (April–November)

An anthracite coal mine tour in Ashland, about 35 to 40 miles by road from Jim Thorpe and Mauch Chunk 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 pairing with Jim Thorpe's own coal-era 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. Fall 2026 (Autumn Leaf schedule): daily from September 26 through November 15, with 45-minute round trips; standard coach $25 per adult and $9 per child aged 3-12, open-air car $28 and $10, children 2 and under free with a ticket. Presale tickets cover trains up to 3:00 PM; later trains are sold same day at the Jim Thorpe booth. The regular 70-minute ride resumes November 16. Source: the railway's Autumn Leaf 2026 page (lgsry.com), retrieved October 18, 2026.

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 real 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.

Jim Thorpe Trolley Company

Natural Attraction

Narrated trolley tours through the historic town of Jim Thorpe.

Narrow Valley Sportsplex

Outdoor Recreation

A sportsplex in Nesquehoning.

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 four of the Molly Maguires hanged here on June 21, 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 Opened 1855

A former Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company anthracite mine in Lansford that opened in 1855, worked until 1972, and reopened for tours in 2002 under the Panther Creek Valley Foundation. Guided one-hour tours ride a mine train about 1,600 feet into the mountain, then continue on foot past the mule-way and an underground hospital, in cool conditions of roughly 50 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit. A self-guided museum in the original 1912 wash shanty covers miners' lives. The attraction is seasonal, roughly April to November, so confirm hours before visiting.

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

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.

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

The Mad Hatter Winery & Smokehouse is a family-owned restaurant and wine bar at 111 Broadway in Jim Thorpe that pairs its own wines, made from local grapes, with smoked meats and seafood. The decor plays on the Alice in Wonderland theme its name suggests. The menu centers on the smoker, with pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, ribs, and smoked salmon and catfish, supported by soups, salads, sides, and gluten-free and vegetarian options. Sundays start with a breakfast service, and there is live entertainment on weekends. Seating includes an outdoor porch, and the restaurant welcomes both families and dogs, which makes it one of the easier sit-down meals on Broadway for groups traveling with children or pets. It is closed early in the week, so check the schedule before planning a visit around it.

House Wines and Smoked Meats

Mauch Chunk Brewery

Brewery

Mauch Chunk Brewery is a small brewery and taproom at 67 Race Street in the historic center of Jim Thorpe, named for the town's original name. It is one of the newer places to drink in town, appearing in 2025. The house list sticks mostly to approachable styles: IPAs including a hazy version, lagers and a pilsner, a wheat beer named for Race Street, a bock and a seasonal Oktoberfest. House ciders, including a honey lavender cider, give non-beer drinkers an option. The kitchen serves comfort food for dine-in or takeout, and there is limited outdoor seating. Race Street runs off Broadway, so it is an easy addition to a walk through the downtown shops and restaurants, and it works well for a casual lunch or an afternoon pint between other stops in town.

Craft Beer and Cider

Nomad Distilling Co.

Distillery

Nomad Distilling Co. is a family-owned craft distillery founded in 2018 by Frank and Sarah Kudlack, who bought the former Mountain Top Distillery outside Williamsport and named the business after their own moves around the country. The Jim Thorpe tasting room opened in 2022 and is one of several, alongside Williamsport and New Hope. It works as a tasting bar and bottle shop: visitors can sample the roughly ten house spirits, order a mixed cocktail, or buy bottles, canned cocktails and gift boxes to take home. The range covers bourbon and whiskey, a bramble that blends wine and spirit, and several flavored moonshines, with seasonal releases rotating through. It is a compact stop that fits easily between other downtown visits. The Kudlacks have deepened their ties to the town since opening and in 2025 also bought Kelly Suites on Broadway, a small historic inn.

Small-Batch Whiskey and Moonshine

Radical Wine Company

Winery

Radical Wine Company is an urban-style winery in Mahoning Township, just outside Lehighton, founded in 2014 by Brandon and Kate Borger. Working like a craft brewery, it sources grapes from established growing regions and makes small batches on site, with a list of roughly 20 wines that leans toward sweet and semi-sweet styles but includes dry reds and whites. Several specialty wines raise money for local animal shelters and rescues. Beyond wine by the glass, the menu covers sangrias, wine slushies, Pennsylvania draft beer and cocktails. A popular novelty is the float flight: wine-infused soft-serve ice cream topped with a choice of wines or sangrias. Seating is first come, first served, indoors and outdoors. The winery hosts live music and food truck nights through the year, so check the schedule if you want to eat on site.

Sweet Wines, Sangrias and Slushies

Wild Elder Wine and Cider Co.

Winery & Cidery

Wild Elder Wine and Cider Co. is a small winery and cidery with a tasting room at 76 Broadway in Jim Thorpe's historic district, run by winemaker Josh Finsel and Amber Finsel. Finsel learned folk winemaking from his father, and the business makes wine and cider from native, wild and locally grown fruit, herbs and flowers from the Lehigh River Valley. Elderberry is the signature fruit, used in its wines and in a sparkling Elderberry Cider Brut, alongside an Apple Cider Brut made in a dry, champagne style. Other pours have included dandelion, black currant and blueberry ciders and grape wines. The tasting room serves flights, cider cocktails and mocktails, with an eatery menu that includes charcuterie and desserts. Seating includes tables out front and a back patio that hosts live music, and the shop holds community events such as First Friday artist receptions.

Elderberry Wines and Sparkling Ciders

Wine & More on 1st

Wine Shop

Wine & More on 1st is a tasting room in a historic 14,000-square-foot former furniture store on South First Street in downtown Lehighton, opened in May 2021 by owner Tina Henninger. It does not make its own wine. Instead it pours and sells wines from Stone Mountain Wine Cellars, a family farm winery in Pine Grove, ranging from very dry reds to sweet fruit wines, along with local spirits and wine slushies. The same building houses its sister business, Carbon Craft Beer Taproom, which pours Pennsylvania craft beer. The approach is try before you buy: samples first, then a glass or a bottle. There is no kitchen, and guests are welcome to bring their own food or order from nearby restaurants. Well-behaved pets are allowed. The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau currently lists it as temporarily closed for renovations, with plans to reopen in 2027 with a brewery, winery and new food options, so check before visiting.

Pennsylvania Wine Tastings

Cellar Beast Winehouse

Winery

Cellar Beast Winehouse in Jim Thorpe is the satellite tasting room of Cellar Beast, a veteran- and woman-owned winery founded in 2021 in Andreas, in Schuylkill County. It opened in May 2026 inside The Y on Broadway hotel at 69 Broadway, in the center of the historic district. The wines are made in Pennsylvania from grapes bought from West Coast vineyards, mostly in Washington and Oregon, in a French-influenced, fruit-focused style. The list covers reds such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, along with Chardonnay, rosé and sparkling wine. Guests can order a glass, share a bottle or work through a tasting, and a small selection of beer and cocktails covers anyone not drinking wine. An outdoor patio looks onto downtown Broadway. Visitors who want to see where the wine is made can continue on to the main winery in Andreas.

West Coast Grape Wines

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. For 2026 it is listed for Saturdays and Sundays from September 26 to October 25, with general admission at $15 and children under 2 free. New for 2026 are a Wizard of Oz hayride, a Tricky Trail Maze and a Bigfoot-themed paintball run.

Saturday, October 17 (2026), 10 AM to 2 PM Blue Mountain Resort Adventure Center

A one-day coffee festival at the Adventure Center at the base of Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton, with a sampling passport for trying coffee from local roasters and voting for Best Seasonal, Best Iced and Best Hot. Seven roasters are listed: Colombia Green Harvest, Matcha Cat, Nowhere Coffee Co., OKAO Coffee & Tea, Onward Coffee, River Rock Bean + Brew and Simple Infusions, alongside local craft vendors with handmade goods. Wonton Soups play live from 11 AM to 2 PM, scenic lift rides run 10 AM to 4:30 PM, and food and pastries are for sale. The resort lists a Brew Pass at $12 and a Brew & View Combo Pass at $22, with children 12 and under free, and says all tickets must be purchased online. Source: the resort's own event page (skibluemt.com), retrieved October 9, 2026; the page gives the date as Saturday, October 17 without printing the year, and October 17 falls on a Saturday in 2026. Parking and rain plan are not stated.

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 County Est. 1972

Built around a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control dam completed in 1972, Beltzville State Park covers 3,002 acres in the southern foothills of the Poconos, centered on the 949-acre Beltzville Lake and its 19.8 miles of shoreline. The farming village of Big Creek Valley was vacated in 1966 to make way for the dam, and the park opened to the public on Memorial Day weekend of 1972. A 525-foot sand beach with a bathhouse is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, and a seasonal boat rental concession rents kayaks, paddleboats, rowboats and pontoon boats. Two boat launches (Pine Run and Preachers Camp), four reservable picnic pavilions and 16.6 miles of trails across ten named routes round out the park. The lake is stocked with trout, bass, walleye and muskellunge, and about 1,707 acres of the park are open to hunting in season. The park sits five miles east of Lehighton, just off US 209. A covered bridge built in 1841 by local craftsman Jacob Buck was relocated between the picnic areas and the beach and is now pedestrian-only, and the park's Environmental Interpretive Center hosts educational programs. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, and pets must be leashed and are not allowed in swimming areas.

Swimming · Boating · Fishing · Hiking · Picnicking · Hunting