The JournalA three-state view from the summit of Camelback Mountain, reachable by a 1.4-mile paved drive — the Poconos' most efficient scenic overlook.
Big Pocono State Park occupies the summit of Camelback Mountain, established in 1954 and jointly maintained by PA DCNR and Camelback Ski Corporation — an unusual arrangement that keeps the park genuinely accessible even with a private resort operating on the same mountain. At 1,305 acres, it's a compact park built almost entirely around one thing: the view.
A 1.4-mile paved drive circles the summit, opening views in every direction — on a clear day, you can see the Delaware Water Gap along with portions of New Jersey and New York, in addition to a wide stretch of eastern Pennsylvania. Beyond the drive, 8.5 miles of hiking trails and mountain biking routes cover the rest of the park, with three picnic areas for groups who want to make a full stop of it. The park closes seasonally, from early December through the first week of April, so it's strictly a warm-weather addition to a stay.
Because the summit sits directly above Camelback Resort, Big Pocono pairs naturally with everything else we already feature near our Lake Naomi destination — Camelback Mountain Adventures, Camelbeach, and Pocono TreeVentures are all minutes away, making the summit drive an easy, low-effort add-on to a day already built around that area.