OccasionsThanksgiving · Christmas · New Year's · Groups of 15–30Holiday Gatherings
The Holidays, Away From Home
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's weekends in the Poconos can mean snow, winter trails and festive small towns. Plan early: many restaurants and attractions change hours or close on holidays, so confirm with each venue before you go.
Planning Notes
What to Keep in Mind
01
Check Holiday Hours
Restaurants and attractions often run reduced hours or close entirely. Confirm before you plan around them.
02
Winter Changes the Map
Some trails and roads are harder in snow. Use the seasonal guides to see what is realistic.
03
Small Towns Do Holidays Well
Local festivals, tree lightings and shops make a good low-key outing between meals.
What the Guides Cover
- Winter hikes and snow-season activities
- Small-town holiday outings
- Skiing and tubing options
- Rainy and snowy-day backups
Guides for This Trip
- The Pocono Events Calendar: Festivals Worth Building a Trip AroundFrom Jim Thorpe's month of fall foliage weekends to a riverside farmers market that runs every Friday all summer, these are the recurring Pocono events worth timing a stay around.
- Pocono Shopping Guide: Outlets, Antiques and Small-Town ShopsA guide to Pocono shopping sorted by type and town: the Tannersville outlets, Jim Thorpe's Broadway, the Hawley Silk Mill, antique malls, farm markets, and what to know about Pennsylvania sales tax before you buy.
- Pocono Ski Resorts Compared: 7 Areas by Trails and VerticalCamelback, Blue Mountain, Montage, Shawnee, Jack Frost, Big Boulder and Ski Big Bear compared by trails, vertical drop, lifts and terrain, plus who each one suits and the safety basics before you ski.
- Indoor Waterparks in the Pocono Mountains: Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge and Aquatopia ComparedThree big indoor waterparks within a few miles of each other off I-80 and I-380, how they differ, which sell day passes, and the smaller one at Split Rock that's closed for now.
Feeding a group? Read the guides to private chefs and catering in the Poconos, or browse every place to eat and drink.