Two hours from NYC, Pennsylvania is hiding 150 lakes and 7 state parks

It’s closer than you think

Two hours from New York City and two hours from Philadelphia, the Pocono Mountains sit in northeastern Pennsylvania like a well-kept secret hiding in plain sight.

More than 150 lakes, 170 miles of freshwater rivers, seven state parks, and a national recreation area fill the landscape.

Whether you’re into whitewater rapids, century-old waterfalls, or a slow train ride through a river gorge, the Poconos have a version of the outdoors that fits you.

From coal trains to honeymoon getaways

Long before ski resorts and rafting outfitters, the Lenape people called this land home, naming its waters and valleys in ways that still show up on the map today.

Coal mining and railroads drove the economy through the 1800s, especially around the town now known as Jim Thorpe.

After World War II, veterans and newlyweds started coming to the mountains for getaways, and the region leaned into it.

Big Boulder Ski Area opened in 1946, winter tourism took hold, and the Poconos never really looked back.

40 miles of river inside Delaware Water Gap

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers 70,000 acres along 40 miles of the Delaware River, straddling the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border.

The gap itself narrows to less than 1,000 feet at river level, with mountains rising above 1,400 feet on both sides. More than 100 miles of hiking trails run through the park, including 27 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

You can spend a day here canoeing, kayaking, fishing, or swimming, and still feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface.

Eight waterfalls on a single trail at Bushkill

Bushkill Falls has been drawing visitors since 1904, and after more than a century, it’s still family-owned.

The main waterfall drops about 100 feet into a rocky gorge, and two miles of boardwalks, bridges, and trails connect seven more falls spread across 300 acres of forest.

If your time is short, the Green Trail gets you to the main falls in about 15 minutes. If you want the full picture, the Red Trail covers nearly two miles and takes you past all eight.

Either way, the water does the talking.

Pennsylvania’s tallest waterfall is free to visit

Dingmans Falls drops 130 feet, making it the second-tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania, and it sits inside the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area with no entrance fee.

An ADA-accessible boardwalk takes you to the base in about a third of a mile.

Just nearby, Silverthread Falls cuts 80 feet through a narrow channel of rock, looking nothing like Dingmans but just as worth the stop.

A few minutes away, Raymondskill Falls clears 178 feet, the tallest in the entire state.

Lake Wallenpaupack hits its 100th birthday in 2026

The Lenape gave this lake its name, meaning “the Stream of Swift and Slow Water,” long before anyone thought to dam it.

Pennsylvania Power and Light created the lake in 1926 for hydroelectric power, and this year marks its centennial.

At 5,700 acres with 52 miles of shoreline, it ranks as the second-largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania. You can swim, kayak, paddleboard, or drop a fishing line from shore.

The Palmyra Township Public Beach runs lifeguards, picnic areas, and a snack bar through the summer months.

Jim Thorpe’s steep streets and Victorian rooflines

Jim Thorpe started as Mauch Chunk in 1818, built on coal and railroad money. The town renamed itself in 1954 to honor the Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe, who is buried there.

It sits in a narrow valley along the Lehigh River, boxed in by hills, with Victorian architecture climbing up the steep streets in every direction.

The walkable downtown takes maybe 20 minutes end to end, but you’ll stop constantly. The Asa Packer Mansion and the Old Jail Museum are the two sites most people make time for, and both earn it.

Board a train from 1917 through Lehigh Gorge

The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway departs from historic downtown Jim Thorpe in vintage passenger coaches that date to 1917.

The narrated round trip runs 16 miles along the Lehigh River and takes about 70 minutes, crossing bridges and passing high cliff walls inside Lehigh Gorge State Park.

If you’d rather earn your ride back, the Bike Train drops you and your bicycle in White Haven for a 25-mile ride back on the D&L Trail. The October foliage runs sell out fast, so book early if that’s your plan.

A field of boulders left behind by the Ice Age

Hickory Run State Park covers nearly 16,000 acres in the western foothills of the Poconos, but most people come for one thing: Boulder Field.

Twenty thousand years ago, the last Ice Age deposited a 16-acre expanse of rocks across a flat valley floor, and they’ve barely moved since.

The field stretches 1,800 feet across, and some boulders run 26 feet long with another 10 to 12 feet buried underground. The National Park Service designated it a National Natural Landmark in 1967.

Walk out into the middle of it and look around.

Class III rapids on dam release weekends

The Lehigh River runs through Lehigh Gorge State Park with Class I, II, and III rapids, and on dam release weekends, the Francis Walter Dam pushes the water higher and faster.

Several outfitters near Jim Thorpe have been running guided trips for decades, and they offer family-friendly sections with calmer Class I and II water for beginners and kids.

Rafting season runs from spring through fall, with most trips covering eight to 12 miles of river. If you’ve never rafted before, this is a solid place to start.

Three free waterfalls and two scenic drives

George W. Childs Park sits inside the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and connects three waterfalls, Factory Falls, Fulmer Falls, and Deer Leap Falls, along a 1.5-mile trail through the woods.

No entrance fee. The Delaware River Scenic Byway and the Pocono Mountains Scenic Byway give you two of the best drives in the region, passing forested ridges, river valleys, and small towns like Milford and Stroudsburg.

If you’re driving through anyway, take the byway instead of the highway.

The Poconos run all four seasons without slowing down

Summer fills the lakes with kayaks and paddleboards and sends rafters down the Lehigh. Fall brings the foliage, and Jim Thorpe’s Fall Foliage Festival runs on weekends throughout October.

Winter means skiing and snowboarding at Camelback, Jack Frost, and Blue Mountain.

In spring, the snowmelt pushes the waterfalls to full force, wildflowers come up along the trails, and fishing season opens across the rivers and lakes.

January and February bring eagle-watching tours along the Upper Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers. There’s no bad month to come.

Plan your trip to the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau runs a visitors center in Jim Thorpe inside the historic train station, and that’s a good first stop for maps, event schedules, and local recommendations.

The region sits about 100 miles from Philadelphia and 107 miles from New York City, with Interstate 80 and Interstate 476 giving you direct access.

Key towns to anchor your trip include Jim Thorpe, Stroudsburg, Milford, Hawley, and Honesdale. Check the official website for current hours and seasonal information before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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