Let’s Road Trip to the Poconos: On Less Than a Tank of Gas, You Can Get Lost in Wilderness Adventures or Travel Back in Time

 

 

The Pocono Mountains, also known as “The Poconos,” is a region in Eastern Pennsylvania rich with lakes, valleys, rivers, and beautiful forested mountain peaks.  The region is part of the Allegheny Plateau, and is named from the Munsee word “Pokawachne” meaning “creek between two hills.”  Encompassing a portion of the Delaware Water Gap as well as further inward, this 2,400 square mile region includes Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties in PA.

 

Whether you’re into outdoor recreation and adventure such as tubing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, offroading in ATVs, or you prefer something a little more low key such as historic site-seeing, museum tours, living farms, and artisan shops, the Poconos has it all!  Choose lodgings ranging from historic B&Bs, haunted mansions, or any number of famed resorts and casinos in the area.   Perfect for day trips, weekend getaways, or weeklong stays, the region is rich with activities, wonderful food, storied history, and plenty of entertainment!

 

We’re pleased to cover this as part of our ongoing travel blog series, and helping you find great new places to visit in your new Atlantic Hyundai.

 

 

Historic Places To Stay in the Pocono Mountains

 

• Skytop Lodge

• Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

• Hotel Fauchere

• French Manor Inn and Spa

• Mountain View Suites

• Stroudsmoor Country Inn

• The Inn at Hickory Run

• Dolon House Bed and Breakfast

• The Frederick Stegmaier Mansion

• Cherry Valley Manor

• Hillard House Inn

 

Historic Sites in the Pocono Mountains

 

Asa Packer Mansion - a Historic Victorian Mansion turned Museum with tours or self-guided exploration.  Step back in time and explore architecture, interior design, and mysterious history!

 

Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway - Gather your friends and family and take a ride through the scenic mountains of the Poconos on this historic roadway.  Bring your camera so you can snap the changing landscapes from treetops to mountainscapes to rivers and waterfalls.

 

Fratezza Art Museum - This fascinating castle-like museum is home to the work of American Scifi and Fantasy Artist Frank Fratezza. Opt for a guided tour and get an intimate view of the artists work as well as fun facts about his life and inspiration.

 

Old Jail Museum of Jim Thorpe - This is a 2-story historic jailhouse erected in 1871, with multiple tour package options for a step back into spooky history of the area.  The Ghost Tour comes highly recommended by previous visitors, and includes ghost stories and sightings at haunted areas of the museum!

 

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm - If you’d like to get outdoors and in touch with local agriculture, visiting this historic living farm is a must-see.  Featuring 114 acres of farmland just outside of downtown Stroudsburg there’s plenty to see on this working farm and museum.

 

Grey Towers National Historic Site - Explore the grounds and mansion on your own, or sign up for one of the venues special events or guided tours.  Bring your camera to take photos of the storybook style mansion and its bountiful gardens!  Once the home of Gifford Pinchot, former governor of Pennsylvania, now turned into a historic site museum.

 

Carbon County Courthouse - A historic courthouse refurbished in 1993 to preserve a bit of Victorian History.

 

Dorflinger Glass Museum - Explore the history and process of creation behind the world renowned Dorflinger Crystal Glass.  With gorgeous displays of crystal pieces produced from 1850s through the early 1920s, you can learn about the process and history of the brand and then shop for your own souvenirs in the gift shop.

 

JWR Automobile Museum of Frackville -  Small local museum housing historic automobiles and vehicles.

 

Old Spokes Car Museum of Kutztown - Local museum home to the world’s largest collection of historic classic Hudson Automobiles.

 

The Columns Museum of the Pike County Historical Society - Exhibiting artwork and artifacts  in a 22-room historical neo-classical mansion in downtown Milford highlighting history of the region and the USA.

 

Beautiful Nature Sites to Visit in the Pocono Mountains

 

• Hawks Falls 

• Seven Tubs Recreation Area

• Resica Falls

• Bushkill Falls

• Boulder Field

• Glen Onoko Falls Trail

• Big Pocono State Park

• Dingmans Falls

• Tobyhanna State Park

• Paddleboarding in the Poconos

• Ziplining in the Poconos

• ATVs and Offroading

• Pocono Biking, Paintballing, Whitewater Rafting

• Promised Land State Park

 

 

Great Places to Visit with Kids and Teens: Waterparks, Resorts, Museums and More!

• Great Wolf Lodge

• Lake Wallenpaupack

• Costas Family Fun Park

• Claws N Paws Wild Animal Park

• Camelback Resort

• Pocono Go Karts

• Crayola Museum

• The Schisler Museum and McMunn Planetarium

• The Shawnee Playhouse

• Lake Harmony

 

Amazing Local Eateries in the Pocono Mountains

• Caribbean Deck Cafe - 3265 PA-115 in Effort, PA

• Jubilee Restaurant - 2067 PA-940 in Pocono Pines, PA

• The Frogtown Chophouse in 472 Red Rock Road in Cresco, PA

• Moyer’s Country Kitchen  - 965 PA-940 Pocono Lake, PA

• Stone Bar Inn - 209 US-209 BUS in Stroudsburg, PA

• Summit House - State Park, Big Pocono, in Tannersville PA

• Willowtree Inn Restaurant - 601 Ann Street in Stroudsburg, PA

• Beer House Cafe - 15 Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg, PA

• Thai Orchid - 30 N 9th Street, Stroudsburg, PA

• Stone Row Pub & Eatery  - 45 Race Street in Jim Thorpe, PA

• Through the Looking Glass - 111 Broadway in Jim Thorpe, PA

• Broadway Grille + Underground - 24 Broadway in Jim Thorpe, PA

• Molly Maguires Pub & Steakhouse  - 5 Hazard Square in Jim Thorpe, PA

• Muggles’ Mug - 79 Broadway in Jim Thorpe, PA

• Trattoria 903 - 874 PA-903 in Jim Thorpe, PA