Things to do in Poconos During the Summer – Pennsylvania

Photo by Jared Neiheiser from Pixabay

Summer is the best time to visit the Poconos, especially if you are an outdoor enthusiast. You can explore so many things in the Poconos while soaking in some vitamin D. Summer is at its peak between June and August, with occasional rains that cool down the high temperatures. A day at the beach, hiking in the trails, swimming in the pools, and spending quality time with friends/family can definitely make you fall in love with this vacationers’ paradise.

Here are the top 10 things to do in the Poconos this  Summer.

Whitewater Rafting in the Poconos

Looking for ways to cool off while having fun in the summer? Whitewater rafting is one of the best ways to do it. Paddling your way across the rapids with splashes all the way can help you beat the heat in a neat way. The best places to go whitewater rafting in Poconos are:

Camelback Mountain Outdoor Park

Camelback offers the perfect whitewater rafting experience for the whole family. It offers an 8-mile-long whitewater rafting trip on the Lehigh River.

Address: 301 Resort Dr, Tannersville, PA 18372

Pocono Whitewater Rafting

If you want to know what awesome feels like, explore the Poconos whitewater rafting. This place offers two different rafting trips. Dam release whitewater rafting lasts for 12 miles and 4-5 hrs long. You can paddle through 17 sets of rapids and enjoy an adventurous summer day in the Poconos. The family-style whitewater rafting is guided and lasts for 3-4 hrs.

Address: 1519 State Route 903, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Whitewater Challengers

The adventure center at Whitewater Challengers offers guided whitewater rafting trips. Premier whitewater rafting, easy whitewater rafting, and whitewater rafting marathon are the different rating experiences that this center offers.

Address: 288 N Stagecoach Rd, Weatherly, PA 18255

Jim Thorpe River Adventures

Jim Thorpe River Adventures offers EasyWater, Intro to Whitewater, and BigTime Whitewater rafting experiences. The center offers skilled and dedicated professionals who guide you through the whole rafting trip.

Address: 123 Lehigh Dr, Lehighton, PA 18235

Horseback Riding in the Poconos

The best way to explore the Poconos region’s natural wonders is on a horse’s back. Poconos has many riding trails through woods, streams, and meadows. Some of the best spots to go horseback riding during summer in the Poconos are:

Mountain Laurel Riding Stables

Mountain Laurel Riding Stables offers the best, simplest, and most convenient horseback riding experience in the Poconos. They have public and private trails, both lasting for 45 minutes. The minimum age limit for horseback riding is 6 years or above.

Address: 81 Treetops Dr, White Haven, PA 18661

Mountain Creek Riding Stables

Mountain Creek Riding Stables features an enjoyable horseback riding trail. This facility also offers public and guided trail rides, especially for beginner and intermediate riders.

Address: 6190 Paradise Valley Rd, Cresco, PA 18326

Why-Not Riding Stable

Why-Not riding stable is situated near Lake Ariel and offers trail rides through fields and forests. Apart from horseback riding, they also offer fall foliage wagon rides and winter sleigh rides.

Address: 340 Wallace Rd, Lake Ariel, PA 18436

Valcor at Buck Hill Stables

Valcor is a family-oriented horseback riding facility that offers leasing, lessons, and trail rides. Families, especially kids, can enroll in horseback riding homeschool where they can learn grooming, tacking, riding, cooling, and untacking.

Address: 196 Golf Drive, Buck Hill Falls, PA, United States, Pennsylvania

Bike Riding in the Poconos

If riding on four legs is not your forte, you can try riding on two wheels. You can explore sceneries, parks, waterfalls, exotic towns, and lakes during summer in the Poconos. Here are some of the best places to go bike riding in the Poconos:

McDade Recreational Trails

McDade Recreational Trail offers biking trails with varying levels of difficulty. The trailheads are distributed between ½ and 5 miles apart, making them suitable for all experience levels. The trails traverse through fields, farms, forests, and historic landscapes.

Address: McDade Recreational Trail, East Stroudsburg, PA 18302

Pocono Biking, Jim Thorpe

Pocono Biking offers specialty biking trips that include whitewater bike train rides, rafting, hiking, and multi-day adventures. The most popular biking experience is the 25-mile Lehigh Gorge Trail.

Address: 7 Hazard Square, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Switchback Railroad Trail Entrance

Switchback Railroad was only the first railroad in Pennsylvania and the second railroad in America. After the 1800s, with the advent of steam locomotives, Switchback Railroad became a popular tourist attraction. Now the northern backtrack has been converted into tracks for mountain biking. The facility also offers bike rental and shuttle services.

Address: 20 Hill Rd, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Lehigh Gorge State Park – Rockport Access

Lehigh Gorge Trail is dubbed as the number one biking trail in the Poconos. The biking trail takes you through the beautiful Lehigh River Gorge on a 3-5 hour downhill biking trail. You can see fantastic rock formations, waterfalls, and wildlife and go on a picnic.

Address: 3 Family Camp Rd, White Haven, PA 18661-9712

Water Parks in the Poconos

Water Parks are the best way to spend summer in the Poconos. You can cool off while having fun. There are four water parks in the Poconos, with each offering unique rides and activities:

Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark

How does the idea of spending your summer in the USA’s number ONE indoor waterpark sound? Great, right? Visit Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark and experience wild slides, fun rides, comfy cabanas, and more.

Address: 193 Resort DriveTannersville, PA 18372

Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark

Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark is the place to slide, ride and enjoy the mountainside on a summer day in the Poconos. It is the biggest outdoor waterpark in the Poconos, offering 37 rides and slides.

Address: 301 Resort Drive, Tannersville, PA 18372

H2Oooohh! Indoor Waterpark at Split Rock

H2Oooohh! is a family-oriented indoor waterpark with a wave pool, activity pool, Jungle play structure with a dumping bucket, and three four-story slides. The park consists of many attractions to enjoy over an area of 53,326 square feet.

Address: 428 Moseywood Road, Lake Harmony, PA 18624

Photo by Rochelle Johnson on Unsplash

Hiking in the Poconos

Poconos has 2,400 square miles of outdoor trails that can be explored on foot. A scenic hike during the summer allows you to get some fresh air and summer sunshine. You can explore the national, state, and local parks in the Poconos.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area offers more than 150 miles of trails. It is an ideal spot for a woodsy adventure. However, this trail is considered to be one of the most physically challenging trails in Pennsylvania.

Address: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 2, Bushkill, PA 18324

McDade Recreational Trail

The Joseph McDade Recreational Trail is 32 miles long and ideal for leisure hiking. It is relatively easier to hike and provides visitors with scenic landscapes and trail experiences.

Address: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 2, Bushkill, PA 18324

Lehigh Gorge Trail

Lehigh Gorge Trail treads along the scenic Lehigh River. It allows hikers to see waterfalls, spot some wildlife and explore some historic remnants of the upper grand section of the Lehigh Canal.

Address: Lehigh Gorge Trail, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Visit Lakes in the Poconos

The Poconos are home to more than 150 lakes, making it a great place to spend a sunny summer day on a beach. Lakes in Poconos also host a variety of watersports and recreational activities. The most visited lakes in Poconos are:

Lake Wallenpaupack

Lake Wallenpaupack is an artificial lake covering 50 miles and 5,700 acres of scenic shorelines. It is also the largest lake in Pennsylvania. This lake is ideal for boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing.

Address: 72 Lake Dr. Hawley, PA 18428

Lake Harmony

Lake Harmony is the best destination for a summer lake getaway in the Poconos. It is a glacial lake which draws its water from the mountains, and it is drained by the Tobyhanna creek. Visitors can enjoy water skiing, skiing, kayaking, boating, and canoeing in Lake Harmony. You can also fish in this lake with a valid fishing license.

Address: Lake HarmonyPennsylvania 18624

Tobyhanna Lake

Tobyhanna Lake is situated on the premises of the Tobyhanna State Park. The lake covers approximately 170 acres and includes many public recreational activities. Summers in Tobyhanna Lake are perfect for sunbathing, swimming, and boating.

Address: Tobyhanna LakeCoolbaugh Township, PA 18466

Camping in the Poconos

Poconos offers many bucket-list-worthy camping destinations in the summer. You can choose from the many rustic RV grounds, gorgeous glamping sites, and comfy campgrounds.

Four Seasons Campground

Four seasons campground, as the name suggests, is open all year round. It offers open and wooded camping sites along with a pavilion, camp store, and a Sundae Barn Restaurant. The campsite has a swimming pool and sundeck, arcade, volleyball court, children’s playground, dog park, lake (suitable for fishing), and so much more.

Address: 3 Camp Resort Road, W. Finley, PA 15377

Otter Lake Camp Resort

Otter Lake Camp Resort is located in 300 acres of pristine wilderness, featuring pull-thru site and lakefront sites. It also houses a 60-acre lake with a sandy beach. Campers can spend time playing tennis, basketball, volleyball, and racquetball.

Address: P.O. Box 850, Marshalls Creek, PA 18335

Ironwood Point Recreation Area

Ironwood point recreation area is located in the heart of the Poconos. It is a family-friendly camping site that offers RV and tent sites. Ironwood is Point is a great place if you want to go on a fishing trip, go boating, canoeing, waterskiing and jet skiing.

Address: 155 Burns Hill Rd, Greentown, PA 18426

Attend Summer Festivals in the Poconos

The Poconos are the vacation capital of Pennsylvania, and it only gets better in summer with the coming of summer events and festivals. 

Bridge the Gap: National Trails Day

National Trails Day is organized by the Pocono Environmental Education Center to bridge the gap between humans and nature. The Knowledgeable staff at the PEEC will help you get to know the forests much better during this event. The event is held in June, and it is free of cost.

Milford Musical Festival

The Milford Musical Festival is a vibrant annual musical festival conducted around June every year. The event features live entertainment, shopping, food, and fun-filled activities throughout the streets.

Fireworks Celebration

The Greater Honesdale Partnership conducts the fireworks show before the fourth of July. The event will be conducted at Honesdale central park, and it is free of cost to attend. However, you can donate to the event.

Train Rides in the Poconos

Poconos has many scenic and historic railroad attractions. There are a plethora of options for train excursions in the Poconos. Here are some of the best train rides in Poconos:

Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway

Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway operates in the historic city of Jim Thorpe. They have different packages for different types of train cars. 

Address: One Susquehanna St, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Stroudsburg Line Excursions

Spend a summer afternoon traveling in an old-fashioned 25-mile train through beautiful landscapes and small towns. Stroudsburg Line Excursions is a highly recommended activity for visitors during summer and fall.

Address: 812 Main St, Honesdale 18341

Soaring Eagle Rail Tour

This one-of-a-kind rail tour allows visitors to experience four unique train rides Eastbound trails, a movie tour, a pumpkin patch tour, and a sunset tour. Soaring Eagle allows you to explore various scenic and adventurous railways in the Poconos.

Address: 4 Columbus Ave, Hawley, PA 18428

History Tours in the Poconos

The Poconos is a region with major historical significance in American History. It has an impressive collection of museums, buildings, towns, and railroads. Some of the places history buffs can visit this summer in the Poconos are:

Pocono Indian Museum

The only museum in Northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to showing the history of Delaware Indians- The Pocono Indian Museum showcases history from 10,500 BC to the American Revolution.

Address: 5425 Milford Road East Stroudsburg, PA 18302

Jim Thorpe Memorial

Jim Thorpe Memorial is the final resting place of the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century- Jim Thorpe. When you visit this memorial, you can also explore this town’s amazing architecture and other historic attractions.

Asa Packer Mansion

Asa Packer Mansion is a historic house of Asa Packer- a railroad magnate, philanthropist, and founder of Lehigh University. This home was constructed over a span of two years on a budget of $14,000 in the year 1861. It is now converted into a museum and showcases the Packer family’s detailed history and their original belongings.

Address: P.O. Box 108, Jim Thorpe, PA  18229

The Poconos are an amazing place to explore during summer. There are more things to do and explore. Let us know the places you would like to explore.