With everything to do in the Pocono Mountains region, Elizabeth Richardson says visitors will need more than one day to experience this exciting getaway.
“This time of year, my favorite thing about the region is everything there is to do outdoors,” says the communications coordinator for the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. “That’s actually the truth all year around because it’s a great place for outdoor recreation.”
The 2,400-square-mile region is located about two hours and 30 minutes east of State College. Visitors can enjoy a variety of adventurous outdoor activities like kayaking or canoeing on the Lehigh and Delaware rivers, zip-lining through trees and driving a stockcar at the famous Pocono Raceway.
Richardson says the ability to do activities like stand-up paddle boarding that are popular in more tropical areas is a big draw, too. “It’s pretty cool that you can do it right here in Pennsylvania.”
Water activities are in abundance in the Pocono Mountains region, which is spread out across four counties in Pa.: Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne. Families can enjoy the biggest water park in the state at Camebeach Mountain Waterpark or go whitewater rafting in the evening and have a bonfire under the stars in the mountains.
“It’s definitely a great weekend getaway,” Richardson says. “Because it’s so big, you can come to the Pocono Mountains and stay near the Lehigh River and fill an entire weekend with things to do and then come back and have a completely different Pocono Mountains experience a week later in a different part of the region.”
With all of the outdoor activities and adventure fun, Richardson says that the region has changed from what people use to think of as a strictly honeymoon destination.
Growing up in northeastern Pa., Richardson remembers the Pocono Mountains always had a connotation of a romantic getaway for vacationing newlyweds. It’s still a romantic getaway, but she says the region went through a re-branding effort a few years ago, which included referring to the area as “the Pocono Mountains” instead of “the Poconos.”
“It gives you that outdoor recreation feeling more so than just honeymoon,” she says. “It’s a great place for people to come and reconnect for a romantic getaway because you can do it more often than a honeymoon, but we’ve found that people don’t want to come and just sit in a hotel.”
Because some people may not have experienced the new Pocono Mountains region, Richardson says the area is both a nice secret and popular destination.
“It’s kind of a really well-kept secret,” she says. “But on the other hand, it’s summertime and people are here and loving it and already talking about their plans for next year.”
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