POCONO PETE'S CHALET
POCONO PETE'S FAVORITE ACTIVITES
There is so much to do in the Poconos. You could come here all your life and have a different experience each time you visit! What I really love about the Poconos is your ‘to-do’ list can grow and change with you on your journey through life. What you choose to do all depends on your interests. But if you’re a comin’ up for your first time with your family, you can’t go wrong with the following activities! SO… if you’re board in the Poconos – it’s cause you want to be!
Hickory Run State Park
Hickory Run state park is just a hop, skip and a jump down the road from Pocono Pete’s Mountain Chalet (10-15 miles away) and one my favorite State parks. It has over 40 miles of forested hiking trails. Pack your lunch up, stop by the visitor’s center and head out for some adventure! Here are my favorite stops though Hickory run has a lot to offer so make sure you check out some of the other fun it has to offer!
-
Boulder Field: This is a wonder of nature, don’t miss it! Follow the signs down a well-maintained dirt road. At the end of the road merge right into the parking lot. The boulder field is located right off the parking lot.
-
Hawk Falls: Hawk falls is a short mile round trip hike with a mild downhill walk to the falls. The trial can be accessed by following the road to your right. This is a well-traveled and shady walk down to a delightful waterfall.
-
Shades of Death Trail: to the Stametz Dam falls (It’s not scary, it’s beautiful!) I delightful flat short hike under the trees to a small waterfall spilling over an Idyllic small dam. A great kids’ hike.
-
Sand Spring Day Use Area: Bring your swim trunks and a picnic. This has a delightful sandy beach and has plenty of picnic tables. It also has a playground, restrooms, 19 hole disc golf course nearby and geocaches for the adventurous.
-
Visitors Center: This is a great stop for the littles. It has a very well throughout interactive display area for kids and adults alike. It also has indoor bathrooms, water bottle filling stations, maps and flyers, a staffed help desk and an electric car charging station. Once in the park, you can follow the signs to the center located off of PA Route 534.
(40 miles from Pete’s Place)
Vistibushkillfalls.com
138 Bushkill Falls Road, Bushkill, PA
(570) 588-6682
I , Pocono Pete, highly recommend Bushkill Falls, especially if you have young children or a large family with varying interests. Bring a picnic lunch and plan for at least a half a day adventure with lots of look’n and hike’n. Bushkill falls is a series of eight private waterfalls, the tallest of which cascades over 100 feet. Think Disneyland meets nature when you picture Bushkill Falls.
It has miles and miles of gorgeous nature trails all surrounding a stunning array of waterfalls. The central focus of the park is a series of large waterfalls with four color coded walking trails which include an extensive amount of stairs, catwalks and platforms built along the cannon walls and over, under and around the falls. (Think EWOK Village). If there are members of your party that are not able to do stairs there are plenty of tranquil paths and places to sit among the shaded trees. Other “To-do’s” at Bushkill include the playground, a maze, gem mining, sweet shop, souvenir shop as well as three educational exhibits including one on 'Wild Life', 'Native Americans and the 'History of Bushkill'.
FYI there is a charge for entry, but it is well worth it, you will not be disappointed. This is a fun safe activity for the whole family.
DELAWARE WATER GAP
Route 209 Water Falls
(About 40 miles from Pocono Pete’s on the way to Bushkill)
This series of four really nice water falls which you can stop and see along Route 209 as you make your way to Bushkill falls. I highly recommend you stop at some(or all) of these falls as you make your way to Bushkill falls. I also suggest you get an early start in order to avoid the crowds. The falls are all on well marked easy to get to trails. Some are short and a few are a bit longer of a hike so you will have to work on figuring out which is the best for you to visit.
If you have little ones or someone with a mobility issue I would defiantly recommend that you do the Digmans and Silverthread waterfall. This is a gorgeous hike/walk over a well maintain ADA accessible board walk which runs through a shade covered green forest with a stream. – Absolutely delightful!
Tumbling waters
Start at Pocono Environmental Education center
538 Emmory RD, Dingman’s Ferry, PA (3 mile loop trail)
This is a lovely trail that meanders past tumbling falls
Dingman’s and Silverthread
(60 miles from Pocono Pete’s)
Start at Digman falls visitor center 224 Digman Falls Road, Digman’s Farry
This is the second highest falls in the Pennsylvania. It has a very easy to navigate boardwalk and is ADA friendly. It also has benches to sit on occasionally.
Hackers Falls
917 Raymond Skill Rd., Milford PA (Start at Raymond skill road trail head. This waterfall is 1.4 miles from trail head. It is an easy hike through rolling hills and through hemlock and mixed hardwood forest. The waterfall has a fan shape as it slides across a steep but short drop.
Raymondskill falls
(60 miles from Pocono Petes)
917 Raymondskill Rd.
Raymond skill falls is the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania (really!). It is a five-minute walk along a well-marked trail and will take you to the falls. This hike can be good for slight children because the hike is very short but there are quite a number of stairs the children will have to deal with. Please note that individuals with mobility issues may have problems. From the parking lot you will follow a downhill grade which will flow into a series of wood steps and platforms. There is also a lower trail that is a ½ mile long one way. It will bring you down switch back to the Raymond skill creek.
Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls Rd. East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
The waterfall is located right next to the road, however it is difficult to find and not really my favorite waterfall. If you want to skip a waterfall this one would be it.
(60 miles from Pocono Pete’s)
695 State Route 487 Benton, PA
(570) 477-5675
Visitor Center is located near Lake Rose in the Park.
I, Pocono Pete, can’t recommend this park enough!!!! See 18 waterfalls in one hike!!! If you only do one hike in the Poconos, make this the one! Start at top or bottom. The best hike in the park is the 3.5 mile round trip falls hike. This hike can be started at the lower parking lot right off of State Route 188. This involves a 1 ½ mile trail to get to the start series of 18 waterfalls.
If you start at the lower parking lot the total hike distance is 7 1//2 miles round trip to see all the waterfalls.
However if you start at the parking lot off of 487 near the visitor’s center and lake rose you can see 18 or the 21 falls in an easy to moderate 3 ½ mile round trip. Please note there are bathrooms in the parking lots at the trail heads but none on the trails. Also, this is a protected natural area so please no swimming in the creeks or falls.
Pro Tips for Ricketts:
-
Get going as early in the morning as the park opens, it will be less crowded!!
-
Bring some water and something to eat in case ya get hungry but make sure to take out all your trash.
-
There are bathrooms at the trail head but none in the park.
-
While I do not consider this an extremely difficult hike, there is definitely some climbing up and down required. Climbing is on natural surfaces which include rocks, dirt, and mud. Surfaces can be slippery and muddy depending on the weather.
-
Very small children may find the terrain difficult to navigate and I have seen more than one parent having to carry their little ones out, but old kids will love the adventure!
JIM THORPE
(15 miles from Pocono Pete’s)
Jim Thorpe has the charms of a European village and the thrills of a mountain sports destination. This historic town is located in the Leigh Gorge and is considered the as the southern gateway to the Poconos. Defiantly plan for a full day in this quaint city.
The town was founded in 1818 and is named after Jim Thorpe, a world famous native American athlete. Elegant Victorian mansions frame the elegant downtown where turn of the millionaires once came for relax. The downtown has been meticulously revitalized and now houses unique shops in restaurants, museums., galleries.
Pro Tip: I suggest you plan ahead of time. Research the activities you are interested in and check days and times. Some activities may require a prebooking.
Activities include (Partial List)
-
Historic Jim Thorpe Trolly tours around the town,
-
ASA Packer Mansion Tours,
-
Leigh Gorge Scenic Train Tours abord a turn of the century train.
-
Rent a bike and go for a leisurely ride
-
Scenic chair lift rides
-
Ghost walks through town.
THIS IS ALL LOCATED A 20 MILE LEISURELY DRIVE DOWN THE SCENIC 903!
(40 miles drive from Pete’s Place)
1 Bald Mountain Rd Ste 1, Scranton, PA 18504
(570) 963-6463
The is my favorite coal mine tour, and I highly recommend it for all ages!! Put on a mining hat and ride a flat stock rail car 300 feet down into the Lackawanna Coal Mine. Then take an underground tour of the mine and learn about coal mining and about the life of the miners. This is a fun and interesting tour! One of ol' Pete’s favorites. You can also stop by the coal museum after your tour.
LAKE HARMONY
If’n you like lakes, check out Lake Harmony. The lake is a little over 15 miles away. They have just about every water activity your heart desires! Unfortunately, ol’ Pete isn’t into lakes so I wouldn’t know which services to recommend. I’m gunna list some of the vendors to give you a starting point for your research.
-
Lake Harmoney Cruises
-
Lake Harmoney Water Sports
-
Yeti Water Sports
-
Split Rock indoor water park
-
Captain Joe Fishing and Water Sports
( 3 mile drive from Pocono Pete’s!)
211 North Meckesville Rd., Albrightsville, PA 18210
(570) 325-8430
SKIRMISH is the WORLDS LARGEST PAINTBALL FACILITY and it is located just 7 miles away from Pocono Pete’s Mountain Chalet!!! It has over 50+playing fields laid out in the forest over 750 acres. This includes a full sized 3 story castle to storm! There are packages for players of every age (over 10) and skill level. Skirmish can rent you all the equipment you need. This is a seriously good time!
LEHIGH GORGE STATE PARK
Is a 4,584 acre State park spanning Luzerne and Carbon Counties. It features steep cliffs, gorgeous waterfalls and access to the Lehigh River. It also includes a 24 mile off road bike path that is also a 24 mile long cross country skiing trail in the winter.
Lehigh Gorge has lots of activities that vary acordin’ to the season such as :
-
Fishing
-
Biking
-
Hiking
-
Rafting
-
Cross country skiing
AFTER A FUN DAYOF HARD PLAYING YOU'LL BE READY TO STAY AT
POCONO PETE'S MOUNTAIN CHALET
AND RELAX IN A SOOTHING HOT TUB!