11 Small Towns In Pennsylvania To Visit For A Weekend Getaway
If the work week has left you a little frazzled, what you need is a weekend getaway in Pennsylvania. From gothic castle tours to farmer’s markets in the heart of Amish country, these hidden retreats will help you slow down and catch your breath. Pennsylvania is also home to both the Appalachian Mountains and the Poconos, offering no shortage of shaded mountain trails and lakeside retreats. So, whether you want to drown your woes in chocolate in Hershey or take a ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Jim Thorpe through the Poconos, relaxation awaits in the Keystone State.
Lititz
If you’ve ever wanted to step inside a Hallmark movie, visiting the delightful town of Lititz is pretty close! Every street you turn down has a cozy bakery, museum, or park where you can slow down for the weekend. There are hidden little shops you won’t find anywhere but Lititz, like Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, serving up homemade hot pretzels within the historic Lititz district. Or you can swing by the Tomato Pie Cafe for one of their famous—you guessed it—tomato pies, and then walk across the street to Lititz Springs Park.
Lititz's biggest claim to fame is its chocolates! When you think of chocolate in Pennsylvania, you likely think of Hershey (and we’ll go there a little later), but Wilbur Chocolate opened in 1865, while Hershey didn’t start making the Hershey kiss until 1907. The Wilbur Chocolate Store is where to go to shop for all things chocolate, see how their chocolates are made, and tour the small museum. If you’ve ever dreamed of spending the night in an old chocolate factory (sans the Oompa Loompas), the Wilbur Lititz Tapestry Collection by Hilton is a hotel inside the old Wilbur chocolate factory, capturing the spirit of Lititz.
Lake Harmony
For a quiet and peaceful weekend along the water, Lake Harmony is a true lakeside escape. The crystal clear waters of Lake Harmony are the remnants of a glacier that cut through the land almost 25,000 years ago. Today, it’s an idyllic lakeside retreat surrounded by lush pine forests and a friendly downtown. It feels like a New England fishing village with quaint shops and diners, like Terra Cottage Café and Gifts or Nick’s Lake House Restaurant. Nothing tastes better than dining on fish and chips from Nick’s Lake House Restaurant with a view of the water on their outdoor patio!
When you’re ready to take in the fresh air and beautiful views in Lake Harmony, you have a few options. Split Rock is a beloved local hiking trail. The terrain at Split Rock is another remnant of ancient glaciers, creating splits in the rocks as they melted. The trails at Split Rock are perfect for families and provide views of the wilderness of the Poconos and Lake Harmony. To top off your picture-perfect stay in the area, the Lake Harmony Inn is one of the best places to stay. It’s a beautiful inn with manicured gardens, country-chic decor, and it is centrally located within walking distance to some of the best spots in Lake Harmony.
Jim Thorpe
Known as the Gateway to the Poconos, Jim Thorpe is a stunningly beautiful town tucked away in the mountains. Think Victorian-style buildings, church steeples that pierce the sky, and winding city streets that lie in the shade of the mountains. Steeped in history, visitors can tour an eerie jail at the Old Jail Museum or learn more about Jim Thorpe’s past at the Mauch Chunk Museum.
As a small town in the Poconos, there is no shortage of beautiful hiking trails to explore for a weekend getaway. One of the most popular spots in Jim Thorpe is Lehigh Gorge, where trails run along the scenic banks of the Lehigh River. If you prefer to take in the sights by train, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway departs just outside the Old Jail Museum and offers scenic rides on an old railway car. When looking for places to stay for the night, the Inn at Jim Thorpe is one of their more popular hotels. It has an old-world feel with modern amenities located in the heart of town.
Coudersport
The small village of Coudersport is a community you’d never stumble upon by accident! The town is so remote that it has some of the darkest skies not only in Pennsylvania, but on the East Coast! Cherry Springs State Park is the second International Gold Level Everywhere Dark Sky Park in the country, where the skies light up after dark. It has observing fields ready for telescopes, and hosts an Astronomy Festival every October. In the daytime, the park is just as beautiful with hiking trails that cut through the Allegheny Plateau.
There’s more to see in Coudersport than just its dark skies! While you wait for the sun to go down, you can visit one of its many farmers’ markets, like The Farm at Mill Stream, where you can shop for seasonal produce and freshly made sweet treats. Or, you can visit the unique Coudersport Ice Mine, a phenomenon where ice forms inside a crevice in the heat of the summer. The best place to stay in Coudersport is the Mill Stream Inn, offering small secluded cabins and affordable rooms with a picturesque mountain setting without straying too far from downtown.
Ohiopyle
Tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Pennsylvania is Ohiopyle, a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Settled along the rushing waters of the Youghiogheny River, it’s famous for its white water rafting! Some parts of the river are quite challenging, with some stretches designated Class IV-V. Central Ohiopyle is quite small, with a few restaurants and coffee shops found on Main Street. Think of it as a place to fuel up before heading out into the wild wilderness. The Falls Market Restaurant and Inn is your one-stop shop, where you can load up on snacks, get an ice cream cone, and rent a cozy room to spend the night.
After fueling up in town, the entrance to Ohiopyle State Park is located right in the center of Ohiopyle. If you want to ride the rapids, the Laurel Highlands River Tours and Outdoor Center provides rafting tours with veteran rafters to guide you down the rapids. If white water rafting isn’t your jam, Ohiopyle has less heart-pounding ways to enjoy the views. The park has over 79 miles of scenic trails that trace the rivers, cut through gorges, and pass through scenic stretches of shaded forests.
Ridgway
It's hard not to immediately fall in love with the charming mountain town vibes of Ridgway, a community found in northwestern Pennsylvania. The historical downtown area is full of treasures, like the Brew Bank Brewing Company found within an old Victorian-era bank. Before heading out to enjoy the scenery of the Allegheny Plateau, be sure to stop in Joey's Bakery and Restaurant for a filling breakfast and one of their house-made donuts before hitting the road.
When you’re ready to explore the wild wilderness surrounding Ridgway, the Clarion‑Little Toby Trail is a local favorite. Think rustic swinging bridges, quiet trails that run along the river, and well-maintained limestone paths perfect for hiking or biking. South of Ridgway is Devil's Den, which provides amazing views of the area. The climb is challenging but manageable, and the stunning views are well worth the final uphill push to the end!
Doylestown
North of Philadelphia in eastern Pennsylvania is the timeless town of Doylestown. Walking the streets of Doylestown, with its well-preserved Victorian-era storefronts, feels like stepping back in time. There’s no better example of the stunning architecture in Doylestown than Fonthill Castle. This Gothic-style castle was completed in 1912 and feels like something out of a Victorian novel. Inside the castle, you’ll find an erratic display of colorful, intricate tile work from floor to ceiling, making it a must-see while in the area. From the castle, you can also walk over to the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works Museum to learn more about the castle's tile work.
Fonthill Castle isn’t the only castle in town! If you haven’t quite had your fill of awe-inspiring architectural gems, the Mercer Museum is even more impressive. It was designed to always be a museum, housing tools and artifacts from pre-industrial America, and it still operates as a museum to this day. With its high vaulted ceilings and artifacts covering every square inch, there really isn’t anything like it. After exploring the unique town, the best place to stay in Doylestown is The Doylestown Inn, built in 1871. It’s a historical gem in Doylestown, and offers updated rooms within walking distance to all the best sights in the area.
Hershey
Attention chocolate lovers! Hershey, Pennsylvania, isn’t just a place where you can gleefully eat your body weight in chocolate. Hershey's Chocolate World is the world’s largest chocolate store, where visitors can take a tour to see how the chocolate is made, make their own specialty bars, and (of course), shop for all things chocolate. Chocolate World is found within Hersheypark, a chocolate-themed amusement park with coasters, water rides, and seasonal events.
But there’s more to Hershey than just chocolate. It’s home to the beautiful Hershey Gardens, a botanical garden where you can walk off all that excess chocolate. Overlooking the gardens is the Milton and Catherine Hershey Conservatory, where visitors can explore one of the only year-round butterfly atriums in the country. To relax after a taxing day of all things chocolate, the best place to stay is at the Hotel Hershey. It’s a full-scale resort with spa treatments, lavish rooms, an outdoor pool, and meditative gardens.
Strasburg
A stay in Strasburg is a weekend of relaxing in Pennsylvania’s famous Amish country. Time moves a little slower in Strasburg, where you may find yourself slowing down for horse-drawn buggies along the side of the road. Surrounded by farmlands, it’s a place where you can shop for homemade treats and produce at one of its many farmers’ markets, like Lapp's Farm Market. For a unique Amish experience, the Amish Village sits on 12 acres in northern Strasburg, offering tours of a 1840s barn, schoolhouse, and homestead.
While Strasburg is the heart of Amish country, it also has a love affair with all things trains and is known as ‘Train Town USA’. It is where you can visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, which is quite impressive (even if you’re not a train-fanatic!). The museum houses over 100 historic locomotives and rail cars, some of which you can climb inside and explore. And just up the road from the train museum is the National Toy Train Museum, where you’ll find a massive collection of toy trains ranging from the 1800s up until today. One of the best places to stay in town is The Limestone Inn, a historical inn built in 1786, centrally located in the heart of Strasburg.
Eagles Mere
The isolated town of Eagles Mere in northern Pennsylvania is not a town you’d stumble upon by accident. Isolated in the Endless Mountains, it is a quiet and scenic escape on the shores of Eagles Mere Lake. Visitors can take a hike around the lake at The Laurel Path in town, or head north to the beautiful World’s End State Park. The park offers some of the most stunning and secluded scenery in Pennsylvania, where calm streams cut into the rolling mountains under wide-open skies. If you’re looking to get away from it all for a weekend, there’s no better place than World's End State Park.
The heart of Eagles Mere is exactly what you would expect from a secluded mountain town. There are small, locally owned diners where you can grab a bite to eat, like the Sweet Shop, or darling little museums like the Eagles Mere Museum, across the street. Like any small, isolated town in Pennsylvania, the cozy Eagles Mere Inn will feel like a home away from home. With comfortable rooms, a helpful staff, and on-site dining, it’s one of those inns that you’ll never want to leave!
Wellsboro
Want to spend the weekend in a small community tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania? While it may be quite the drive off the interstate to get to Wellsboro, it’s not exactly in the middle of nowhere. Central Wellsboro has everything you need for a weekend getaway, like cozy cafes (like the Wellsboro Diner) and comfortable accommodations. The Penn Wells Hotel is a vacation in itself, located right in the heart of town, and has been operational for over 150 years. It has on-site dining and is right next door to the 1920s era Arcadia Theatre.
Wellsboro’s biggest claim to fame lies just outside its city limits: the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (aka Pine Creek Gorge). One of Pennsylvania’s most iconic natural landmarks, the 47-mile-long gorge provides amazing views of the Allegheny Plateau and Pine Creek below. Leonard Harrison State Park provides one of the best overlooks of the gorge, with a stone observation deck and a small visitor center.
Your Perfect Pennsylvania Getaway Awaits in 2025
As the location for the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania holds a special place in America’s heart. It’s a state rich in history, especially when you visit its small communities scattered amid its beautiful and diverse landscapes. It's a place where you may see a horse-drawn buggy in the farmlands of Strasburg, or ride a chocolate-themed rollercoaster in Hershey. From the majestic beauty of the Allegheny Plateau at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon in Wellsboro, to the mansions of Jim Thorpe, your perfect getaway awaits!
