2026's 10 Best Small Towns To Visit In The Poconos
The Poconos offer visitors a tantalizing combination of four seasonal outdoor splendors, rich American history, and big-time small-town personality. You can bask in the Victorian beauty of Jim Thorpe. Hike to the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania near Milford. Take a sunset cruise along the shoreline of Hawley. Ride the riverside rails out of Honesdale ("The Birthplace of The American Railroad"). Step back in time through the rooms of the 1795 Stroud Mansion Museum in Stroudsburg. There is so much to do indoors and outdoors, year-round, in the pretty Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania, so get ready to explore the best small towns there in 2026.
Jim Thorpe
Nestled in a steep gorge on the Lehigh River is the town of Jim Thorpe, which offers visitors the charm of an old-world European village and the challenges of a mountain sports destination. Stroll past elegant Victorian mansions once occupied by industrialists and catch a live show at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House. Take a narrated tour in a vintage railway coach through breathtaking places along the Lehigh River on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Built in 1888, the Jim Thorpe Train Station, with its iconic cylindrical tower and beautiful brickwork, is well worth visiting for a ride. And the outdoors beckon to the adventurous with trails and waterways (some of which cut right through town), archery, paintball, and the popular whitewater rafting. Look up Pocono Whitewater Adventures to learn about rentals and exciting offerings like after-dark moonlight rafting and marathons.
Milford
Perched on cliffs overlooking the Delaware River is the town of Milford, where visitors will find gorgeous water recreations and a downtown filled with history. The walkable streets are fronted with 19th-century storefronts and filled with boutique artisan shops, fine diners (since the 1700s), and popular festivals in season like the Milford Readers & Writers Festival. A short drive south of downtown, in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, you can see the tallest waterfall in the state, the three-tiered Raymondskill Falls. And don't miss a chance to explore the intriguing history of Milford by touring the Grey Towers National Historic Site, a striking 1886 French chateau that was the ancestral home of former Governor, conservationist, and first Chief of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot. Grey Towers remains an important Forest Service cultural site, with grounds generally open daily and mansion tours offered on select days from late spring through early November.
Hawley
Sitting across from the massive Lake Wallenpaupack and the lovely Lackawaxen River is the town of Hawley, which offers family fun for everyone from the rustic to the refined. One of the best ways to experience the lake is by taking a Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour departing from Gresham's Landing. There are 50-minute cruises where the captain will captivate you with stories about the area, and longer, private cruises available for parties who want to picnic and swim along the way. Join Harmony in the Woods to enjoy a variety of eclectic live music performances happening in the fresh air under the trees. You won't be able to miss seeing the landmark Hawley Silk Mill, a massive 1880 bluestone factory now repurposed as a thriving center for arts and artisans. Hawley and its surrounding lake region offer endless charms around every turn.
Honesdale
Flanked by Irving Cliff and the rolling waters of the Lackawaxen River is the welcoming and wonderful town of Honesdale, offering visitors fine art, architecture, and stunning hillside landscapes. Hike up to the top of Irving Cliff for a panoramic view of the entire town and valley (it's an easy one-mile trail). Be sure to get a closer look at the pastoral beauties in old-time style by catching a ride on a Stourbridge Line Train Excursion because Honesdale is "the birthplace of the American railroad." It was here that the first steam locomotive ran on US commercial tracks in 1829, and the town still offers a variety of scenic train rides in old-time coaches. And for a destination shopping experience downtown, step through the doors of Wallflower and into 4000 square feet of unique merchandise. You can find everything here, from an authentic Roman helmet to a Tiffany lamp to willow trees, to jewelry, clothes, candles, you name it, Wallflower has something for everyone with items for sale from $5 to $200. And if you visit in August, you can experience the Wayne County Fair, an agricultural fair that's been a beloved tradition for 164 years. There are 20+ rides, roaming entertainments, live music, free grandstand shows, rodeos, and classic fair food.
Stroudsburg
At the feet of the Pocono Mountains, where the Brodhead, Pocono, and McMichael's creeks meet, is the bustling and elegant town of Stroudsburg. Main Street offers visitors a compact array of intriguing and interesting shops by local artists and artisans, often housed in authentic, late 18th-century buildings. You'll find murals, street art, indie bookstores, and the Monroe Farmers Market (proudly serving Monroe County since 1979), which is open every Saturday until noon. You'll also find a number of excellent wineries, breweries, and eateries to sample. Outside Stroudsburg, hikers can reach the Appalachian Trail, while about 20 miles north, the Adventure Center at Skytop Lodge offers treetop climbing and ziplining. Then step back in time to 1795 inside the Stroud Mansion Museum and Library and find four floors of exhibits on Monroe County history from Native American times to the present. For food lovers, explorers, shoppers, and history buffs, there's something for everyone here in this wonderfully action-packed little town.
Delaware Water Gap
Positioned precisely where the Delaware River cuts through the Appalachian Ridge is Delaware Water Gap. The Poconos take their name from the Lenape word pocohanne, meaning a stream between two mountains. People have been enjoying the beauty and many things to do in this town proper for centuries. Today, visitors can listen to world-class jazz at the legendary Deer Head Inn, one of the oldest continuously running jazz clubs in America. Step back in time to 1906 at the Castle Inn, "the last great hotel" to be built here in Delaware Water Gap; this was once the center of a music empire built by Fred Waring, and is now home to a colonnade of unique shops, including antique shops, a day spa, and a Victorian-era ice cream parlor. Be lured into the scenic beauty of the countryside here at the famously picturesque Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a 70,000-acre park filled with streams and waterfalls that's perfect for picnicking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and camping.
White Haven
On the banks of the upper Lehigh River sits the borough of White Haven, a small town that offers big adventures. Visitors here will find whimsical pleasures in town, like enjoying a meal at the Powerhouse Eatery, housed in a restored early 1900s power plant. This eatery offers elevated American cuisine in a one-of-a-kind, industrial venue. Or visit the Daisy Field Farm to take a horse ride or a horse-drawn wagon tour through the backwoods and mountain paths of the forested Poconos. The outdoors are a major draw here with trails and parks surrounding the borough, including the massive Hickory Run State Park with over 40 miles of trails taking hikers through forests, by streams, lakes, waterfalls, and even the iconic Boulder Field, a National Natural Landmark formed during the last ice age.
Tannersville
In the heart of the Pocono Mountains, at the base of Camelback Mountain, is the family fun destination of Tannersville. First settled as a rural farming outpost in 1750, there's still historic architecture sprinkled along the older valley roads. But inside the town proper today, there's a hopping hub of shopping, dining, and amusement. Kids will love getting to go to the Camelback Resort & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark with its impressive rides, slides, and pools, plus a mega arcade and indoor laser tag. For evening entertainment, follow the regional Pocono Beverage Trail to breweries, wineries, and distilleries throughout the Pocono Mountains. Golfers can play the public Pocono Manor Golf Course in nearby Pocono Manor. And Camelback Mountain Adventures, billed as one of Pennsylvania's biggest adventure parks, offers amazing views, a treetop course with tightropes and ziplines, a massive Mountain Coaster, and more. There's so much to do and see in Tannersville for fun seekers of all kinds, including shopping for everything you could ever want for motorcycles and fireworks.
Bushkill
Flanked by deep woods, mountain ravines, tumbling waterfalls, and rushing creeks is the outdoorsy wonderland of Bushkill. You simply must visit Bushkill Falls for a 2-mile walk along a network of elevated boardwalks and bridges that will take you by eight distinct cascading waterfalls, "the Niagara of Pennsylvania." The walk itself can be challenging for some, but there's fun along the way; additional attractions to stop into include a miniature golf course, paddle boats, play areas, and dining spots, including a snack bar and fudge kitchen with ice cream. For guided horseback riding near Bushkill, visit Bushkill Riding Stables at 124 Golf Drive in East Stroudsburg. Hikers and bikers will find a day of adventure on the McDade Recreational Trail. Nearby, golfers can book a round or a resort package at Pocono Hills Golf Course in East Stroudsburg.
Lehighton
Along the banks of the Lehigh River is the friendly town of Lehighton, where you'll find a healthy slice of Americana. Lehighton is famous for hosting the Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival, which features carnival rides, a fun house, laser tag, pedal carts, hayrides, and more. Visit Country Junction, the world's largest general store and a destination for all ages. Shoppers can browse everything from candy and gifts, home décor, and garden supplies, but there's more than just shopping; there is an arcade, mini bowling lanes, laser tag, escape rooms, a Nerf arena, and even a petting zoo. Visit the beautiful Beltzville State Park with its centerpiece, Beltzville Lake, and some of the most popular swimming beaches in the Poconos. This unique state park offers hiking, biking, fishing (angling), boating, kayaking, wildlife watching, waterfalls, creeks, and even some historical landmark buildings. After all the time in the sun, take in some cinema under the stars at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater (established 1949), which exclusively screens vintage movies on real 35mm film on a giant Cinemascope screen.
Make Memories In The Poconos in 2026 and Beyond
Whether you want to listen to legendary live jazz at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, or take a horse drawn wagon ride through the mountain paths of White Haven, or enjoy the major amusement and adventure parks in Tannersville, or see the Niagara of Pennsylvania in Bushkill, or make new nostalgic memories in the family fun town of Lehighton, each of these wonderful town is a top place to visit in the Poconos this year.
