6 Most Charming Towns in the Poconos
Each of the most charming towns in the Poconos holds an unlikely landmark. Milford keeps a French chateau on the hill, Grey Towers, the longtime home of forester Gifford Pinchot. Near Blakeslee, the Boulder Field at Hickory Run spreads acres of stone left by glaciers in the last ice age. Palmerton grew up as a planned company town for the New Jersey Zinc Company in northeastern Pennsylvania. Here are six towns that never let go of what made them.
Blakeslee
Pocono Raceway gives Blakeslee its biggest draw. The 2.5-mile track, known as the Tricky Triangle, hosts one NASCAR Cup Series race weekend each summer. The town belongs to Monroe County in the western Poconos. Camelback Mountain Resort handles winter skiing and warm-weather hiking, ziplining, and mountain coaster rides. Big Boulder Ski Resort offers snowboarding and tubing in winter. It switches to biking and fishing in summer.
Hickory Run State Park adds trails, swimming, and picnic areas. Its Boulder Field is a National Natural Landmark. Glaciers left the spread of large stones about 20,000 years ago. Lake Harmony offers boating, fishing, and swimming. Lakefront restaurants and bars line the shore.
Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware River cuts a notch through the Appalachian Mountains here. That gap names both the village and its recreation area. Delaware Water Gap is a small Monroe County community at the water's edge. The river forms the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area covers about 70,000 acres across both states. Hiking trails, waterfalls, and historic landmarks fill it. Bushkill Falls, a chain of eight waterfalls, lies a short drive north. The nearby Pocono Indian Museum covers the history of the Lenape, also called the Delaware people.
Milford
Milford is the Pike County seat, settled in the late 1700s along the Delaware River. The town keeps an active arts scene. Grey Towers National Historic Site preserves the 1886 Pinchot family mansion. Richard Morris Hunt designed it. The U.S. Forest Service operates it today. The Pike County Historical Society Museum and the Columns Museum cover the wider regional history.
The Golden Fish Gallery and The Artery Fine Art and Fine Craft Gallery keep local artists in view. The Black Bear Film Festival lands in October. The Milford Music Festival follows in June. Raymondskill Falls, Milford Beach, and the McDade Recreational Trail are all close by. Kittatinny River Trips and Ziplines handles Delaware River outings.
Palmerton
Palmerton began in 1898 as a company town for the New Jersey Zinc Company. The name honors the firm's president, Stephen S. Palmer. The town grew through its industrial decades in Carbon County. It stands in the Lehigh Valley corner of the Poconos, near Blue Mountain and the Lehigh River.
The Palmerton Area Heritage Society Museum covers that zinc history. Its exhibits include the environmental cleanup that followed. Outdoor stops nearby include Aquashicola Creek, Lehigh Gap, and the Lehigh Valley Zoo. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail crosses Blue Mountain above the town. The Stoney Ridge area lies close by.
Tannersville
Tannersville stretches along the base of Camelback Mountain. It is a Pocono Township village in Monroe County. Camelback Resort offers skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in winter. The Camelbeach outdoor waterpark opens in summer. Aquatopia, the resort's indoor waterpark, opened in 2015. It stays open year-round.
Big Pocono State Park caps the summit with trails and long views. The Crossings Premium Outlets cluster at the foot of the mountain. Smuggler's Cove Restaurant and Barley Creek Brewing Company give the area its main food-and-drink stops.
Tobyhanna
Tobyhanna State Park gives the town a 170-acre lake. Trails, fishing, and campsites fill a valley ringed by low hills. Tobyhanna is a Coolbaugh Township community in Monroe County. The Tobyhanna Army Depot drives much of the local economy. This Department of Defense electronics logistics center opened in 1953 on a former artillery training reservation.
Downtown restaurants cover American, Italian, and Mexican cooking. A couple of breweries are close by. The surrounding resorts make the town a workable base for winter skiing and snowboarding.
Where the Poconos Show Their Range
The Poconos hand each of these towns a different landmark to build on. Delaware Water Gap holds the notch where the river splits the ridge between two states. Tannersville climbs to a state park on Camelback's summit, the ski slopes and indoor waterpark spread out below. Tobyhanna keeps a 170-acre lake ringed by pines, with the Army depot that has stood beside it since 1953. The history is still standing, and that is what makes these the most charming towns in the Poconos.
