7 Off-The-Grid Towns In The Poconos To Visit In 2025

For an off-the-grid travel experience to remember, the Poconos region makes a compelling choice. A range of mountains covering four counties in northeast Pennsylvania, the Poconos combines majestic terrain, waterfalls, meandering rivers, and green forests. Whether a traveler wants a snow-skiing break or a weather swim, the region offers plenty to keep a traveler and his or her companions having fun. And as a decidedly family-friendly area, the Poconos should feel more welcoming than ever for a first-time or repeat visit in 2025.

From the dramatic cascades of Bushkill Falls in Delaware Water Gap to the vintage charm and lakefront access of Hawley, each town has its own flavor. This guide explores the best of them — towns that promise nature, culture, and history in equal measure.

Delaware Water Gap

The name gives us a good idea: the town of Delaware Water Gap sits where the Delaware River flows through a break in the larger Appalachian mountain range. Delaware Water Gap stands at the eastern edge of the state of Pennsylvania. Indeed, the Delaware River helps set the state border with New Jersey, before flowing onward to the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Bushkill Falls, a nearby waterfall here, enjoys another name: the "Niagara of Pennsylvania," so called because of its dramatic height and noise, making it a favorite among visitors. Bushkill Falls consists of a total of eight individual drops. For ideal viewing, a wood-plank walkway provides access for travelers of all physical fitness and mobility levels, adding inclusivity to its varied charms. Delaware Water Gap even includes a segment of the Appalachian Trail, a 14-state route running roughly parallel with the U.S. east coast. For the sounds of serious culture in town, check out the Deer Head Inn, which says it is America's longest-running venue for live jazz.

Hawley

In the northern Poconos, a small town called Hawley stands on the banks of the Lackawaxen River. Not far away, Lake Wallenpaupack invites vacationers of all kinds, who have made Hawley a favorite stop among visitors in warmer weather for decades. Formerly a mill town and lumber-harvesting area, Hawley now makes tourism its primary business. Antique stores and boutiques lie scattered among the town's quaint streets, like the Hawley Antiques Exchange. The site is a "multi-dealer antique mall" where dealers and shoppers come to consider furniture, lamps, ceramics, and other vintage categories.

For a summertime splash, visiting families will enjoy Costa's Family Fun Park, not to mention the Ritz Company Playhouse. The performance space organizes musicals, comedies, and other forms of dramatic arts.

Honesdale

Billing itself as the “Birthplace of the American Railroad,” the town leaders of Honesdale imported a British train in 1829, in the early days of global rail technology. The event marked the very first time a steam locomotive ran on commercial tracks in America, the officials of Honesdale say today. In our own time, pleasure trains ride along the Lackawaxen River Valley and feature special service schedules during peak tourist season and national holidays. In town, the Wayne County Historical Society describes these and other regional histories in detail, making sure visitors know and appreciate how Honesdale contributes to regional and national industrial history.

In contributions of a more cultural kind, Honesdale celebrates the classic Christmas song, "Winter Wonderland," claimed by some here to have inspired local resident and songwriter Richard Smith nearly 100 years ago. The town puts on a Winter Wonderland Christmas tree lighting every holiday season.

Jim Thorpe

Sometimes called the "Switzerland of America," the town of Jim Thorpe has charming boutiques, train rides, and Victorian architecture in its historic downtown. The town takes its name from the super-athlete of the same name, who is remembered as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Thorpe lies buried in town, though he never visited the place, previously called Mauch Chunk, in his lifetime.

For a kid-friendly place to start, the Old Jail Museum stands in a restored 19th-century prison. The building's imposing exterior makes a strong impression, as does the dungeon-like exhibit inside. Also in town, the Mauch Chunk Opera House has put on dramatic and musical productions since 1881. Weary travelers can rest their heads at the Inn at Jim Thorpe, built in 1849, which combines old-school charm and modern amenities.

Lehighton

In east-central Pennsylvania, the town of Lehighton is popular for its position along the Lehigh River. Conveniently located to natural parks, particularly Lehigh Gorge State Park and Mauch Chunk State Park, the town welcomes hikers, cyclists, walkers, and birders nearly year-round.

For a little history, take advantage of Lehighton's status as part of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, which shows visitors the famous canal and, these days, its associated running and cycling paths. The town's legacies as a mill town and as a coal-mining hub come to life in various fixtures along the Heritage Corridor, like the National Canal Museum, which harkens back to the times when the canal formed the economic highway of Lehighton and towns up and downstream. Fun fact: Lehighton's past as a coal town inspired the name of the surrounding Carbon County, which bears that name, and the proud past it came from, to this day.

Milford

The town of Milford sits on the Delaware River, combining natural interests and history in one place. Some call the town the birthplace of the modern natural conservation movement, later championed by President Theodore Roosevelt. That movement would give rise to national and smaller parks, nature preserves, and other green spaces otherwise subject to modern development. Despite its modest size, Milford enjoys its own street-grid system, taken from nearby Philadelphia. And if the falls at Delaware Water Gap were not enough, Milford sits near Raymondskill Falls — Pennsylvania's highest waterfall — ensuring another thrilling visit to this natural spectacle.

Cultural visitors will find much to like in Milford. The Grey Towers National Historic Site, the castle-like former residence of industrial baron Gifford Pinchot, is found here. The Columns Museum, where its "Lincoln Flag" still bears the blood stains of the deadly attack on America's 16th president, draws tourists from all over. Fine dining happens nightly at the Delmonico Room, part of Milford's storied Hotel Fauchère.

Palmerton

Palmerton, with a charming and historic downtown main street, has drawn visitors for generations. Palmerton Borough Park allows for quaint strolling amid greenery and well-manicured spaces. The Palmerton Community Festival takes place here at the end of every summer, offering bingo, arts and crafts, food, and rides for kids—and only-in-Pennsylvania entertainment, like the Steelworkers Polka Band, for the true sounds of local culture.

Landmark dishes and eateries, like the cheesesteaks and famous desserts at Bert's Steakhouse, have drawn a family-friendly crowd for years. Aquashicola Creek, a touch of nature, flows through Palmerton's downtown, reminding visitors of the nature surrounding the town. The nearby Blue Mountain Resort offers skiing and winter and mountain biking in warmer seasons.

These Off-the-Grid Towns Show the Poconos At Their Best

As towns like these show, some of the best small towns in the Poconos can seem a little off the grid. Waterfall wonders await in places like Delaware Water Gap and Milford. Rare antique finds await the intrepid collector in Hawley, while in Honesdale, small-town contributions to American history include steam engines and iconic Christmas music. Jim Thorpe and Lehighton offer access to green spaces and natural zones that few other towns, in the Poconos, Pennsylvania, or across the East Coast, can readily match. For a vacation packed with attractions like these, the Poconos make a solid choice for traveling couples, families, and friends this year.