Summer flew by especially fast for me this year, but I still managed to squeeze in a nice weekend getaway to the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. Even though I’ve driven through it several times, I’ve never actually stopped in the Poconos before, so I was excited to finally see what the hype was all about. 

For my trip, I stayed near Lake Harmony, which was close to plenty of hiking trails and parks. One quirk about Lake Harmony, though, is that it’s a private lake. So, unless you’re a member or staying at the resort, you can’t access the lake. But there is a public beach not far away that you can easily go swim in if that’s what you’re looking for. 

Hiking Spots

For this trip, I had to stick to flatter terrain than normally, but there were still plenty of options to choose from! I was able to get out and go on a nice hike in the morning before the rain hit each day, and luckily, the trails weren’t too muddy throughout the hikes. Here are the ones I liked best:

Tobyhanna State Park

This is a well-maintained area that’s pet friendly, so it’s pretty popular. But while I was hiking, I didn’t really run into too many people out on the trail. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the time of day and year that you’re on the trail, though. 

Some hiking options can be found on All Trails, but I did the Lakeside Loop which was about 5 miles long. 

North Pocono Trail System

This is another well-maintained trail system that has plenty of options you can take throughout your hike. It’s a very easy trail, but still plenty of interesting stuff around to keep you entertained throughout. There was a spot where we had to turnaround and go a different route because it was a total muddy mess. But there were nearby options that made it an easy switch. 

The NPTA has the full trail map on their website. 

Eating/Drinking

One night, I stopped by Shawnee Craft brewery to sit out in their beer garden. They had multiple pizza options and a decent beer list. I went with a raspberry sour and a summer veg pizza. Both were pretty good. Even though it was a muggy night out, it was still nice to sit outdoors and their set up was very comfortable.

They do have an indoor section, but it was pretty jam packed and a little too hectic for my taste. But everyone in there seemed to be having a blast.

Another spot I went to, but don’t have a picture of, is the Poconos Organic Market. I swung by there on my way out of town and grabbed breakfast. I ordered the avocado toast and a smoothie. I was a big fan of the avocado toast and the smoothie was good, but had a few too many lumps for my taste. But the flavor was nice.

Shopping/Thrifting

I love a good antique store when I’m traveling, so I am always sure to hit at least one or two while I’m visiting somewhere new. During my trip, I went to four different stores and bought nothing. Most of the shops were so jam packed that it was hard to figure out where to look to be honest. But there were some nice things here and there in a couple of them, but nothing I absolutely needed to come home with.

There was one store, though, that was ROUGH. It was highly rated on Google, but when I went in there, I saw in the back of the store there was a large case dedicated to old racist memorabilia.

I’m sure if you’re in the area for longer, you’d be able to find better places to shop from, but I just struck out everywhere that I went during my trip.

Overall Rating of the Poconos

I think the Poconos is a gorgeous area! It’s very lush with plenty of nice hiking to do. Plus, it’s a short drive from NYC. I think that I’d be willing to go back and try the more rigorous hikes in the future, but it’s not on my immediate list of things to do. Overall, it’s a nice place to visit, but I think there are other nearby areas that may be a little bit more fun to go to if you have the opportunity.