7 Outdoor Activities in the Poconos That Aren’t Skiing
For a fresh outdoor activities involving ice and snow, take your pick.
Snowshoeing is just one of the fun outdoor activities in the Poconos besides skiing. / Photograph courtesy of the Lodge at Woodloch
There’s more to the Poconos than just skiing. For a fresh activity involving ice and snow, take your pick.
Adventuring
Want an adrenaline-pumping adventure your kids won’t forget? Historic, recently renovated Skytop Lodge (one of our favorite places to stay in the entire region) has a Treetop Adventure course open year-round. Zip line between trees, scale bridges and try your luck on tight ropes.
Horseback Riding
Take guided trail rides through snow-covered woods at Bushkill Riding Stables, Daisy Field Farm, Happy Trails Stables, and Mountain Creek Riding Stable, which has pony rides for the young ’uns.
Snowshoeing
This 4,000-year-old activity is alive and well in Northeast Pennsylvania. Choose a state park, or try it out at one of the area hotels, like Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort or Woodloch.
Ice Fishing
The 5,700-acre Lake Wallenpaupack near Hawley is the place to fish for bass and trout beneath the ice. Just make sure to get a fishing permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission beforehand.
Snowmobiling
There’s nothing more exhilarating than whipping through the pines of Pennsylvania’s state forests on the back of a snowmobile. Pocono Snowmobile Rentals has been around since 1968, and Pocono Palace Resort offers free snowmobiles to guests as part of its all-inclusive package. You just need a valid driver’s license.
Ice Climbing
This can be dangerous, but for daredevils willing to take the risk, climbing frozen waterfalls can be a beautiful adventure. The Narrows in Kintnersville is known to have some of the best ice climbing around. (Just beware of loose rock.)
Ice-Skating
At White Haven’s Hickory Run State Park, you can skate on natural lake ice; Skytop Lodge transforms its pavilion into a covered rink every winter that offers skate rentals and is open to the public.
>> Click here for 23 Reasons to Fall in Love With the Poconos in the Winter
Published as “Because outdoor activities don’t stop at skiing” in the December 2022 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
