The crisp autumn air and fall season are on their way! Mother Nature puts on a stunning show in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, and the fall colors that cloak our hills are the perfect backdrop for a wide variety of different outdoor adventures and fall happenings.

Take time to make memories and soak in fall in the Poconos this year! Admire the brilliant foliage on foot, on wheels or even up in the air. Gather your friends or bring the whole family along for fall festivals and harvest fun. Keep reading to discover 14 autumn experiences to catch in the Poconos before the leaves fall.

  1. Hiking
  2. Biking
  3. Trolley Trips and Train Rides
  4. Horseback Riding
  5. Adventure Park
  6. Scenic Drive
  7. Zip Line
  8. Paintball
  9. Boating
  10. River Trips
  11. Camping
  12. Golfing
  13. Fishing
  14. Air Tour

Hiking

Reconnect with nature and breath in the fresh mountain air on a fall hike. Over 260 miles of Pocono trails feature spectacular views and incredible seasonal colors. Crunch through the leaves, discover a beautiful waterfall framed by flaming foliage or get a glimpse of local wildlife preparing for winter.

Choose from 13 miles of trails with convenient loop routes at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, PA or enjoy the woods, wildflowers, and wetlands at Van Scott Nature Reserve of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Wind up the hill above Honesdale to Irving Cliff for a charming small town view which once charmed the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Washington Irving. Famed Bushkill Falls is open (weather permitting) through November, featuring eight waterfalls along four hiking trails varying in length and difficulty.

 

Biking

Roll beneath branches loaded with vibrant leaves: autumn is an ideal time for biking in the Poconos! Two national and nine state parks, totaling over 100,000 acres, offer trails for every skill level.

Rent a bike or bring your own and pedal through beautiful Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area along the McDade Recreational Trail. Stay on the mostly flat part of the trail from Hialeah to Owens trailheads, or take the switchbacks up the ridge north from Owens Trailhead and continue past the park's headquarters through rolling hills.

Another amazing spot for a fall cycle is Lehigh Gorge State Park. Spend a day exploring the 24 scenic and historic miles of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor running through the Gorge alongside the Lehigh River. For those up for a challenge, head to the nearby Switchback Railroad Trail start in Summit Hill and cycle downhill towards Jim Thorpe to let gravity do some of the work for you.

D&L Trail - Biking

D&L Trail - Biking

  • D&L National Heritage Corridor
  • (610) 923-3548

Discover the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. Part of the Delaware & Lehigh…

 

Trolley Trips and Train Rides

A scenic trolley trip or train ride through our region’s eclectic small towns is the perfect opportunity to view the reds, oranges and golds covering the hillsides. Try an old-fashioned form of transportation and learn about the history of the Poconos Mountains during your tour. The Jim Thorpe Trolley Company and The Pocono Historic Trolley Tour offer classic trolley rides, harking back to Victorian vacations of the past.

From couples to families, everyone will love an autumn ride on the train! Hop aboard the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway for a 70-minute round trip excursion winding north along the Lehigh River from Jim Thorpe through Lehigh Gorge State Park. The Stourbridge Line chugs along 25 miles through the Poconos, passing the Lackawaxen River and incredible views of the region’s fall finery in picturesque towns like Hawley and Honesdale, the birthplace of the American railroad.

The Stourbridge Line

The Stourbridge Line

  • 812 Main Street
  • (570) 470-2697

All aboard The Stourbridge Line! Scenic passenger trains through the Pocono Mountains…

 

Horseback Riding

Giddy up! Hit the trails and discover the fiery hues while horseback riding. Mount a friendly horse from local stables and canter through forests, over streams and across fields! Wherever you venture, beautiful scenery awaits.

Never ridden a horse? No problem! This is the perfect opportunity to try riding for the first time. At local stables like Bushkill Riding Stables, Happy Trails Stables and Mountain Creek Stable, no experience is required, and beginners are welcome. If you'd rather let someone else take the reins, Daisy Field Farm offers carriage, hay wagon and pony rides. Be sure to call ahead to make your riding appointment in advance.

Happy Trails Stables

Happy Trails Stables

  • 613 Honesdale Road
  • (570) 488-6996

The leader in horseback riding. Open year-round, seven days a week from 9am-5pm. Over 100…

Daisy Field Farm

Daisy Field Farm

  • 542 Oley Valley Road
  • (570) 839-0925

Enjoy a peaceful ride on a private, Pocono Mountains family farm. Daisy Field Farm is a…

 

Adventure Park

Can’t get enough of the trees? See how the foliage looks to the squirrels as you play up amongst the branches! Balance on a tight rope stretched over the forest floor, cross a swinging log bridge suspended up in the air, or glide down the mountainside with foliage on every side at a local adventure park. Take on a treetop ropes course, rock climbing, zip lining and more!

Blue Mountain Resort – Summit Aerial Park offers five levels of difficulty with a new course perfect for young children and first-time treetop adventurers. Challenge family and friends to the 87 elements at Gorilla Grove Treetop Adventures or enjoy 3,000 feet of in-air obstacles at Adventure Center at Skytop Lodge.

 

Scenic Drive

From the red maple to the golden hickory, over 120 varieties of plants, trees and shrubs put on their fall foliage finery throughout our region's four counties. The Pocono Mountains has ranked in USAToday's Top 10 Fall Foliage Destinations for the past three years running. You'll want to see this bright palette of seasonal shades for yourself!

Pull up a playlist of relaxing road trip music and roll along beneath the autumn branches. Car and Driver Magazine ranked PA Route 6, which runs through the charming towns of Honesdale, Hawley and Milford, as one of the “Top Scenic Routes in America.” Follow the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack along Route 507, hailed by the Travel Channel as one of the “Best Fall Foliage Road Trips.”

CNN named beautiful Delaware Water Gap one of the best places to view fall foliage, and Route 209 is a great byway to take through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Stop in Stroudsburg for lunch, continue west on 209 past Beltzville State Park and wind up the day in historic Jim Thorpe. One of the best things about a scenic drive in the Poconos is that whenever you're feeling like a snack or a stretch of the legs, there are lots of small towns in the area to explore.

 

Zip Line

Fly through the foliage! Ride solo or race a friend on a mountain zip line! See the leaves while zooming down from more than eight stories high on the 900-foot zip line at Whitewater Rafting Adventures, or feel your adrenaline pumping as you zip past the trees on North America's longest twin zip-flyers at Camelback Mountain Adventures.

Whitewater Rafting Adventures - Zipline

Whitewater Rafting Adventures - Zipline

  • 101 West Adventure Trail Road
  • (570) 669-9127

Are you ready for a high-speed ride? Fly for over 900 feet at speeds exceeding 30 miles per hour! Hook up, step off, and watch the ground beneath your feet disappear as you soar over Red Rock Cliff. At over eight stories high, it’s sure to…

Camelback Mountain Adventures

Camelback Mountain Adventures

  • 243 Resort Drive
  • (570) 629-1663 ext 3

Race a friend down Camelback Mountain on 1,000-foot dual zip lines or the new and improved 4,000-foot zip-flyer now featuring four new lines! Whether choosing the zip line or the zip-flyer, you'll be safely harnessed as you zip through the…

 

Paintball

Battle it out in a paintball game beneath the trees for bragging rights. Play a round at Skirmish Paintball, a world-class, 700-acre facility in Albrightsville, PA with over 50 playing fields. Pocono Mountain Paintball in Nesquehoning offers scenario fields like Fort Courage, Trench Warfare, and Combat Creek.

Skirmish Paintball

Skirmish Paintball

  • 211 North Meckesville Rd
  • (570) 325-3654

Put a little adventure in your life! For adrenaline pumping fun, visit the world's largest paintball facility, Skirmish Paintball. With the largest paintball facility in the world offering 50+ maps and 750 acres. Skirmish has something for…

Pocono Mountain Paintball

Pocono Mountain Paintball

  • 101 West Adventure Trail Road
  • (570) 669-9127

Paintball Adventures in the Poconos! When you combine this with awesome prices on admission, rentals and paintballs, as well as no bus rides you end up with one incredible day. Challenge the Bear’s Den or play Fort Courage. Play on fields…

 

Boating

There's nothing like seeing the fall colors reflected in the serene surface of a peaceful lake. Plan a day of boating and float over Poconos waters to enjoy breathtaking views. Bring your own boat to public launch ramps at Gouldsboro State Park or along the Lackawaxen River Trails. Looking for a rental? Rubber Duckie Boat Rentals offer boat rentals on Lake Wallenpaupack until late October.

 

River Trips

Canoe or kayak down the Delaware River for unmatched views of the autumn leaves. Take a trip with one of our many outfitters like Edge of the Woods Outfitters, Shawnee River Trips, or Chamberlain Canoes.

Looking to kick things up a notch? Sign up for a Big Day Out with Pocono Whitewater Adventures to pack three big adventures into one epic outing. Raft, bike and hike your way through bright fall foliage on the Lehigh River. Equipment and meals are provided. This is one fall day you won’t forget. Try it in 2022 on September 5 or 17 or October 1 or 15.

Shawnee River Trips

Shawnee River Trips

  • One River Road
  • (570) 424-4000

Paddle down the serene Delaware River on an excursion with Shawnee River Trips. With the…

Chamberlain Canoes

Chamberlain Canoes

  • 103 5 Star Lane
  • (570) 421-0180

Enjoy a float on the Delaware. Chamberlain Canoes offers canoe, kayak, raft and tube…

 

Camping

When it's time to rest, pitch a tent beneath the beautiful leaves at a campground. Don Laine Campground and Jim Thorpe Camping Resort are open through mid-October and offer on-site activities for everyone to enjoy. Whether you prefer RV, tent or cottage sites, Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA and Otter Lake Camp Resort have year-round camping options. Spend a night under the stars and around the crackling fire, a perfect cozy fall evening.

Otter Lake Camp Resort

Otter Lake Camp Resort

  • 1639 Marshalls Creek Road
  • (570) 223-0123

Named one of the best 247 campgrounds in North America by Good Sam, Otter Lake Campground…

 

Golfing

Wake up early to watch an autumn sunrise and get an early start at area golf courses. Hitting the links is a great way to enjoy the cooler temperatures surrounded by beautiful fall colors. Hideaway Hills Golf Club and Jack Frost National are both surrounded by tall trees—ideal for an autumn outing.

Play a round on a pristine local golf course, or buy our Golf-A-Round Card and play more than one! There are seven participating Pocono Mountains courses, including historic properties the greats have played like Pocono Manor Golf Course.

 

Fishing

See if you can catch the big one this fall. Head out on a guided fishing trip with Captain Joe's Fishing & Waterman Services. Call ahead for fall hours of operation to schedule your outing.

Visit Big Brown Fish & Pay Lakes to fish two stocked ponds through the end of October, no fishing license required. If you have your own equipment and are out fishing public Pocono waterways, you'll want to make sure you have purchased a state license.

Captain Joe's Fishing & Waterman Services

Captain Joe's Fishing & Waterman Services

  • 40 South Lake Drive
  • (484) 886-8258

Guided fishing, fly fishing, rod rentals and more located on the beautiful Lake Harmony. Operated out of Lake Harmony PA and the surrounding bodies of water, including the Lehigh river and its tributaries, Captain Joe's will provide you…

Big Brown Fish & Pay Lakes

Big Brown Fish & Pay Lakes

  • 2668 Route 115
  • (570) 629-0427

Family fishing fun, as well as a great meal to take home and cook! With three well-stocked ponds for fishing, the fish are always biting. Two ponds are stocked with trout (rainbow, brown, brook, and golden) and one pond is stocked with bass…

 

Air Tour

What better way to marvel at the fall foliage than from a bird’s-eye view? Take in the beauty of fall in the Pocono Mountains with an air tour! Soar over waterways and mountains bursting with brilliant colors.

Moyer Aviation and Pocono Helitours offer air tours year-round! Catch aerial views of popular beauty spots like the Delaware Water Gap and Lake Wallenpaupack, or choose your own customized sightseeing excursion. Buckle up for a private tour, and see the sights of the region like never before!

Moyer Aviation

Moyer Aviation

  • Pocono Mountains Airport
  • (570) 839-7161

Experience breathtaking views of the Delaware Water Gap and other sights from the air with your own plane and tour pilot. Offering year-round air tours of the Pocono Mountains from the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport. This is a wonderful…

Pocono Helitours

Pocono Helitours

  • 173 Hangar Lane
  • (570) 580-4354

See the Pocono Mountains from a new perspective with a scenic helicopter air tour! The helicopter carries two passengers, with an amazing front row seat view of the Poconos. Tours are based out of the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport…

The Pocono Mountains covers 2,400 square miles, roughly the size of Delaware, and wonderful properties and attractions are spread across the region. Looking for the latest on the season? Visit our fall foliage forecast starting September 8, 2022 for weekly updates about each of the three zones' peak colors! Check out our leaf peeping FAQs and more adventures to experience fall fun, plus ideas for fall day trips. Don't forget to browse special offers to find beautiful places to stay during your fall getaway.

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